"'Mission' Incredible!"
by Scott Mantz

"Mission: Impossible III"
Tom Cruise,
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by J.J. Abrams

Armed and dangerous! Tom Cruise and Keri Russell make a killer team in "Mission: Impossible III"

So, fellow movie lovers, are you sick of Tom Cruise yet?

Are you tired of hearing about how happy Cruise and his fiancé Katie Holmes (a.k.a. TomKat) are with their new bundle of joy, Suri (a.k.a. TomKitten)?  Haven’t you been overloaded with Cruise news for the past year, ever since he infamously mounted Oprah Winfrey’s couch in an effort to profess his love for Holmes?  Didn’t he cross the line last summer, when his outspoken passion for Scientology and disdain for prescription drugs made even more headlines than the record-breaking box office grosses for “War of the Worlds?”

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then join the club.  As a die-hard Cruise fan ever since I first saw “Risky Business” back in 1983, even I have to admit that I was a little disturbed by his alarming public meltdown, especially after decades of maintaining such a carefully controlled image.  But just when I think I’ve had enough of his antics, I watch one of his movies on DVD or cable, and I suddenly remember why I became such a big fan in the first place.

That’s because the guy makes great movies, and his latest blockbuster-to-be, “Mission: Impossible III,” is no exception.  Inspired by the classic TV series that ran from 1966 to 1973, the third installment of the franchise – which so far has grossed over $1 billion worldwide – is by far the best “Mission” yet.  And just when it looked like the film would never get made – thanks to a ballooning budget and a revolving door of directors that included David Fincher (“Seven”) and Joe Carnahan (“Narc”) – the third time proved to be the charm for director J.J. Abrams, whose sensibilities as the creator of TV’s spy drama “Alias” fit the “Mission: Impossible” mold like a glove.

So it shouldn’t come as a shock that “M:i:III” plays out more like a big screen version of “Alias” than the now-dated TV series it was originally based on.  In fact, that’s what makes it so much better than its predecessors – sure, it sounds like a cliché, but this time, it’s personal.  Just like Jennifer Garner’s Sydney Bristow fought to keep her cloak and dagger lifestyle a secret from her friends, so Cruise’s recently retired super-spy Ethan Hunt tries to keep his former day job a secret from his oblivious girlfriend, Julia (Michelle Monaghan).

That proves to be an impossible task in itself when Hunt is called back to active duty by the Impossible Missions Force to capture Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a ruthless arms dealer who is out to steal a mysterious device called the Rabbit’s Foot.  Hunt traverses the globe from Berlin to Rome to Shanghai in an effort to track down Davian, but in the process, he soon discovers a conspiracy within the IMF that forces him to question the motives of his colleagues.  But those are the least of his problems when Davian captures Julia, forcing Hunt to make a harrowing decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Coming roughly 10 years to the day after the first “Mission: Impossible” launched Cruise’s career as a producer, “M:i:III” turns out to be the perfect film to kick off the summer movie season.  Where the first film was boring and confusing and the second film (2000’s “M:I-2”) was stylish, but kind of corny, the third go-round has the perfect balance of action, suspense, humor, romance, heart and fun.  And as expected, the stunts are quite spectacular, even if a couple of them will draw comparisons to the famous bridge scene from 1994’s “True Lies” and even one of Cruise’s own centerpiece stunts from the first “Mission: Impossible.”

Speaking of which, there’s a reason why Cruise is the biggest, highest-paid star on the planet – he works his tail off for it.  Not only does he do most of his own stunts, but he also goes above and beyond for a grueling performance that exceeds what is normally required for the genre.  The same goes for Philip Seymour Hoffman, who’s terrific in a menacing, but all-too-brief role that couldn’t be more different from his Oscar-winning performance in “Capote.”

And thanks to his experience with handling an ensemble cast on his other popular TV series “Lost,” director J.J. Abrams – who also co-wrote the screenplay with his “Alias” collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci – gives the supporting cast members plenty to do.  After first working with Abrams in TV’s “Felicity,” Keri Russell gets to flex her muscles in a small, but crucial role as Cruise’s protégé.  Ving Rhames once again reprises his role from the previous missions as tech wizard Luther Strickell, while Jonathan Rhys Meyers (“Match Point”) and newcomer Maggie Q round out Cruise’s able team.

Some of the stunts push the boundaries of credibility, while the subplot involving corruption within the IMF may seem a little derivative of the first film, but so what?  “M:i:III” is so good that moviegoers may not even realize that Cruise’s love interest, charmingly played by sexy up-and-comer Michelle Monaghan (who was terrific in last year’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”), bears a striking resemblance to – you guessed it – Katie Holmes.  Coincidence?  Maybe, but regardless, “M:i:III” is still a relentlessly entertaining action thriller that’s bound to make even more money than the first two films.

That is, if people aren’t already sick of Tom Cruise!

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