Ever since the unnecessary coda that was the Godfather III, second sequels have been on trial. The third time has simply proven more harm than charm over the years (for your consideration: Matrix 3, Rocky 3, hell, even Home Alone 3).
But there’s also another notion out there: Any film that opens with the line, “We’ve put an explosive charge in your head,” is going to rock your socks.
I’m proud to report that in the case of Mission: Impossible III, the latter theory is soundly proven and, moreover, the second sequel jinx is reversed.
A make-your-palms-sweat thriller in the truest sense, M:I-3 officially marks the makings of a franchise that, with its gadgets, globetrotting storyline and face-melting action, could be America’s answer to James Bond.
Sure, the series so far hasn’t been without its speed bumps. The original 1996 Mission: Impossible mixed incredible suspense (remember Tom Cruise dangling from the ceiling?) with a convoluted plot. And John Woo’s M:I-2, paaalease, that was for the birds – it played more like a theme park ride than a feature film.
So Cruise tapped J.J. Abrams, a.k.a. God, as he’s known to fans of his pet projects Lost and Alias, to not only helm M:I-3, but to have at his disposal a reported $150 million budget for the project (the most ever for a first-time film director).
Abrams, who also co-wrote the film, once again displays his knack for effortlessly interweaving dazzling, larger-than-life effects and yet remarkably grounded characters – characters who, in the midst of crisis, still manage to have a real-life sense of humor.
Surprisingly enough, the movie is full of humor – a sort of happy medium between over-the-top fare True Lies and those films that take themselves a bit too seriously. Everyone from the geeky tech guy (Simon Pegg, Shaun of the Dead), who’s there for delightful comic relief, to gruff IMF boss Brassel (Laurence Fishburne, The Matrix), deliver pitch perfect exaggerations, one-liners and snide comments.
While recapping the original Mission: Impossible would be like summarizing War and Peace, summing up M:I-3 isn’t such a daunting task.
The entire film essentially consists of IMF uber-agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise and his toothy smile) and his crack team breaking into heavily-fortified compounds (i.e. The Vatican) to nab their prey, a hostage or a doomsday device (more on that later). All the while, hacker extraordinaire Luther (Ving Rhames, M:I-1 & 2) spits out lines like, “Langley was a cakewalk compared to this,” to make the mission sound extra – uhm – impossible.
And guess what? This never gets old.
During one such break-in, Abrams keeps things fresh by leaving Ethan’s heroics to our imagination. We see him enter the stronghold, see the tense looks on his team’s faces, and one minute later he’s hurtling out of a 50th floor window.
Philip Seymour Hoffman follows up his Oscar-winning performance in Capote with a sinister turn as Owen Davian, a remorseless weapons dealer hell-bent on obtaining the Rabbit’s Foot, a mysterious biological weapon of immense power.
It remains to be seen whether the film’s success will be overshadowed or aided by the ongoing love affair the mainstream media have been having with Tom Cruise-related gossip.
One rumor persists that Cruise cast Michelle Monaghan (or as I like to call her, the future Mrs. Patrick Gavin) as his love interest because of her similarity to Katie Holmes, but to be honest, I don’t see it.
But if I’m certain of one thing, it’s that for Mission: Impossible to continue to grow as a budding cash cow, new blood should be injected with each installment.
While I wouldn’t put it past J.J. Abrams to put out another absolute heater, M:I-4 should be handed off to the next director du jour (and perhaps actor du jour if Cruise decides to hang up his holster), just to keep things fresh.
Without an unrelenting striving for creativity, this franchise, like Hunt’s briefings, could self-destruct in a matter of seconds.
Movie: Mission: Impossible III | Verdict: A
Contact reporter Patrick Gavin at gavindbk@gmail.com.
