Solid Entertainment

Rating: 8/10 (7 May 2006)

In some ways, this movie is the best of the three starring and produced by Tom Cruise. In other ways, it's not. It depends on one's point of view, and those do tend to vary. There are things that I personally enjoyed about all three. Some things in the first two I hated. I hated nothing in this one, so that would make it my favorite of the three.
Here's what works: the story here is by far the most compelling of the three. The first one had Ethan Hunt's team killed off in the opening sequence, and the rest of IMF in danger of discovery. So what; I didn't know them, and I don't care. I honestly don't remember what the second one was about, but there were bad people who had to be stopped, and only Ethan Hunt could stop them.
Now, the danger is more compelling. His life is being invaded by his work. Bad guys kidnap his wife and protégé. Everything he does is to protect something personal to him. It's much more accessible, and it brings you into the story. Some people might think it's less interesting because they prefer to see Tom Cruise save the world at large from destruction and chaos. I see that as kind of a vague concept, and I've seen enough of it for a while. I'd rather feel what he's fighting for instead of just watching it.
The stunts are fun, the action never falters, and the movie rarely slows down to take a break. This is what I expect of the franchise, of an early summer movie, and it delivered.
There are a number of little things along the way that are kind of silly, in the sense that characters who should know better do something easily avoidable, but these failures never impact the big picture and are easily dismissed. For example, Ethan jumps from a building and parachutes to the ground with a stolen item, yet it didn't occur to him to secure this item somehow and he drops it, then has to chase it through speeding traffic. It's dumb that he didn't secure it, but he picks it up and gets away. It's a little thing that shouldn't have happened because it's out of character, but it doesn't make a big difference so I'm not terribly bothered by it. If someone's pet monkey had picked it up and Ethan had to chase the monkey...well, thankfully that's a different movie.
Another drawback is that director JJ Abrams is not an experienced filmmaker. He's worked a lot in television but the big screen is a bit different. Basically, he can't touch John Woo's visual style, and his storytelling pace feels perfectly tailored to commercial breaks. Again, this doesn't have a big impact on the movie. It's fun to watch. It's an easy thrill. It's worth paying for and sitting through.
If you liked anything about the other two you'll like this one. If you enjoy sitting down to be entertained, go see it. If you want to spend a couple hours not taking anything seriously, it's perfect for you. It's not breaking any new ground, but it doesn't have to. Eight stars of ten.