A Thrilling and Pulse-Pounding Action Film with Flaws that Make it Fall Short of Greatness

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2016)

This is considered by many to be the best of the "Mission Impossible" series up to this point. I think "M:I-2" is better, but this is still pretty good. This had a lot of potential to be great, but there are some shortcomings that bring the film down a few notches.
Tom Cruise is great once again, and the supporting cast is also really good. Notable additions to the cast are Laurence Fishburne and Simon Pegg.
The action sequences are electrifying and never let up. From the helicopter battle to the sequence on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the mayhem out in Shanghai, the action delivers.
Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a fantastic villain in Owen Davian. He brings a real mystery to the character and shows why he is one of the world's most versatile actors. The story also has some good twists and turns.
However, there were also many areas in which the movie left a lot to be desired. For one thing, Hoffman is woefully underused. He doesn't get nearly as much screen-time for his character to be well-developed and is barely in the action.
As I said, the story has good twists, but the payoff is rather unsatisfying as they never even explain what the Rabbit's Foot is. I also found the ending to be rather bland.
On the whole, though, this was a fun, entertaining summer blockbuster that just could have been better.
RATING: B