मिशन इम्पॉंसिबल-3

Phillip seymour hoffman is the best villain in this series too.

J.J. Abrams, creator of Lost, takes on the third instalment of the action franchise, which sees human yo-yo Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in rare human mode as he plans on making an early retirement to be with his nurse wife (Michelle Monaghan), only to be go on another impossible mission as he plans catching sadistic arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). To aid him are Ving Rhames, Jonathon Rhys-Meyers and Maggie Q, and, this being a third, there are gadgets, explosions, sets and plot twists like now other.

You've got to hand it to Abrams – he certainly knows how to keep an audience on their toes. Drawing on a few of his popular plot devices from Lost (flashbacks, a crescendo to the turning point), he sets us up neatly into his little world, where Ethan Hunt is now a man trying to live a normal life. Whilst that scenario may be a hard to buy, this is redeemed by the many action scenes in the film which are each exhilarating. To go into detail would be spoiling it, but let's just say there is an extremely breathtaking sequence involving a fulcrum, an amusing one involving Tom Cruise disguising himself as someone, and lastly, but by no means least a helicopter chase which is utterly awe-inspiring and barely lets the audience pause for breath. All this, and you get a Michael Giacchino score that perfectly blends action, anxiety, fear and anger.

The cast in themselves are a treat. Tom Cruise, though not given the most trying of tasks in playing an action hero, does a good job with his usual intensity. In the action scenes, his facial expressions are concentrated and focused and utterly convincing. However, Cruise fails in having any genuine chemistry with Michelle Monaghan, for and the romance comes across as rather bland. This is not aided with the poor writing in these scenes. Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Maggie Q merely look cool as his helpers, and Laurence Fisburne and Billy Crudup successfully bring that edge of moral ambiguity to their characters. And Philip Seymour Hoffman is excellently malicious as the elusive and extremely dangerous Davian, shining in his lizard-eyed role and bringing some genuine terror to the villain. His scenes aside Tom Cruise are superb, as they practically tremble in tension and quiet hatred on both characters parts.

You will go to see Mission Impossible III expecting some grand-scale set pieces, and you will not be disappointed here. Each one of the four is masterfully executed, with a breezy slickness that is both cool and exciting. We're talking non-stop action, occasionally interspersed with those corny Hollywood love formulae, cruising as "emotion." Its big, its bombastic, and it could be the Summer blockbuster of the year.

"Mission: Impossible 3 marks a thrilling comeback for the franchise, skillfully blending intense action with authentic emotional depth. Directed by J. J. Abrams, the film elevates the stakes as Ethan Hunt, portrayed masterfully by Tom Cruise, faces his most personal mission yet.

The narrative seamlessly weaves high-octane action sequences with a compelling story, as Hunt battles a ruthless arms dealer, played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman. The chemistry between the characters adds a layer of depth that enhances the overall experience, making each moment feel consequential.

From jaw-dropping stunts to nail-biting suspense, the film is a masterclass in pacing and tension. The iconic theme returns with a fresh twist, heightening the adrenaline rush throughout. With its blend of heart, humor, and heart-stopping thrills, Mission: Impossible 3 reinvigorates the series, leaving audiences eager for more. This installment not only sets a high bar for action films but also reminds us why we fell in love with Ethan Hunt's adventures in the first place."

Not bad at all. After the John Woo craptastic crapfest that was MI2, Lost creator JJ Abrams takes over and makes a flick that is at least as good as the first one, possibly better in some respects. Some real surprises early in the flick start things off fast, and it keeps up the pace pretty well from there on. Sure, it's mostly same-old same-old, but it was fun and action-packed. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was fine as a villain, but was really not even in the movie that much. Tom Cruise was just Tom Cruise as usual, but for two hours I was able to forget about all his offscreen stupidity. You know what this really felt like? 24: The Movie. ...which they are apparently going to make. It should end up being much like MI3, and I think that'd be just fine.

One of the best of the franchise, mainly thanks to a truly chilling performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's a rare example of a film where you really feel that the stakes are high and that the bad guy is truly threatening.

Part 3 is still fairly small in scale compared to what came later, not to say that there aren't some spectacular stunts - my favourite sequence was the bridge scene in Florida, as well as the various face-swapping scenes.

6.9 is definitely too low a rating for what is a very decent action film. I like most of what JJ Abrams has done as a director and it is certainly an enormous step up for the franchise from part 2.