Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Mission: Impossible III. Feature film. (2006, 120 mins) IMDB

...action-packed action film--no surprise there...

T

he best part of the Mission: Impossible franchise is the theme song but you don't need to see the film to enjoy the music.

M:I 3 is an action film structured just for that--to give people lots and lots of action. I suppose you could say it delivers on it except after a while, the film becomes a blur of action and you probably want something more, something different.

I'd describe the plot but there'd be no point to it. It's simply a device to create big action set-pieces and the film does that. The film includes a MacGuffin called the rabbit's foot. Both sides want it and as a result it creates conflict between the two sides. It's a MacGuffin because it drives the plot but we never learn what it is or what importance it has because it doesn't matter. It's a plot device.

In a number of movies we've seen characters put on elaborate make-up etc to look exactly like someone else. This film uses this gimmick. There's a point where character A is A then through magic A is B but then the another switch is made and B is B when it's supposed to A as B. Do you follow? Of course. This technique is used twice in the film and in both instances it's completely unbelievable. Would a husband not recognize his wife? I thought so.

What's interesting is that Cruise performs a number of the stunts in this film and that works well for the film because the usual cutting between actor, stuntman and back to actor is avoided.

There is a great deal of blue screen and CGI in the film however, it's kept to a minimal and in the background as a result the film doesn't seem like a video game and that's a good thing because far too many action movies of late feel like nothing more than a video game.

Give me James Bond any day of the week.

Posted 2009/05/16 at 20h10ET in Movie Commentary.