Ethan Bond saves the world

Rating: 5/10 (19 May 2007)

The film actually resembles the original series (for once), in the opening Vatican City sequence. Quick switches, impersonations, gizmos and gadgets, and operating by stealth. Not detailed at the depth level of the show, but adequate.
But instead of ending the flick as the IMF team escapes triumphantly in a speedboat, there's a lecture about how Ethan the Jedi should not marry or he'll turn to the dark side. We get Ethan Hawk or Hick or Hack or whatever his name yelling at the bad guy while one of his stooge sidekicks dimwittedly says, "Ethan, who recently married Katie Holmes and lives at 1234 Hubbard St., in Hollywood, CA, don't yell at that guy! Be good!" This complete mockery of how the IMF conducted its covert operations sets up a oft-used "personal vendetta" war between the principals. Not only that old ploy, but the deader-than-dead "traitorous mole in the group" device (which was already done in the first MI movie), and you have the remaining 75% of this movie.
Then, the baddie, played by the strongest actor in the cast, Philip Seymour Hoffman, gets away in a silly rescue scene. I was in stitches when the concussion of a blast pushes Tom sideways. It reminded me of a 3 Stooges episode where Larry is hit by a beer keg and is thrown sideways in the same absurd manner. Hoffman is intimidating and threatening, but the script and direction undermine his work. Tom seems to always be running somewhere. See Tom run! Run, Tom! Run! As far as the romance, it was just tossed in at random with little explanation, and even less chemistry. The film also shamelessly cranks out the oldest suspense/action flick cliché in the final scene.
Other than the opening twenty minutes, the only value you'll find in this movie is the cacophony of CGI explosions. Watchable as popcorn fare only.