Mission Impossible 3 - Movie Review

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2020)

In many ways, Mission Impossible 3 is the best of the original trilogy. It certainly has the best narrative, in my opinion, although the first film comes close. The relationship between Ethan and Julia is wonderful, and it also has the best villain from the trilogy in Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character.
Unfortunately, the direction isn't particularly strong, and that's what ultimately puts this film behind the original for me. It's a shame, because I am actually quite a big fan of JJ Abrams as a filmmaker, but this was definitely the weak aspect of the third entry in the franchise.
The camerawork and editing were also messy, with way too much shaky-cam and shots which were so poorly pieced together that it was sometimes difficult to tell exactly what was happening on-screen. This was especially noticeable during the action scenes.
Thankfully, everything else about Mission Impossible 3 is great, and I had an extremely good time watching it. The script is excellently written, with plenty of drama and some tense scenes throughout. As I have already stated, Hoffman as the villain was excellent, and this was the first time in the franchise that I was actually scared for the characters.
Overall, whilst Mission Impossible 3 definitely has its issues, I can't deny that I was thoroughly entertained throughout. This is, without a doubt, a worthy entry into one of the best action franchises of all time.
SCORE: 78%