Mission: Impossible III

There is one positive thing I have to admit about this film. Out of the three sequels about the indestructible agent, it is the best one, but I have a problem with the whole series, just as I have a problem with the majority of action movies. It is simply an unrealistic fairy tale, where you need to turn off your brain and not think about the numerous holes in the logic. Unlike the series of James Bond films, it lacks style and humorous exaggeration. The third part is the most mature in terms of filmmaking, but paradoxically it lacks a truly worthy opponent compared to the previous two films. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a great actor, but he doesn't get enough space and the script doesn't demonize him enough, and if it weren't for the betrayal, he would play a rather embarrassing role as a quickly defeated opponent. If someone is to stand up to such a brilliant invincible agent like Ethan Hunt and the American Secret Service equipped with hi-tech technology, it must be truly a devil in human form, who aims at least, but I emphasize at least, to take over the world... Overall impression: 45%. (04/14/2009)

Uncompromisingly unrelenting from the first seconds, larger-than-life in the action moments with thrilling special effects, and always eases up at the right moment. This is a thriller that is unparalleled in the spy subgenre in recent years (except for the Bourne films, which are in a completely different league). Abrams's direction is like a Swiss watch. It doesn't get stuck even in the more intimate scenes of the engaged secret agent (the return home after a failed operation is one of the most moving parts of the film) and thanks to the brilliant casting, it doesn't slip into theatricality even at its weakest moments. Oscar-winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a cold-blooded asshole like no other, Ving Rhames sprinkles dry catchphrases, Michelle Monaghan plays more than just a "damsel in distress," and even Tom Cruise is watchable, though he strikes his usual pose here as well. Even so, Mission: Impossible III is the best possible film for a single watch that can see the light of day from the waters of the standard Hollywood mainstream. (10/02/2006)

With the third installment, I finally got a great spy film. It had immensely more action than the first one, but was also far more thoughtful than the second film. J.J. Abrams took over as director, and I could feel the change right from the first few minutes. The beginning amazed me, and as the minutes went by, I kept wondering when the pace would slow down. But it didn’t. On the contrary, the pace and action gradually built up. I also praise the story, which wasn’t very predictable and mostly maintained its coherence while avoiding logical flaws. One of the many positives is the cast, especially Tom Cruise, though Philip Seymour Hoffman might have outdone him. I haven’t seen such a slick and intelligent villain in a long time. For me, the third film is the best in the series. I give it 90%. EDIT 08/2023 - This is the best Mission: Impossible! By a clear margin! While the newer installments seem overcomplicated, Abrams' third film is the most balanced in this regard. Perfectly balanced high-tech gadgets with brutally impactful action (like... the bridge heist? WOW), supported by a nearly intimate story where Ethan has to save his wife. And Hoffman is, in a word, brilliant. I haven’t seen a better-written and portrayed villain in action films for a long time. I still stand by my 9/10 after all these years :) (08/08/2023)

Mission: Impossible III has only one absolutely great action scene (and we’ve already seen it in the trailer) and it lacks the high-tech charge that was typical of the preceding instalments. However, these shortcomings are offset by the film’s superb balance of authenticity (!) with a detached sense of humor and, mainly, its dynamic story in which something important is constantly happening, driven by urgency and emotions. Ethan’s relationship with his new wife works very well and when her life is hanging in the balance, it’s about more than saving the world. The less we see of the super-villain played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, the more impressive are the scenes featuring him. This is a different but effective instalment in the franchise. It’s a popcorn movie that, like the Bourne films, won’t insult your intelligence. I was most pleased with the breakneck shots, starting on Cruise’s face and continuously following his subsequent acrobatic stunts (jumping off of a skyscraper, running across Chinese rooftops). This makes up for the absence of De Palma and Woo’s eye-candy action from the previous M:I films. (05/02/2006)

It’s been a long time since I came across such an exciting and unpredictable action thriller (I really didn’t expect to see Pavel Sobotka appearing in it :). Some things were predictable, but Abrams distracts from them more than perfectly and keeps you in constant suspense. It's also nice to humanize, and show the imperfections of Ethan Hunt, who is still as cool as before, but he's unlucky and not everything works out (running out of ammo at key moments are prime examples). Another great change is the team. Finally, we get to see all the team members in action and not just Hunt. This time he relies on them and fully cooperates with them, which is quite different from the previous parts. In addition, Hoffman is a fantastic villain, completely uncompromising and, most of all, believable. Cruise is more or less in good form, as is the rest of the cast. The best installment in the Mission: Impossible series to date (and quite possibly the last). (09/22/2006)