Mission: Impossible III

Rating: 5/10 (16 February 2009)

With his "unacceptable behaviour", including the jumping on the couch of The Oprah Winfry Show, this was the last film Tom Cruise (also producing) made before being fired from Paramount (after 14 years), from director J.J. Abrams (creator of Lost). Basically, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is engaged to doctor Julia (Michelle Monaghan), and while in the middle of their party, he joins (and in the end fails) a rescue mission to save past protégée agent Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell), who he trained himself. She was kidnapped by evil dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and he of course is the next target, with knowledge of something called The Rabbit's Foot. Unfortunately, when Davian gets away, he kidnaps Ethan's now wife Julia, forcing him to steal this Rabbit's foot, and then watch his girlfriend be killed by Davian. It turns out to be another woman in disguise, and so Ethan is now determined to get his wife back, while carrying an explosive device in his skull. Also starring Ving Rhames as Luther, Big Fish's Billy Crudup as Musgrave, Match Point's Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Declan, Laurence Fishburne as Theodore Brassel, Die Hard 4.0's Maggie Q as Zhen and Eddie Marsan as Brownway and Simon Pegg as Benji. While the action, explosions and stuff are good viewing, it is the story that doesn't completely deliver, it is not as intelligent as the other two films, but Cruise does have his moments, and Hoffman excels as the villain, so it is good to try. Worth watching!