Impossibly contrived to sell tickets

Rating: 3/10 (24 September 2012)

Ethan Hunt (obviously Tom Cruise) attempting to live a more low-key life opposite his love Julia (an unconvincing and forgettable Michelle Monaghan), now has turned from special op to super-trainer. Inadvertently he returns to active service in order to save one of his trainees. Despite a full-fledged operation the mission is a failure and the agent loses her life. Vengefully Hunt's group decides to bring down the man responsible Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) regardless of being aware of a mole within the agency...
Contrived and forced this plan is obnoxiously bad and features some needless melodrama to 'build' Hunt's character. Obviously the worst of the MI movies, especially given the bounce back to quality in the fourth instalment, "MI:3" serves only as a explanatory filler to certain themes touched upon in the follow-up. Almost self-farcical with little zest, punch or laughs, it collapses quicker then the story. Attempts to flesh out a background life with wife and dog end up counter-productive and are probably the least believable scenes in the movie. Despite several pretty well done scenes (if outlandish) delivery of the whole package is extremely hollow, superficial and not meant for a thinking audience. Something that even skyscraper jumping won't be able to compensate...
Surprisingly poor from J. J. Abrams, this much forced episode of the franchise is obviously his worst work to date (unless you count the overlong fall into the abyss during "Lost"). Rife with shaky cam, quick editing and tiresome repetitive displays Abrams manages to outdo even John Woo's MI:2 in terms of mindless emotionless entertainment.