Again I'm writing about a movie genre that I like very much. This is the first from the new generation of mission impossible movies. Differently from the second one Ethan appears to be more connected an dependent on his friends and his team. In a good way. The character is more realistic and emotional, he's afraid for his wife and you can see he's emotionally disturbed in the appropriate parts, but even then his skills are more than enough to solve the problems. But it's again more realistic than the second one in this aspect too. Footage is improved and there's a nice combination of fast cars, beautiful women and nice clothes and landscapes. But in a certain way, they seem to give less importance to that than they do in 007's movies.
Action is the main goal here.
1,002 Reviews
A HUGE improvement over #2
shiftyeyeddog5 July 2007
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.
underrated
busstwilliam17 May 2020
Mission Impossible
0U13 February 2020
Fast-paced action thriller
jb_campo28 July 2014
If you are craving a non-stop action movie with a decent plot and acting, go no further than MI-3. Tom Cruise reprises the role of Ethan Hunt, IMF agent extraordinaire who is attempting to leave the IMF field work to others as he takes over training of new agents. Can he stand it? Of course not! or the movie would've ended in 10 minutes!
He's engaged to marry Michelle Monaghan as his fiancée Julia. I think their chemistry was pretty good. I recently watched her in Source Code and she's a terrific actress. At an engagement party, Ethan gets a call and next thing you know, he's back in the field. He just has that itch and needs to scratch it. Cruise does a decent acting job of a guy torn between two worlds, where he wants to be just another normal guy, but his whole team is telling him that he can't have a normal life.
His team delivers, particularly Ving Rhames, who is so Mr. Cool. Also Maggie Q has a unique ability to blend in as nobody special, but be made to be very sexy when needed. Jonathan Rhyss Myers was standard. I saw him in Bend it Like Beckham, and he's OK as an actor. Laurence Fishburne delivers as a mega boss type guy who takes no crap or bs from anyone. And finally Billy Crudup as Cruise's mission chief who aids and abets Cruise outside the authority of officialdom.
The plot is pretty simple, good guys against bad guys. Phillipe S. Hoffman absolutely delivers as evil, sadistic, feelingless arms dealer Owen Davian, who sells anything to anyone for a price with no concern about anyone. Hoffman, RIP, has some tremendous scenes with Cruise, where they go toe to toe in life or death struggles. Whoa, those scenes are really intense emotionally and physically.
The action spans the globe from the US to Germany to Italy to China and back. At a little over 2 hours, the film is nicely paced. There are no real down moments where you feel the movie drags - it's non-stop. At the end, you don't really care about the Rabbit's Foot as much as you do about how it's going to go down. Just strap yourself in and enjoy this fine installment to the MI series. Enjoy.
He's engaged to marry Michelle Monaghan as his fiancée Julia. I think their chemistry was pretty good. I recently watched her in Source Code and she's a terrific actress. At an engagement party, Ethan gets a call and next thing you know, he's back in the field. He just has that itch and needs to scratch it. Cruise does a decent acting job of a guy torn between two worlds, where he wants to be just another normal guy, but his whole team is telling him that he can't have a normal life.
His team delivers, particularly Ving Rhames, who is so Mr. Cool. Also Maggie Q has a unique ability to blend in as nobody special, but be made to be very sexy when needed. Jonathan Rhyss Myers was standard. I saw him in Bend it Like Beckham, and he's OK as an actor. Laurence Fishburne delivers as a mega boss type guy who takes no crap or bs from anyone. And finally Billy Crudup as Cruise's mission chief who aids and abets Cruise outside the authority of officialdom.
The plot is pretty simple, good guys against bad guys. Phillipe S. Hoffman absolutely delivers as evil, sadistic, feelingless arms dealer Owen Davian, who sells anything to anyone for a price with no concern about anyone. Hoffman, RIP, has some tremendous scenes with Cruise, where they go toe to toe in life or death struggles. Whoa, those scenes are really intense emotionally and physically.
The action spans the globe from the US to Germany to Italy to China and back. At a little over 2 hours, the film is nicely paced. There are no real down moments where you feel the movie drags - it's non-stop. At the end, you don't really care about the Rabbit's Foot as much as you do about how it's going to go down. Just strap yourself in and enjoy this fine installment to the MI series. Enjoy.
Forgettable but excellent!
craig-hopton19 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A strong movie in the series. The action is pretty constant and of high quality throughout. But its real strength comes from Philip Seymour Hoffman who is excellent as the ruthless, suave, in-control bad guy.
The curious thing about Mission Impossible III is despite being very good it's the most easily forgettable of the series. I think this is because of the plot - which centres round the theft of a 'rabbit's foot' but we never really find out what the rabbit's foot is.
Highlights include Cruise jumping on the roofs of skyscrapers, electrocuting himself, and plenty of good old face-mask trickery. It's delightful viewing.
The curious thing about Mission Impossible III is despite being very good it's the most easily forgettable of the series. I think this is because of the plot - which centres round the theft of a 'rabbit's foot' but we never really find out what the rabbit's foot is.
Highlights include Cruise jumping on the roofs of skyscrapers, electrocuting himself, and plenty of good old face-mask trickery. It's delightful viewing.
Great in so many aspects
aheen-945764 March 2020
A very good addition to the series. A great movie after the first one. MI:II is must not be considered an MI movie, but this one here builds the foundation to take the series further. We get an insight of Hunt's life. The driving force of the MI series is Hunt's dilemmas. The movie begins to get into the MI universe with showing us what Hunt is made of and why he chooses what he chooses in the next films.
The actions were a plus point, very few overuse of action is encountered. The action were basic nevertheless. But still the movie gives away many of Hunt's super spy skills like lip reading and webslinging across building. Got to say, Hunt is very lucky to survive so many life and death situation.
The acting was on point, the other characters other than Hunt hadn't have any significant challenges in acting considering the calibre of them. Tom Cruise grew as an actor and it showed if his performance from first two filmshas to be considered. I wish the movie was less predictable and avoided the cliches. It's a good movie to pass your time.
The acting was on point, the other characters other than Hunt hadn't have any significant challenges in acting considering the calibre of them. Tom Cruise grew as an actor and it showed if his performance from first two filmshas to be considered. I wish the movie was less predictable and avoided the cliches. It's a good movie to pass your time.
Lived Up To The Hype: Very Entertaining
ccthemovieman-122 November 2006
I heard nothing but good things about this movie, so I rented it the first day it was available recently.....and I wasn't disappointed. Oh, it does have a bit too much action and a few politically-correct annoyances but neither are much and overall the movie is a lot of fun to watch.
The action scenes are not only interesting; they're spectacular at times. Overall, the photography is slick. It's a good visual movie. Not only the cinematography, but the director did a nice job with many of these shots. The version doesn't have all the gimmicks the first Misssion Impossible film, but it certainly has the best action scenes. The only bad movie of the three MIs was the second one. This one makes up for that.
All the characters are interesting. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as usual, is excellent as the main villain "Owen Damien." Michelle Monaghan makes for an attractive fiancée of Cruise in this movie, but her role is not a major one. Cruise's "team" is fun to watch: a PC group consisting of a white guy, black guy and Asian woman.
The action is improbable as Cruise's "Ethan Hunt" would have to be Superman to perform the stunts and acrobatics he does here. (I would never claim this movie is credible, or even "intelligent" - just escapist fun.)
Just put your brains on hold, and go along for the wild ride. The name of the game is entertainment, and this movie provides it in spades, hence the good rating.
The action scenes are not only interesting; they're spectacular at times. Overall, the photography is slick. It's a good visual movie. Not only the cinematography, but the director did a nice job with many of these shots. The version doesn't have all the gimmicks the first Misssion Impossible film, but it certainly has the best action scenes. The only bad movie of the three MIs was the second one. This one makes up for that.
All the characters are interesting. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as usual, is excellent as the main villain "Owen Damien." Michelle Monaghan makes for an attractive fiancée of Cruise in this movie, but her role is not a major one. Cruise's "team" is fun to watch: a PC group consisting of a white guy, black guy and Asian woman.
The action is improbable as Cruise's "Ethan Hunt" would have to be Superman to perform the stunts and acrobatics he does here. (I would never claim this movie is credible, or even "intelligent" - just escapist fun.)
Just put your brains on hold, and go along for the wild ride. The name of the game is entertainment, and this movie provides it in spades, hence the good rating.
Phil Seymour Hoffman was very good
mark-lanny-jackson19 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Regardless of any opinion out there the first MI was the best. This film, specifically, was different. It was less plot driven with less twists and turns and more explosions and vehicle endeavors. Jk Abrams is good but I don't know if he was the perfect fit for this project. Either way he did a good job and I enjoyed it. (Except they don't show how they stole the rabbits foot)
Thrilling, Entertaining and Occasionally Smart.
PizzicatoFishCrouch8 May 2006
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.
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.
I think this movie should have been called 'Ethan Hunt: Superman'
Movieguy_blogs_com10 May 2006
In 'MI-III' Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). Ethan is an instructor, he is no longer in the field. But when his Protège student is captured by a ruthless arms dealer, he decides to break out of retirement and go to the rescue.
I think this movie should have been called 'Ethan Hunt: Superman'. I think since Tom is one of the producers, he wants to go out with a bang. It is loaded with all out action; so much action that it is really quite unbelievable in parts. I thought the plot was a little weak, however it is certainly better than 'MI-2'. I was very disappointed that Philip Seymour Hoffman had such a small role. He does have a couple of good scenes, but does not appear to be a main character. This movie is all about Tom.
This film pales by comparison to the original 'Mission: Impossible'.
I think this movie should have been called 'Ethan Hunt: Superman'. I think since Tom is one of the producers, he wants to go out with a bang. It is loaded with all out action; so much action that it is really quite unbelievable in parts. I thought the plot was a little weak, however it is certainly better than 'MI-2'. I was very disappointed that Philip Seymour Hoffman had such a small role. He does have a couple of good scenes, but does not appear to be a main character. This movie is all about Tom.
This film pales by comparison to the original 'Mission: Impossible'.
So what is the "rabbit's foot" anyway?
Jay_Exiomo3 May 2006
"Mission: Impossible III," the latest installment of the blockbuster movies which in turn were based from a TV series, is for those looking for a way to start off the summer season at the movies. Here is a movie filled with action and nothing more. There are the usual: Tom Cruise running and getting banged up, high degrees of improbability, explosions, gadgets, the whole shebang. Still, "M:I:III" is a fast-paced thriller that manages to get hold of you for the 120-minute span of its running hour and never lets go.
After retiring as Impossible Missions Force (IMF) team leader to lead a "normal" life with his fianceé Julia (Michelle Monaghan), Ethan Hunt (Cruise) returns to the team to help recapture criminal arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who has escaped from prison and is now making life difficult for the IMF. As for Hunt, his encounter with Davian has upped the ante for him: he not only has to save the world now, he also has to save the woman he loves. Cruise (either you love him or you hate him) still fits into his role well, and Hoffman, who has just won an Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote, also effectively displays a chilling seriousness to his villain role. The rest of the cast - Billy Crudup, Ving Rhames, Maggie Q, Michelle Monaghan, etc. - all give nice performances.
It's a given that this film would offer little in terms of intellect or depth in the script. Yet the way director J.J. Abrams and his co-writers injected humor and emotions, plus how its action scenes were superbly handled, save "M:I:III" from becoming just another passable popcorn movie which is why I liked it. It is a film intended solely for the purpose of escapism and it achieves that purpose. Although there is a feeling that it could have been more, it easily surpasses the first two "M:I" in an explosively stylish way.
After retiring as Impossible Missions Force (IMF) team leader to lead a "normal" life with his fianceé Julia (Michelle Monaghan), Ethan Hunt (Cruise) returns to the team to help recapture criminal arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who has escaped from prison and is now making life difficult for the IMF. As for Hunt, his encounter with Davian has upped the ante for him: he not only has to save the world now, he also has to save the woman he loves. Cruise (either you love him or you hate him) still fits into his role well, and Hoffman, who has just won an Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote, also effectively displays a chilling seriousness to his villain role. The rest of the cast - Billy Crudup, Ving Rhames, Maggie Q, Michelle Monaghan, etc. - all give nice performances.
It's a given that this film would offer little in terms of intellect or depth in the script. Yet the way director J.J. Abrams and his co-writers injected humor and emotions, plus how its action scenes were superbly handled, save "M:I:III" from becoming just another passable popcorn movie which is why I liked it. It is a film intended solely for the purpose of escapism and it achieves that purpose. Although there is a feeling that it could have been more, it easily surpasses the first two "M:I" in an explosively stylish way.
Okay Blockbuster
Theo Robertson28 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 was originally to have been directed by David Fincher but he dropped out . Next director was Joe Carnahan but he quit before third choice JJ Abrams was hired . Condidering Abrams had never directed a film before you get the impression that the studio were starting to get desperate not to pull the plug on the project . Humanity might have struggled on without seeing MI3 and evolution wouldn't have been affected one way or the other but a studio needs to make money
It's an okay Summer blockbuster , not something you'll remember days later but not something you think you've wasted two hours of your life over and could have been far worse due to the production problems . . It's an uneasy mix of the two previous films in the franchise , where as the first was too complicated for its own good and the second was overly simplistic the third one tries to be character driven as well as plot driven . The back story involves Ethan Hunt failing to save a female IMF agent from the clutches of international arms dealer Owen Davian so makes it his life's mission to bring Davian to justice . Hunt almost succeeds which leads to Davian making it his life's mission to seek cruel revenge on Hunt and Davian is used to seeing his plans succeed
This character driven dynamic of the narrative just about works but it's more to do with the cast rather than the writing . Philip Seymour Hoffman was considered to be the world's best actor when this was released and easily carries the film as baddie Owen Davian . He's hardly the most multi layered written character in the history of cinema but he probably doesn't have to be . He doesn't have to do anything evil because he has the money and power to get other people to carry out his dirty work . Tom Cruise is of course Tom Cruise rather than Ethan Hunt . He smiles a lot which means he's a good guy and you don't want to see him get tortured or killed . One slight casting distraction for Brits is that Simon Pegg who is forever associated with Channel 4 sitcoms crops up as does Sean McGuire who will be forever known for his role in EASTENDERS along with a spectacurally unsuccessful pop career
The film's major set piece , one which involves Davian being rescued by his mercenary team on a bridge . It's an impressive enough Summer blockbuster set piece but unfortunately after this the final third lacks a climax to match this . Instead there's plot turns revealing a traitor and double crosses , lots of running around and Ethan trying to save the woman he loves along with cinematic convention that says if you're heart has stopped it can be easily started by heart massage rather than a defibrillator
It's an okay Summer blockbuster , not something you'll remember days later but not something you think you've wasted two hours of your life over and could have been far worse due to the production problems . . It's an uneasy mix of the two previous films in the franchise , where as the first was too complicated for its own good and the second was overly simplistic the third one tries to be character driven as well as plot driven . The back story involves Ethan Hunt failing to save a female IMF agent from the clutches of international arms dealer Owen Davian so makes it his life's mission to bring Davian to justice . Hunt almost succeeds which leads to Davian making it his life's mission to seek cruel revenge on Hunt and Davian is used to seeing his plans succeed
This character driven dynamic of the narrative just about works but it's more to do with the cast rather than the writing . Philip Seymour Hoffman was considered to be the world's best actor when this was released and easily carries the film as baddie Owen Davian . He's hardly the most multi layered written character in the history of cinema but he probably doesn't have to be . He doesn't have to do anything evil because he has the money and power to get other people to carry out his dirty work . Tom Cruise is of course Tom Cruise rather than Ethan Hunt . He smiles a lot which means he's a good guy and you don't want to see him get tortured or killed . One slight casting distraction for Brits is that Simon Pegg who is forever associated with Channel 4 sitcoms crops up as does Sean McGuire who will be forever known for his role in EASTENDERS along with a spectacurally unsuccessful pop career
The film's major set piece , one which involves Davian being rescued by his mercenary team on a bridge . It's an impressive enough Summer blockbuster set piece but unfortunately after this the final third lacks a climax to match this . Instead there's plot turns revealing a traitor and double crosses , lots of running around and Ethan trying to save the woman he loves along with cinematic convention that says if you're heart has stopped it can be easily started by heart massage rather than a defibrillator
A Depressingly Ordinary Action Film
murrayspeer7 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
If you liked "The Bourne Supremacy," then... go watch it again instead of seeing this movie.
MI:3 tries to have intrigue, espionage, action, suspense, and a touching romantic subplot, but it falls short on all levels. There is no 'mystery' to the mystery - only vagueness and obscurity that fails to engage the imagination. The action is unoriginal and confusing, and the "Ethan's love interest" plot line is more of a hindrance than an enhancement. The 'twist' ending fell flat as no suspense had been built and I didn't really care about the characters or their mission. The eventual (and obligatory) scene in which the bad guy explains "why" is simplistic and lacks any sense of high drama.
Paramount has managed to take one of the most incredible high-concept television series of all time and in the course of three films turn it into a mediocre franchise that bears only a passing (and mostly musical) resemblance to the source material.
On the plus side, Hoffman is brilliant as always, and the people in this movie are certainly pretty (Maggie Q wearing an evening gown that qualifies as "half-a-dress" is definitely a highlight). It's not that it's a BAD movie, but there's nothing great or worthwhile about it. 5/10
MI:3 tries to have intrigue, espionage, action, suspense, and a touching romantic subplot, but it falls short on all levels. There is no 'mystery' to the mystery - only vagueness and obscurity that fails to engage the imagination. The action is unoriginal and confusing, and the "Ethan's love interest" plot line is more of a hindrance than an enhancement. The 'twist' ending fell flat as no suspense had been built and I didn't really care about the characters or their mission. The eventual (and obligatory) scene in which the bad guy explains "why" is simplistic and lacks any sense of high drama.
Paramount has managed to take one of the most incredible high-concept television series of all time and in the course of three films turn it into a mediocre franchise that bears only a passing (and mostly musical) resemblance to the source material.
On the plus side, Hoffman is brilliant as always, and the people in this movie are certainly pretty (Maggie Q wearing an evening gown that qualifies as "half-a-dress" is definitely a highlight). It's not that it's a BAD movie, but there's nothing great or worthwhile about it. 5/10
The Best So Far
Michael_Elliott26 February 2008
Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt and this time he's battling a sadistic arms dealer (Philip Seymour Hoffman). This is without question the best in the series and this is coming from someone who enjoyed the previous two films. I thought the first film was way too confusing for its own good while the second one was way too much action and not enough brains. This third film hits on all the right notes and delivers some terrific action scenes mixed with a pretty smart script that doesn't go over the top on brains. The real key to the film is the terrific performance by Hoffman. He's been known for years as a great character actor but when I heard he was playing the villain I honestly didn't think he could pull it off but he comes off quite menacing in the role. He doesn't have any funny lines, which is a great thing because it makes him all the more threatening. Then there's Cruise who delivers another all-star performance. I think, in real life, Cruise is a jackass but he still manages to be the greatest movie star out there. The supporting cast including Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup and Laurence Fishburne all do fine work as well. The action scenes are also some of the best I've seen including the wonderful attack on the bridge.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt and this time he's battling a sadistic arms dealer (Philip Seymour Hoffman). This is without question the best in the series and this is coming from someone who enjoyed the previous two films. I thought the first film was way too confusing for its own good while the second one was way too much action and not enough brains. This third film hits on all the right notes and delivers some terrific action scenes mixed with a pretty smart script that doesn't go over the top on brains. The real key to the film is the terrific performance by Hoffman. He's been known for years as a great character actor but when I heard he was playing the villain I honestly didn't think he could pull it off but he comes off quite menacing in the role. He doesn't have any funny lines, which is a great thing because it makes him all the more threatening. Then there's Cruise who delivers another all-star performance. I think, in real life, Cruise is a jackass but he still manages to be the greatest movie star out there. The supporting cast including Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup and Laurence Fishburne all do fine work as well. The action scenes are also some of the best I've seen including the wonderful attack on the bridge.
Good movie, hate the shaky cam
falcom19416 May 2006
I really like the mi series and anyone who likes action should as well. It is everything that James Bond meant to me as a kid. My negatives of the movie is that It has the shaky camera effect as did Bourne supremacy - I think this technique is a real cop out, It may just be me but I cant see what is happening and with special effects so good these days it is unnecessary . Hoffman was amazing and should have had a bigger part.
Anyway if you like action movies go and see it. Tom Cruise is a real professional when it comes to these types of movies and it shines through.
Anyway if you like action movies go and see it. Tom Cruise is a real professional when it comes to these types of movies and it shines through.
Chilling villain
JamesR19739 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
As part of MI7 coming out, I thought I'd go back through all the old films.
Compared to MI2, which seemed over-stylised with a weak plot, MI3 seemed much edgier and I was surprised to find it was directed by JJ Abrams. The plot finds Ethan Hunt "retired" and on the verge of getting married (not sure what happened to Thandie Newton then at the end of MI2), but a missing IMF agent brings him back into the field with Luther Stickell and a couple of new colleagues. The plot revolves around corruption within IMF, a biological weapon called the "Rabbit's Foot" and a particularly unpleasant arms dealer played by Philip Seymour-Hoffman.
In fact, Hoffman's performance was one of the stand out aspects of this film. He was genuinely chilling and not your normal pantomime villain.
Overall - it was good film. Cruise was his usual self and there were a number of well done stunts and action sequences, but the ending felt a little lame. Hoffman went too easily in my opinion (and didn't have enough screen time overall) and there were some fairly big plot holes that kind of spoiled it at the end. For example, the "CPR" sequence was just medically ridiculous.
That all said, you can see how the franchise was starting to change with this film, and it was nice to see the introduction of Benji who would obviously become a major character in the later films.
Compared to MI2, which seemed over-stylised with a weak plot, MI3 seemed much edgier and I was surprised to find it was directed by JJ Abrams. The plot finds Ethan Hunt "retired" and on the verge of getting married (not sure what happened to Thandie Newton then at the end of MI2), but a missing IMF agent brings him back into the field with Luther Stickell and a couple of new colleagues. The plot revolves around corruption within IMF, a biological weapon called the "Rabbit's Foot" and a particularly unpleasant arms dealer played by Philip Seymour-Hoffman.
In fact, Hoffman's performance was one of the stand out aspects of this film. He was genuinely chilling and not your normal pantomime villain.
Overall - it was good film. Cruise was his usual self and there were a number of well done stunts and action sequences, but the ending felt a little lame. Hoffman went too easily in my opinion (and didn't have enough screen time overall) and there were some fairly big plot holes that kind of spoiled it at the end. For example, the "CPR" sequence was just medically ridiculous.
That all said, you can see how the franchise was starting to change with this film, and it was nice to see the introduction of Benji who would obviously become a major character in the later films.
Big improvement on its predecessors
melwinbauer28 December 2021
The third installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise is miles better than its predecessors. The action is much improved from the last two films with the first largely lacking it and the action in the second one turning out very over-dramatic. The action in this entry of the series is thrilling, fast-paced, and also grounded. The story keeps the viewer interested throughout the whole two hours with it constantly developing and changing with its many twists and turns. Some were great and added a lot to the story, but some were not needed and were not given enough time to be explored which meant that some large twists that should've felt very impactful lacked that very impact and instead felt forced and rushed. However, it didn't impact the viewer's ability to enjoy the film too much, and with good acting from the likes of Tom Cruise and Philip Seymour Hoffman, it was still an enjoyable watch.
Overall, Mission: Impossible 3 is worth watching. It both starts and ends very well. It boasts great action and a good story that results in an enjoyable two hours of cinema.
Overall, Mission: Impossible 3 is worth watching. It both starts and ends very well. It boasts great action and a good story that results in an enjoyable two hours of cinema.
Tremendous Villain
jbedwell-248046 July 2023
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.
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.
3 is better than 2
JEBaeza14 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
While it has its flaws, it is a much better film than John Woo's attempt. The characters and their interactions feel real and believable. This time, I felt invested and cared for Ethan's romance, and it is safe to say that Philip Seymour Hoffman's villain is the best part of the movie. Even with his short screen time, you feel the threat that he imposes, though I didn't like the rather absurd way he is taken out. However, it is also safe to say that the plot is the weakest point. It felt like the mission was a background thing for most of the time, while the characters developed in the foreground. Because we never know what Rabbit's Foot is, we don't have a sense of its danger. Action sequences were good, though I am not a big fan of the way they used the shaky cam.
The fun, the adventure, the creativity, never ease up
Nazi_Fighter_David13 August 2007
In this third film of the series, Ethan Hunt has retired from the field, and is training new agents
. His sweetheart Julia (Michelle Monaghan) thinks he works for the Department of Transportation
When one of his pupils is kidnapped by a sadistic arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Hunt decides to assemble his old team to retrieve her, putting in mortal danger his new love
J.J. Abramsin his first feature filmshot "Mission: Impossible III" with a sense of timing and suspense We're dealing with full-flash blanks, glass breaking, explosions And we see Hunt, in a quite interesting shot, running up a wall to enter the Vatican Also, in the bridge sequence, he runs away from a rocket hit on one of the vehicles It's cool because the way he's running, the look on his face, before, during and after that impact could only have been done only by an actor as good as him In China, in an old fishing village, we see him jumping off tile rooftops, with incredible grace, precision, coordination and footwork Then, with Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell) they jump out of a building on a cable landing on a truck
The special effects, and visual effects are great They all work together... The Shanghai street chase with Tom leaning out of the car at some insanely dangerous angle to shoot a gun under a truck; Also Tom, in a high-speed boat, on the Tiber River in Rome, Italy; the blowing of a nice spectacular sports car; and, of course, the helicopter chase sequence where, in pursuit, the bad-guy helicopter emerges out of a fireball
Also, in a fantastic shot, in Shanghai, China, when the camera comes in and then goes around Tom as he's standing on top of a Shanghai roof The camera comes over his shoulder and look down at the ground, so we'll see Tom on the top of the Shanghai building, hundreds feet in the air, and just to show and set up the jeopardy of what he's about to accomplish
Well, I loved the director's work He's so detail-oriented The fun, the adventure, the creativity, never eased up
And, please, don't miss Colleen Atwood, entering the Vatican, with a head-turner red dress
When one of his pupils is kidnapped by a sadistic arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Hunt decides to assemble his old team to retrieve her, putting in mortal danger his new love
J.J. Abramsin his first feature filmshot "Mission: Impossible III" with a sense of timing and suspense We're dealing with full-flash blanks, glass breaking, explosions And we see Hunt, in a quite interesting shot, running up a wall to enter the Vatican Also, in the bridge sequence, he runs away from a rocket hit on one of the vehicles It's cool because the way he's running, the look on his face, before, during and after that impact could only have been done only by an actor as good as him In China, in an old fishing village, we see him jumping off tile rooftops, with incredible grace, precision, coordination and footwork Then, with Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell) they jump out of a building on a cable landing on a truck
The special effects, and visual effects are great They all work together... The Shanghai street chase with Tom leaning out of the car at some insanely dangerous angle to shoot a gun under a truck; Also Tom, in a high-speed boat, on the Tiber River in Rome, Italy; the blowing of a nice spectacular sports car; and, of course, the helicopter chase sequence where, in pursuit, the bad-guy helicopter emerges out of a fireball
Also, in a fantastic shot, in Shanghai, China, when the camera comes in and then goes around Tom as he's standing on top of a Shanghai roof The camera comes over his shoulder and look down at the ground, so we'll see Tom on the top of the Shanghai building, hundreds feet in the air, and just to show and set up the jeopardy of what he's about to accomplish
Well, I loved the director's work He's so detail-oriented The fun, the adventure, the creativity, never eased up
And, please, don't miss Colleen Atwood, entering the Vatican, with a head-turner red dress
Great Intro and Body, Weak Conclusion
Philip_Marlowe_4 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The film was what you'd expect, action action action. This was great! All ran smoothly with character development and more focus on the organisation. The action was non-stop, maintaining suspense and excitement that made for a great viewing experience. This film had all the characteristics of a great action movie, until the last ten minutes! It was as if the writers had a block and decided to finish the film with classical repercussions. This was a surprising shock as the script was very solid and elevated this film above the previous Mission Impossible films. This sucked, lost sense of reality with over-used clichés that really let down a great action film.
"Excute"
Angelus26 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Ethan Hunt must return to the field to bring down a notorious arms dealer, but it seems there is a mole in Ethan's team and now he must rescue his wife from the bad guys.
This film is pure substance, great scenery and great action sequences.
The clothes and weapons scream sexy.
Tom Cruise is fantastic as Ethan the spy who knows no danger.
The stunts are breathtaking and the new cast members play a roles that are needed and hopefully will expand in future franchises.
The music score is perfect once again and keeps the audience guessing, the action scenes are perfectly placed in the order that they come in.
Good solid action film that does not disappoint.
This film is pure substance, great scenery and great action sequences.
The clothes and weapons scream sexy.
Tom Cruise is fantastic as Ethan the spy who knows no danger.
The stunts are breathtaking and the new cast members play a roles that are needed and hopefully will expand in future franchises.
The music score is perfect once again and keeps the audience guessing, the action scenes are perfectly placed in the order that they come in.
Good solid action film that does not disappoint.
The undercover unit comes back into action with several fine spectacular action scenes
ma-cortes14 July 2008
The crack undercover agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is again called back into action by IMF operation chief named Musgrave (Billy Crudup) , his assignment results to be a crucial mission : to rescue former protégée named Lindsay (Keri Russell) . She has been kidnapped in Berlin by a real villain Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Davien will be in the Vatican, and the team formed by stalwart specialists (Ving Rhames , Maggie Q , Jonathan Rhys Meyers) execute a dangerous operation to abduct him . But Julia (Michelle Monaghan) , Ethan's recent wife , is also kidnapped and ruthless Owen forces him to rob a powerful arm . Meanwhile, Ethan tries to discover who set them up.
This energetic movie packs unstopped action , drama , hair-raising suspense, exciting thrills , frenetic pursuits and lots of violence . Well made high-tech hijinks and full of breathtaking set-up with impressive images. .The film contains an interesting story in flamboyant treatment , worth two hours'time , written by Alex Kurtzman and J. J. Abrahams and based on the vintage characters created by Bruce Heller . Lalo Schifrin's television classic score is again well reused here , at a much higher decibel level and adding a moving soundtrack by Michael Giacchini . Fascinating and luxurious cinematography by excellent cameraman by Daniel Mindel . As usual , Tom Cruise co-executive produced , along with Paula Wagner. The motion picture was perfectly directed by J. J. Abrahams . He's a successful producer, writer and director as Television (Lost , Alias , Felicity) as cinema and he's today filmmaking a Star Trek movie, in production . Rating : Better than average and well worth seeing. The tale will appeal to Tom Cruise fans and non-stopped action movies enthusiasts.
This energetic movie packs unstopped action , drama , hair-raising suspense, exciting thrills , frenetic pursuits and lots of violence . Well made high-tech hijinks and full of breathtaking set-up with impressive images. .The film contains an interesting story in flamboyant treatment , worth two hours'time , written by Alex Kurtzman and J. J. Abrahams and based on the vintage characters created by Bruce Heller . Lalo Schifrin's television classic score is again well reused here , at a much higher decibel level and adding a moving soundtrack by Michael Giacchini . Fascinating and luxurious cinematography by excellent cameraman by Daniel Mindel . As usual , Tom Cruise co-executive produced , along with Paula Wagner. The motion picture was perfectly directed by J. J. Abrahams . He's a successful producer, writer and director as Television (Lost , Alias , Felicity) as cinema and he's today filmmaking a Star Trek movie, in production . Rating : Better than average and well worth seeing. The tale will appeal to Tom Cruise fans and non-stopped action movies enthusiasts.
I laughed
justametalfan27 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Well, I do apologize for the humongous amount of spoilers, but I'm hoping nobody will see this movie after I'm done with it. I won't talk about the actors, nor the directing and special effects, because they had enough money to make them worthwhile. I will talk about the plot... MY OH MY THE PLOT! Besides the whole "let's capture the evil bad guy who has a weapon that may destroy all mankind there's also an important twist. Ethan Hunt is betrayed! ZOMGD! An by whom? Well, either: a) His boss, who is always nice and tries to help him (he even lets him escape) b) His boss's boss, who is a tough individual, and doesn't like Ethan nor his attitude
If you answered b), you haven't seen most "twists" in the movies lately. It was the bastard "friendly" guy all along... Who'da thunk it? The best scene must be where Ethan is handcuffed, and, IN 4 OR LESS SECONDS, head butts the bad guy, steals his pen, and uses it to open the handcuffs! I laughed so loud during that scene, I thought I had done some internal damage. I know he's supposed to be the best of the best, but why not making something more plausible like having him shooting fire bolts from his ass? Then, Ethan is implanted a device in his head. Whilst most people couldn't even move because of the pain, he is capable of crushing the bad guy; creating his own defibrillator in order to die and be resurrected thanks to his wife (who can learn how to properly shoot a weapon in 4 seconds as well... I've heard of gifted but...) AND! saying the cheesiest line possible (right before getting electrocuted)"Wait wait wait....(pause for drama) I LOVE YOU! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! WHYYYY??? I could go on and on about how can some helicopters destroy a freaking bridge in broad daylight, when a bird flying too damn high in America is immediately shot down. . . The fact that nobody knows how Ethan can enter a highly-secured vault inside a heavily secured building and come out with the "Rabbit's foot". My guess is he disguised himself as a pizza delivery guy, and rang the bell. You know how those Asian folks are suckers for pizza with anchovies and a little Tom Cruise on the side...*sighs* I'm sure there were some good action scenes, but the overall silliness of the whole movie just wiped them out of my memory.
If you answered b), you haven't seen most "twists" in the movies lately. It was the bastard "friendly" guy all along... Who'da thunk it? The best scene must be where Ethan is handcuffed, and, IN 4 OR LESS SECONDS, head butts the bad guy, steals his pen, and uses it to open the handcuffs! I laughed so loud during that scene, I thought I had done some internal damage. I know he's supposed to be the best of the best, but why not making something more plausible like having him shooting fire bolts from his ass? Then, Ethan is implanted a device in his head. Whilst most people couldn't even move because of the pain, he is capable of crushing the bad guy; creating his own defibrillator in order to die and be resurrected thanks to his wife (who can learn how to properly shoot a weapon in 4 seconds as well... I've heard of gifted but...) AND! saying the cheesiest line possible (right before getting electrocuted)"Wait wait wait....(pause for drama) I LOVE YOU! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! WHYYYY??? I could go on and on about how can some helicopters destroy a freaking bridge in broad daylight, when a bird flying too damn high in America is immediately shot down. . . The fact that nobody knows how Ethan can enter a highly-secured vault inside a heavily secured building and come out with the "Rabbit's foot". My guess is he disguised himself as a pizza delivery guy, and rang the bell. You know how those Asian folks are suckers for pizza with anchovies and a little Tom Cruise on the side...*sighs* I'm sure there were some good action scenes, but the overall silliness of the whole movie just wiped them out of my memory.
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