Watch out, James Bond, Ethan Hunts here!

Rating: 9/10 (2 May 2006)

First things first: the mission impossible series couldn't gotten any worse. The first two sucked harder than Jenna Jameson on a busy day. So I took my seat in the theater and prayed to the gods above: please, let the third one be the proverbial charm. And what do you know? The gods listened. The prologue kicks frickin'ass and has the perfect set up to the rest of the movie.
(Spoiler: this scene is a preview of a terrifying torture-scene where Hoffman's character really hurts Hunt in ways you can't imagine).
The film was of to a good start, but could it sustain this level of nail-biting tension? Hell, yeah! This movie has more mind-blowing action pieces than the other two combined (a helicopterchase through a windmillpark for example). Plus it has some real emotion. Hunt is married this time around and Hoffman's bad guy takes full advantage of Hunt's only weakness, his wife.
Furthermore the direction J.J. Abrams took the story is as close as you can get to a real homage to the original series. There's is a real life team of IMF agents kicking ass and taking names. Ving Rhames is just too cool for school, but also the minor parts really deliver in this high octane action-thriller.
Stand out is Simon Pegg, the genius behind Shaun of the Dead, he is just hilariously clueless as a computer-nerd helping Hunt on his many missions.
I know when the filmmakers of the new James Bond-series see this movie, they leave with cold sweat dripping down their backs. They know they better deliver a brilliant Bond come end of the year, because for now MI 3 can call itself the king of the spy-world.