Review of M I 3
Mission Impossible 3
Mission Impossible 3 dir. J.J. Abrams; starring Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan
This instalment sees Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), in true superhero style, trying to keep his secret identity from his girlfriend, whilst protecting her from the threats of an arms dealer (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Like the previous fi lms there is plenty of action to be had, including a terrifi c helicopter chase through a wind farm.
What makes a welcome change with this fi lm, the fi rst feature from the creator of hit show Lost, is that somehow the human connection is never lost in the world of high-tech gadgets and weaponry. Add to this a portrayal of the guys at Impossible Mission Force as never quite being in control of any situation, always on the backfoot as it were, and you have got yourself an edge-of-the-seat action fi lm. And that is increasingly hard to come by in this day of CGI saturation.
The acting is surprisingly good, in particular from Hoffman, who makes the best of a badly-written role. It is also good to see that the ensemble cast is strong, with each member of the team getting time to themselves on the screen. As is usual nowadays, the action is spread across the entire globe, almost reaching Carmen Sandiego proportions.
Indeed at one point Cruise’s girlfriend asks him: “What are we doing in China?” Once again, harking back to the original 60s TV show, impersonation and infi ltration play key roles: one minute Cruise will be a driver for DHL, the next he is a priest in the Vatican. The soundtrack, composed by Kanye West at the request of Cruise, also echoes the original television programme. But it is a relentless energy, an insatiable hunger for more, which really drives the fi lm.
In the words of Ethan Hunt: “This is adrenaline. You’re going to need it."
4th May 2006