Entertaining action but thin on plot & characters

Rating: 6/10 (24 May 2006)

Overall, the film was enjoyable, because the action sequences are well exectued and pulse-pounding (as expected), but when the story gets down to, well, the story the film falters.
A few comments: The characters deserved more development. For example, it was very difficult for me to care about Hunt's wife, Julia, because she has so little screen time. Julia is supposed to be a normal, likable "girl-next-door" type, but she's so average that she becomes bland and ultimately succumbs to being nothing but Cruise arm-candy.
Normally, I love Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He's a talented actor, but the script gives him very little to work with, except when he's threatening Ethan Hunt, but even then even Hoffman seems to struggle, because there's very little in the plot that might motivate him. It's too bad really, because given the right script Hoffman is always great.
Lastly, it's a shame that the plot was so overly simplified. The whole point of the Mission Impossible franchise is that the plot is supposed to be rich with twists and turns of espionage, but this version of the film dumbs it down so much that we don't even know what the rabbit's foot is! Sure, the first Mission Impossible had a plot that was IMPOSSIBLE to understand, but really, people don't just want thrill rides when they see a movie--they need some substance to back up all that style, and definitely more than the TOM CRUISE PERSONA to keep the film afloat.
See it if you've got nothing better to do, but otherwise wait till DVD.