When I went to see this movie, the only expectation I brought into the theater with me was “It can’t possibly be worse than Mission: Impossible II”. And not only was it better then M:I2, it was A LOT better than M:I2!
This third installment in the franchise carries on the story of Ethan Hunt, member of the Impossible Mission Force. Ethan comes out of retirement to rescue a friend from enemy hands, and again to get revenge on international super villain, Davien. However, once Davien escapes the clutches of the I.M.F., he wreaks a terrible vengeance on Ethan’s newly-acquired family. Ethan has to obtain a nuclear device called “the Rabbit’s Foot” for Davien if he wants his wife back with all her pieces. But the mission might prove impossible (tee hee) once Ethan is branded a traitor by the I.M.F. and has to steal the Rabbit’s Foot while avoiding capture by his former teammates.
M:I3 is honestly everything the hackneyed, clichéd, derivative John Woo garbage of M:I2 wasn’t. This movie not only has action, but has an engaging story, numerous twists and turns, a collection of impressive actors (Laurence Fishburne and Simon Pegg in a movie together!?) and some of the most clever infiltration sequences that only a Mission: Impossible title can give you.
This installment throws a few curveballs at you, as well. After a few of the precisely-planned, immaculate plots Ethan and the I.M.F. pull-off, things go a little different. Once the clock starts counting down on the life of Ethan’s wife you see exactly what the I.M.F. can be like when they have to do a job quick and dirty. It’s impressively resourceful, as one would expect from Mission: Impossible, but not the typical perfectly-calibrated caper we’re used to.
This movie does have its faults, to be fair. While an extremely fun action movie, M:I3 is still…just another action movie. Not a bad one, not a completely forgettable one, but still nothing particularly special that will be talked about for years. In a couple months, I’m sure most audience members will forget they ever saw it.
And while the movie is action-packed, don’t expect anything too original from the script. Now, this is no “Ripped directly from a Saturday morning cartoon because I have zero brain cells” kind of predictable trash, like in John Woo’s installment, but you’re more-than-likely going to be able to guess most of the plot twists if you pay even a little attention.
Also, although I was arguing with myself over mentioning this or not, a lot of people are going to be turned-off of this movie due mostly to Tom Cruise’s less-than-respectable actions here in the real world.
If Tom Cruise’s character as a human being is enough to keep you from seeing this movie, then I suppose there isn’t much I can say to convince you to see it. However, if you’re capable of separating Tom Cruise the Person from Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, then I recommend this movie for a good, fun, possibly forgettable but completely entertaining evening.
Grade: B-