Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) has spent the past few years training new IMF agents but is now retired. As he’s about to settle down and marry Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan), he’s contacted by IMF Assistant Director and old friend John Musgrave (Billy Crudup) and pulled back in. One of Hunt’s trainees, Lindsey Farris (Kari Russell), was on an opp and captured. Hunt leads a team to rescue Agent Farris but discovers kidnapper Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is after a mysterious biological weapon code named “The Rabbit’s Foot” and will stop at nothing to get it. Hunt and his IMF team travel the globe in pursuit of The Rabbit’s Foot and Davian to prevent a biological disaster.
I’d love to start with the on-screen chemistry between Cruise and Monaghan or the intense, complex, multi-stakes action sequences or even how Laurence Fishburne’s performance might be him at his peak. Instead, the featured highlight has to be the explosive, top-tier acting between Cruise and Hoffman. Separately, they’re A-List actors, of course. But together? They’re a powerhouse that captivates the audience within milliseconds. They’re presence is so undeniable that, when they share the screen, their interaction lifts this film from good to great.
Admittedly, the villain can be seen a mile away despite the presented shell game and never revealing what the Rabbit’s Foot is is a cool-yet-convenient plot twist but, as a whole, Mission: Impossible III is a ton of fun.
Is it the cream of the crop? No. But this movie rescues the franchise after the horrendous second installment, introduces several mainstay characters (especially Julia who becomes a pivotal plot point later in the saga), has a strong rewatch value and features several actors in their prime that are even better when they’re on screen together.
JKG SCORE: 7.0
Untitled Film Project 