Mission: Impossible - III Review

Rating: 8/10 (23 July 2018)

Mission: Impossible - III is a film directed by J.J. Abrams. After the dismal second instalment, I wanted something that could revamp the series and bring new energy that the series deserves. This film exactly did that.
Plot: Ethan Hunt is called out of retirement when one of his trainees is captured by black market arms dealer, Owen Davian.
Story and direction: This film is the debut of J.J. Abrams as a feature film director. He had a huge responsibility of bringing the franchise back on track and he delivers. The writing team (Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Orci) do know what the franchise needs, gives the fans (like me) satisfying moments that was longed for in the second part. Abrams being into spy thrillers (Alias) was the perfect choice. For the only time in the series, we do see the IMF office, which was a wonderful take. Also shown very beautifully is what happens when the professional life overtakes the personal. The characters that are newly introduced just go with the flow of the film in addition to leaving their own impression. Some of the action scenes too are just powerful and full of adrenaline. The music by Michael Giacchino is suspenseful and adds to the wonder this film has. I did like the colour palette that the film used which gave the film a very gritty and dark look. The main issue with the film is regarding the cinematography. There are certain scenes where there are close-ups for very long time and also there was a lot of shaky-cam which interrupted my viewing a couple of times. Also, there were certain scenes where some explanation or even a small description would do justice.
Performances: It was good to see Tom Cruise back into action after his tireless romantic attempt in the previous instalment. Ving Rhames provides good support to Tom's character. Simon Pegg does a wonderful job as Benji. So does Michelle Monaghan as Julia. Laurence Fishburne and Billy Crudup are great in their performances. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q are awesome as IMF agents. And finally, Philip Seymour Hoffman is probably the best villain the M: I series had. He is ruthless and cunning. Philip nailed his role perfectly.
Favourite Scene: It would be the one where Ethan tries to exact information from Owen by threatening him to throw him out of the plane. Without any fear, Owen replies that he will find every loved one of Ethan's and kill them right in front of him. This scene showed the devilish side of Owen and I was impressed.
Verdict: Even with its flaws, Mission: Impossible - III serves as a good film with loads of suspense and action scenes and ample of entertainment.
I am going with an 8/10.