Accomplished!

Rating: 7/10 (3 July 2008)

My Take: A vast improvement from its immediate predecessor and much closer to the espionage style of the original TV series.
In the case of summer movie entertainment, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (M:I:III) goes over the way, with special effects and action scenes abound. What more could you ask for in a summer movie? A little more substance could have helped, but it's no use crying over spilled milk. M:I:III is a nimble, action-packed follow-up worthy as a part of the now famous series adapted from the famous TV series. It's packed with all the sort of enjoyable moments. Whether it has Tom Cruise sliding down a building, dodging missiles or dangling on a cliffhanger, the film wants us to slide, dodge and dangle right along with them.
Sequels are usually a bum rap, maybe because they simply rehash the elements of its predecessor/s, only striving to be bigger and louder. M:I:III is no exception, as it tries to top everything the first film and the second, and in the case of special effects, it might just succeed. While above-par from the second, it still lacks the sophistication and class of the original, which I really liked. But while not successfully topping the first film, M:I:III succeeds in revitalizing the franchise, thanks basically to director J.J. Abrams (of TV's ALIAS). He's exceptionally great at directing action scenes, as well as photography and rapid-fast yet stylish editing. But Abrams is also an expertise on character focus and adds style to the story. There are big sequences here, but they are never out-staged by the substance, or vice versa.
Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, the famed IMF agent who finds himself in a heap of trouble when trying to save his fiancée (Michelle Monahan), who gets in the hands of evil arms dealer Owen Davian (slimy Phillip Seymour Hoffman), whom Hunt buries a grudge when his colleague (Keri Russel in a bit cameo role) is kidnapped and killed by Davian. Hunt re-teams with old amigo Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), including some new teammates, including a scene-stealing Maggie Q who gives a new meaning to the term 'tough cookie'. Co-stars are rather overshadowed by a much higher-profile actors as Cruise and Hoffman, who really steal the show in a terrific and heart-pounding Mano-a-Mano. Hoffman may be the best villain in the series so far. Tough, sly and cunning, he's the guy you'd want to get rid of, which is a always a plus to any big-screen villain.
While it's a cut below the superior first film, M:I:III is a solid follow-up, and a worthy popcorn summer movie. The plot goes borderline implausible, almost as much as the unbelievable stunts. Purists of Bruce Gellar's famous TV series may think Hollywood has gone over-the-top in adapting the series on screen, but there's no denying of the thrills-to-the-max cunningness of this enjoyable summer movie. Check your brains at the door, and grab your seat as hard as you can. 1... 2... 3... Execute!
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.