An exciting third instalment

Rating: 8/10 (26 April 2014)

This, the third instalment in the franchise, opens with protagonist Ethan Hunt being questioned by villain Owen Davian. He wants to know where an item called the 'Rabbit's Foot' is and if Ethen doesn't tell him by the time he counts to ten he will kill his wife! When he reaches ten we hear a shot then cut to the opening credits. When he film restarts it is some time before the opening and Ethan, now retired from front line duty and engaged, is called back to rescue an agent he trained who has been captured by Davian. This sets in motion a series of events that will take Ethan and his team to Berlin, the Vatican and finally to Shanghai where the opening confrontation is destined to take place.
Once again the series gains a new director; J.J. Abrams, and anybody who watched his TV series 'Alias' will be used to the device of opening with a scene that comes from near the end of the story a device that works because it gets the viewer wondering how we will get there and more importantly how it will be resolved. From beginning to end there is plenty of exciting action including gunfights, leaping from buildings and the almost mandatory exploding helicopter! Rather than the highly choreographed action of the previous film this feels rougher and more painful. The plot isn't exactly complicated but that doesn't matter; it is all about the ride. Tom Cruise and the regular cast put in good performances and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman is suitably unpleasant as the sadistic Davian. Overall it may be very far-fetched and a little predictable but that doesn't matter as it is a lot of fun if you enjoyed the first two films you are sure to like this.