Mission: Impossible: III

M:I:III is the latest installment of the testosterone filled big screen treatment of the 60s television show of the same name. The story is the traditional summer blockbuster run and gun world of high tech spies who battle bad guys and try to save the world. Tom Cruise has always been game for the pace and stunts of these action films but what really breathes life into this film is writer/director JJ Abrams better known as the creator of the television series Alias and Lost. The film kicks off the big budget blockbuster summer with great style and pacing and a story that is interesting to watch. Beyond this there aren’t many expectations for a film of this type so it is refreshing that the film does just what it should and does it well and doesn’t spend its time or the energies of its actors and producers trying to expand itself beyond its scope.

M:I:III is by far the best of the Mission Impossible films though that certainly isn’t saying a lot. In the first film it was evident who the surprise bad guy was in the first 10 minutes of the film. This time the trick is at least held off until past the half-way point of the movie. The second film was the worst by far stealing much of its story and even some of its scenes from the Hitchcock film Notorious but with significantly less class and a lot more explosions. In M:I:III the story is again a lot of recycled material. This time at least the writer and director JJ Abrams essentially steals from himself. The only sore point I can see is that the whole explosive in the brain would have been more effective if Abrams hadn’t canibalized the idea for an Alias episode a few weeks before the film released. While I am glad that Sydney saved Will’s head from imploding, it somewhat lessened the impact when it appeared on the big screen.

Now after 5 seasons it is not surprising that Abrams has played out so many spy scenarios in Alias or that he has become so familiar with his characters. MI:III opens with Ethan strapped to a chair being threatened by a bad guy and then flashes back to a few days earlier when life was quiet and normal to show how the hero got himself into such a predicament. This is a frequently used device on Alias and is significantly reminiscent of the opening for the magnificent two hour premier of the Alias series. Except for the pouty lips and the red hair it could have been Garner’s Sydney Bristow. The second issue is that, being a fan of Alias, it is a bit unnerving to hear Tom Cruise speaking Jennifer Garner’s lines. Not that there is anything wrong with the dialogue, just that the Alias savy audience knows the kinds of things that Sydney would say in a certain situation and it is strange hearing someone else say and do those things. The film could very easily have substituted Garner for Cruise and saved themselves a little money. In fact, the ending shows a bit of Abrams’ respect for his female characters as action heros as he lets the girls have some fun as well as the boys.

As with the previous Mission Impossible films the most interesting scenes are not the climax, which always seems a letdown, but the hi-tech infiltration scene earlier in the film. In the first film the group broke into Langley to steal data, this time they break into the Vatican to steal a person. These parts are always interesting for their fusion of hi-tech gadgetry, action, and an attempt at subtlety. This is by far what has been missing from many of the James Bond films of late. Explosions are generally a sign of sloppy spy work in cinema. The best spy gets in and reaches his or her objective and leaves little trace that they were ever there. If everyone chases you and you blow up half of the city it is less likely that your actions will go unnoticed. In addition this is always the one scene that shows the true premise of the television show, a team at work in the field to undertake a hi-tech spying game. The Mission Impossible films are inherently unbalanced because they rely on the star, Cruise, and not the team, to carry the bulk of the story and the action.

The most interesting part of the film was of course the bad guy. Philip Seymour-Hoffman fresh off of his Oscar win for Capote plays an arms dealer with more care and consideration than most ‘highly respected actor turned action film heavy’ seem to muster. His Owen Davian is less over the top than the traditional Bond villain or summer baddie. He seems almost apologetic for his delight in hurting people and causing general mayhem. But he does of course relish the pain that he causes. Davian is a rather generic arms dealer working for whomever pays him and is not part of a bigger conspiracy. For all of those Rambaldi obsessed Alias fans this may seem a bit simplistic but I applaud J.J. Abrams for realizing the difference between a 22 hour television season and a 2 and a half hour movie. Abrams delivers a package that fits the allotted time period, there are no loose ends, and the story is tight and well thought out (if improbable.)

Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead does a credible job in the home office job though he lacks the dweeby charm of Alias’ Marshall. What is best about this is that J.J. Abrams has grown the franchise in a sustainable way while introducing additional character with a lot more backstory primed and ready for the next sequel. Hunt has a team of prepared professionals who don’t unnecessarily bumble up jobs just to propel the story. Lawrence Fishburne plays the tough boss who stands in Hunt’s way as often as he helps him and very reasonably gets upset when roads or parts of cities or government personel get blown up. Hopefully his character will be grown in future films.

Ethan also has a new leading lady in Michelle Monaghan as a doctor who captures Ethan’s heart. Here J.J. Abrams gives the latest MI film a depth that the previous two lacked. Ethan does his job because he is good at his job, but the true conflict arises when his profession interferes with his personal life putting the people he cares about in jeopardy. This is an angle that is widely canvased in Alias with Sydney Bristow as a part of a spy family. Here Ethan’s life revolves around a very not spy person and he is forced to lie and second guess his motivation. This gives the film its breathing points between loud bangs and serves to elevate in above its noisy but empty predecessors.

J.J. Abrams and Tom Cruise have finally created the big screen Mission Impossible film that audiences have been waiting years to see. The film is an admirable summer blockbuster that delivers an enjoyable ride without taxing an audience’s patience or brains. The locales are exotic, the women are beautiful, the villains are well marked, the explosions are big, and the good guy triumphs in the end. What more could you want out of a summer movie?