M:I:III works to reinvigorate a series that got tired after one movie.

Rating: 8/10 (4 May 2006)

I'll say right now i'm not a fan of M:I:II. i saw it out of patriotism, but couldn't have been more disappointed, considering the first movie is an incredibly tense and well thought out thriller. this third installment however, is a strong step back in the right direction, and probably outshines even the first film. After seeing this, i cant wait to see what will happen in the future for this series.
One hugely important element here is the supporting cast, who are all brilliant without exception. Michelle Monaghan as the fiancé makes you completely understand why Ethan Hunt would want to turn his back on his secret service days. Hoffman is unflappably calculating, evil and awesome, the kind of bad guy who doesn't evil monologue, doesn't reveal a thing, and is watching you every second to uncover your weakness. Billy Crudup works perfectly as the agent who seems out of his depth and yet seems completely trustworthy. Jonathan Rhys Myers seems perfectly at ease transforming from one disguise and accent to another, and gives what would have been a throw away part so much more character. Maggie Q is beautiful, and like Myers, gives her character much more than what seems to be written for her. Laurence Fishburn speaks each and every line of dialogue with a degree of cool reserved for his acting style alone. Simon Pegg, i cant watch this man without laughing, he manages to make anything seem funny. If they do in fact make any future instalments for the MI series I really hope they keep some of these characters going on. Ving Rhames has staked himself recurring ground and it would be great to see a few more familiar faces.
Secondly is the direction, Abrams makes his big screen directorial debut count in every way possible. he manages to balance his exploration of both the significance of the characters and the significance of explosive action set pieces in a way that satisfies exactly what i was hoping to see from this film.
The script seems to have taken the strongest elements of the first two movies and mixed them together, so we get to see the intelligence of the first movie through the spy thriller genre, as well as the fast paced, highly stylised antics of the second movie through the action genre. the result is one of excellent cinematic entertainment. rush out and see it. SEE IT NOW I SAY!!!