Excellent Action & Well Written-Best of Film Mission Series

Rating: 7/10 (8 May 2006)

Old television series have had a poor history of being made into films. In the last decade, clinkers have been made out of successful series such as The Beverly Hillbillies & Bewitched. Even the first 2 installments of Mission Impossible seemed closer to the films versions of other successful shows, failures both in getting back to the form which made them a success in the small box media. This film is an exception, as for once, this third installment gets it right.
It opens with an interesting scene from later in the picture which looks like the film climax, only it isn't. This sleight of hand is chosen from such a perfect point in the film, that it makes it easy to follow the flashback from the beginning. The action is nearly non-stop as is Tom Cruise who seems to be in at least 90 % of the scenes in the film. So not only is the action satisfying, but if your a big Cruise fan, you get much more Cruise in this than many of his other starring films over the years.
If there is anyone short changed here, it is those who want lots of females. Yes the film has attractive females, but they really only appear in about 20 to 30% of the scenes & most of their characters are more background than anything, though essential to the plot. Male actors don't really fare much better in this respect, this really is a Tom Cruise dominated film. The only way you can hate this one if if you don't like action or Cruise. That should not be many people.
This filmpulls you in very well with the opening sequence & credits & holds on to you until the finish. The only time the film stops is with the ending which might be the only dull moments in the film. After concluding the last mission (there are at least 3 missions jammed into this film), there are a couple of slow moments when Cruise is explaining to his wife Julie what has just happened. I am not sure how this ending could have been punched up but after solid action for the rest of the film, you actually appreciate the rest at the end so that when the closing theme music kicks in, you walk out of the theater humming that great old TV theme song again.
This one is worth seeing as you can almost feel the fuse burning as it jumps from sequence to sequence without rest.