Mission improbable

Rating: 6/10 (18 May 2006)

Saw MI -III today. Well that's 2 hours of my life gone forever. The first and second had a modicum of charm but this, oh god this.. Much has been made of the emotional quotient TC to his friends, Tom Cruise to me, shows in this film. Whoopee do!! It gives him a reason to get teary eyed every couple of minutes. Reminds me of William Hurt in that film about newscasters who could cry on demand.... And so it goes with Tom. He plays cocky too well but give him emotional? His wife in this looks identical to his real one, sans the pregnancy pillow/bump that was used. I had to wait till the credits to find out it wasn't her.
PSH or as I like to call him Phil Seymour Hoffman is a different matter. My god this guy gives gravitas and power. Even though it's popcorn he's a magical brooding presence. A Donald Sutherland or Christopher Plummer (two overused and underrated magicians) of the future.
Story is basically baddie wants to get some Asterix like potion to sell to some other bad guys and tom/ethan's got to save the world.Does he? I won't spoil that for you.
JJ Abrams directed this and it shows. TMA.(Or as Ken Levine would say TOO MANY AIRDUCTS!) As a big screen blockbuster at times it has a claustrophobic, televisual feel to it. And the editing. Around the World in eighty days did it more elegantly. We don't need to see the passport check in but come on...
The publicity extravaganza @ this has been intense and I can see why; if you make enough noise, they will come. But only once. Second week isn't going to be that hot.
Can wait for MI 4