Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt in the movie 'Mission Impossible III'. - CONTRIBUTED
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III (M:i:III) is a good combination of bang and boom, just the stuff that summer blockbusters are made of. As such, it manages to overcome a task that is not quite impossible, but is pretty difficult; making a second sequel to a successful movie which began life as a television series.
The problem with sequels to a good movie is how to live up to expectations from the first flick and then to ensure that the sequel is not just a rehash of the first movie. Mission Impossible III manages this difficult task deftly and creates an entertaining romp that is worth a trip to the cinema.
This third instalment is written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and directed by J.J. Abrams. Mission Impossible III works because along with delivering the adrenaline-driven story that one would expect, it also allows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to develop.
Mission Impossible III is essentially the Tom Cruise show, and somehow he manages to make himself the star of almost every frame, he seems to have perfected his run, and he certainly does a lot of running in this flick.
Though Cruise dominates, the support cast is generally quite good. Ving Rhames returns in his role as Luther Stricknell and Lawrence Fishburne joins as the new boss John Brassel of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). Phillip Seymour Hoffman also makes an excellent addition to the cast in his role as the story's villain, Owen Davian.
The story begins after Hunt has officially retired from active duty. However, a special incident will draw him back in. What is particularly important, too, is that he is now involved in a permanent relationship, which adds to the romantic element of the film. However, romance is never allowed to dominate; it is just to motivate the action, and it does so well.
ACTION-PACKED
Mission Impossible III comes with a lot of the elements that we love and expect from the other two films. It has learnt to play down some elements, however, which though interesting, have lost some of their cool effect. As such, we expect the message to self-destruct in five seconds, and it does, but it is no longer a big deal. The same occurs with the face masks.
As such, what Mission Impossible III relies on for its effect is a good plot line that keeps the viewer easily involved coupled with numerous explosions, with enough fire power to keep one glued to the seat.
Truthfully, the stunts are nowhere as daring and innovative as the first two films, but the action moves fast enough for M:i:III to be able to hold its own.
