MI3

“You can tell a lot about a person's character by how they treat people they don't have to treat well.”

     Ten years ago Paramount released the first “Mission Impossible” movie into theatres. A lot was different back then, namely the antics of lead Tom Cruise. He was just coming off a string of successful career making roles and “Jerry Maguire” was on the horizon. Not to mention the words, TomKat, “couch-jumper” and even Scientology were hardly, if ever, mentioned. A lot has changed. So has the “Mission Impossible” franchise.
     The original entry into the now trilogy was full of twists, turns and confusion. Even the film's leads seemed a little perplexed by the plot. Four years later, “Mission Impossible 2” was released and its plot was the complete opposite; and that wasn't a good thing. The movie was full of constant action with clichéd moments that just kept getting worse. In other words, a feel good summer hit.
     Now in 2006, after years of delays and director changes, we have “MI3.” This go around the plot finally worked itself out, but now faced a new problem; its lead star! Not that the story was “four-star” quality, but it was a vast improvement over past “MI” failures. Crafted and conceived by Emmy award winning director/writer/producer J.J. Abrams, the premise was fresh and interesting. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the actions of star Tom Cruise. With his antics being advertised everywhere, audiences would be impacted. This is actually a shame because he really does continue to shine in his movies. Something in the way Cruise projects himself on screen, will continue to make his movies entertaining.
Abrams also did a fantastic job of molding the supporting cast. Included in this grand plan was freshly minted Oscar winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman is another one of those talented actors that always seem to pop up at the right time in the right role. As Owen Davien, the film's villain, Hoffman personifies evil and acts as a perfect foil for protagonist Ethan Hunt. The interaction between the two is electric, but even that positive aspect has a negative side effect. Once again a small glitch in the script seems to temporarily off shoot the believability of Davien's character. It's not enough to ruin a movie, but it could send audiences back to the confusion brought on in the first “MI” film.
     Although, one welcomed constant in each film has been Ving Rhames. Arguably this franchise was his first big introduction to the public and he keeps coming back for each sequel. Rhames is another talented actor who like Hoffman pops up in big roles. His character acts as the muscle for Hunt and as an ally giving Cruise's character advice during breaks in the action.
     Each sequence in the film is well crafted to give it that summer blockbuster vibe. Abrams drew upon the individual contributions of his cast to further the film during these scenes. One such member was Keri Russell, star of “Felicity,” a show also created by Abrams. Her style of tough but sexy fits well in a part that could have easily been tailored made for her. This was also the case in the characters for tough and foreboding Laurence Fisburne and the multi-talented Billy Crudup.
Yet it is Abrams that takes the movie to that “it” level. This creator of “Alias” and one of the many of the minds behind “Lost” is now being used to his full potential. People like him and his work and can't wait to see what he has coming up next.
     “Mission Impossible 3” is a typical summer movie and there is nothing wrong with that. Paramount thought enough of it to open the summer season. This was the first in the trilogy to do so, as each of the previous films came to Cineplex's the weekend prior to Memorial Day. If you liked the first movies, this one will be just as satisfying if not more. Granted Tom Cruise's behavior as of late can at times be bizarre, but honestly, it has really zero effect on how his talents in this genre come across. He is an action star and this is action film. Do the math.