[5]
Tom Cruise makes his Mission: Impossible franchise a trilogy with this installment directed by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8). This time out, Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) plays the villain, an arms dealer looking to acquire a mysterious, presumably dangerous item nicknamed ‘rabbit’s foot’. When Cruise’s Ethan Hunt gets in his way, Hoffman’s character goes after both him and his fiancée (Michelle Monaghan). Ving Rhames returns as part of Ethan’s spy team, along with newcomers Jonthan Rhys Meyers (Titus, The Governess) and Maggie Q.
Mission: Impossible III is more action-packed than its predecessors, but somehow lacks the impact of John Woo’s stylish entry. Cruise is on his game as much as he’s ever been, getting tossed through the air by explosion impacts and leaping between Chinese skyscrapers in the third act. Hoffman is terrifying in a few moments, making one wish he had more screen time. Laurence Fishburne and Billy Crudup make welcome appearances as Cruise’s spy agency superiors. The allegiances of their characters give the climax some added suspense.
The third film is well cast and superbly executed, with colorful photography by Dan Mindel and a thrilling score by Michael Giacchino. It’s held back only by a pedestrian screenplay by Abrams and his frequent co-writers, Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci. Their storytelling fails to distinguish itself from the previous films’ narratives. What’s perhaps most curious is that Abrams doesn’t even feel the need to reveal what the ‘rabbit’s foot’ is — a choice in line with this director’s pension for terrific story setups with lackluster resolutions.
With Abrams regulars Keri Russell and Simon Pegg.