OK action movie, but has major flaws

Rating: 6/10 (25 May 2006)

It was C Day at my local Cinemax, which means any screening on that day, costed 2, so I saw Mission Impossible 3. I have to say I was somewhat impressed. Not only does it feel like those good old 80's/90's action movies and it also looks very similar to the TV show. However, there are a few flaws that rank the movie as nothing more then an OK action movie. Mission Impossible 3 stars Tom Cruise once again has Ethan Hunt return from retirement after one of his partners has been kidnapped by a ruthless Black Market dealer. Ving Rhames returns once again and Maggie Q debuts on this big action movie. The score is impressive, though I left the room before I heard Kayne West's song(never liked him). Tom Cruise himself features as a team player and the team element was rigth on the money(something that lacked in MI2, which reduced the saga into a very poor man's version of James Bond). What's wrong about the movie? Michelle Monaghan and Philip Seymor Hoffman are terribly miscast, for example. Monaghan has an expression and eyes that look completely dead(also the same look throughout the entire movie), devoid of any human emotions and tends to overact, you will actually get a chuckle from her expressions in the movie(was Rachel McAdams too busy). Oscar winner Hoffman does no better as a villain in role which could have been played by anyone. While a story is simple and straightforward, it lacks originality, feeling a lot like a rehash of M:I's story and True Lies. You'll see the plot twists coming a mile away if you know any of these movies. Also some stunts are impossible to do, seems like they were taking cues from The Transporter. Said stunts like some of the shooting scenes and helicopter chase are confusing and are rather enerving. It's one of the better action movies to come out in recent times, definitely better then the bore fest known as Mr and Mrs Smith, the ridiculous xXx 2: State of the Union and the horrible Alone in the Dark.