Tom Cruise as action hero is a Mission Implausible

Rating: 4/10 (5 May 2006)

O.K., o.k. after much argument I finally saw MI3 (as if I hadn't seen enough of Cruise the last six months) and all I can say is Kevin Costner had fewer close ups in WATERWORLD. Tom Cruise has surprised me in some roles ie RAINMAN and MAGNOLIA but he is not an action film star no matter how often he tries to subject us to it. Maybe he should do the research and come to terms with his limitations. And speaking of limitations I thought Phillip Seymore Hoffman sounded more like a man with a cold than a hip sadistic villain. Hoffman whom I enjoy watching in anything from "Happiness" to "Capote:" was more of a heal in "Scent of a Woman" than here in MI3. The script lacked originality and sharp punchlines to break up the monotony of "Tom Sure Shot Cruise" shoot outs. I love a good shoot out- even if it's over the top- but I was not caught up in these. Also I could see in my minds eye Tom Cruise insisting he finally get a "good bridge scene" in his action movie and jumping up and down on his producer couch after reading the "bridge scene" inclusion in the MI3 script. It didn't help!! Maybe a director with more vision could have done a better job Unfortunately the director was JJ Abrams who despite the budget found a way to make this scene and in deed the entire movie dull, more of the same and implausibly laughable where it shouldn't have been. Was it the fact that the star was the producer of the movie that limited JJ?? or that the star so intent on forcing the issue of action hero and close ups could only find a director who was leadable and therefore lacking vision hence JJ Abrams. Tom!! you're not as talentless as I thought you were 20 years ago but get a grip on the reality of yourself- if you can do it for Brook Sheilds surely you can turn the mirror inwards- give the audience what they want instead of what you hope to shove(L) on them.