Mission: Impossible III

Note: This review contains spoilers for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Despite the mixed reception to Mission Impossible 2 (M:i-2), its success would lead to a sequel, Mission: Impossible III (M:i:III). Production got off to a rocky start with the search for a director, that is until Tom Cruise suggested J. J. Abrams after binge-watching two seasons of Alias. After some initial production delays, the final release in May 2006 garnered greater critical reception and became the eighth-highest grossing film of 2006. Unfortunately, it still proved a financial failure against its budget of ~$150 million and has the (dis)honor of its place as the lowest-grossing film in the entire franchise and hurting Tom Cruise’s career until Ghost Protocol revived it. Looking at the film now, it’s a shame that it didn’t do well, as it is an improvement on its predecessors, but I wouldn’t consider it my favorite either.

Sometime after M:i-2, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has settled down with his fiancée, Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan), who is unaware of his line of work. Although Ethan has retired from fieldwork, he accepts a special mission from IMF Director of Operations John Musgrave (Billy Crudup) to rescue one of their operatives, Lindsey Farris. Unfortunately, Farris dies during the extraction, which leads Ethan on an increasingly dangerous journey to stop arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and obtain a mysterious item known as the “Rabbit’s Foot”, which eventually puts Julia’s life on the line.

Right away, M:i:III sets itself up as an action film with more depth than M:i-2 by humanizing Ethan through his relationship with a civilian nurse. Once he marries her, he has more to lose and slowly realizes why IMF agents don’t normally have relationships. When Julia is in direct danger, he’s determined to save her, which influences his choices during the final stretch. The fact that everything works out for him in the end feels earned, especially after trusting Julia with a very crucial task in the climax.

Within the original trilogy, Davian is easily the best villain thanks to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s intimidating and dedicated performance. He starts off in that place during the cold open, but his actions leading up to the same scene later on add weight to his threats, which makes his defeat all the more cathartic. Adding to his presence is conflict within the IMF, with suspicion of a mole and the related tension between Ethan and IMF Director Theodore Brassel (Laurence Fishburne). The identity of the mole also provides an interesting twist, though I won’t spoil it here. We also can’t forget about the supporting cast, with special highlight to Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell and Simon Pegg as Benjamin "Benji" Dunn, both of whom would team up with Ethan for the rest of the series.

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays an intimidating villain.

Having less action than M:i-2 doesn’t mean M:i:III is completely devoid of it. It may not have as many memorable action sequences, even with a highway battle that involves a remote bomber drone, but the tense Pendulum Swing was done pretty well. While the film may not have the most interesting cinematography, it does still have neat gunplay and the final fight is pretty solid. There were even some moments involving masks that made me wonder how they shot them.

Even with improvements that help M:i:III establish what a Mission: Impossible (M:I) movie could be, some noticeable flaws hold it back. For one, the film never explains what exactly the Rabbit’s Foot is apart from showing a “Biohazard” label, making it a mere MacGuffin. The Final Reckoning would eventually reveal that it was the base form of The Entity, though that’s more of a retcon than anything just to give this film more of a purpose in the grand scheme of things and give significance to Benji’s fear of an “Anti-god”. A related point of contention is how the film skips the entire theft of the Rabbit’s Foot. To wit, we see the Pendulum Swing, then two IMF Agents assisting Ethan talking, cut off by him declaring that he has the Rabbit’s Foot and ending with him leaving the building through a window into a fumbled attempt at parachuting away. Since we actually see the heists in full in other M:I films, this really stands out.

We're never told what the Rabbit's Foot is.

Due to circumstances around writing this review, I ended up watching this film twice. On a second viewing, I noticed more how M:i:III recycles many story elements and plot beats from the original film. Although they are executed differently, and arguably better in some places, it gave me the feeling that even back in his first theatrical film, J. J. Abrams didn’t have an original bone in his body (like how Star Wars: The Force Awakens rehashes the original Star Wars or how Star Trek Into Darkness is a retread of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).

On a lesser note, I thought the end credits song, “Impossible” by Kanye West, was fine, but didn’t have the same punch as “I Disappear” by Metallica.

By all metrics, Mission: Impossible III represents a good step in the right direction for the film series and is an easier recommendation than Mission: Impossible 2 for those who prefer this style. However, watching it now, it’s easier to appreciate how later installments have done it better and with a bit more originality.