Film Review: Mission: Impossible III (2006)

(NOTE: Capsule version of the review is available here.)

When J.J. Abrams stepped behind the camera for Mission: Impossible III in 2006, he inherited a franchise in dire need of resuscitation. Following the critically panned, style-over-substance Mission: Impossible II (2000), the series was teetering on the edge of irrelevance. The third instalment was positioned as a return to the television show's roots – a promise of intricate espionage, moral complexity, and team-based operations rather than the solo heroics that had characterised the previous film. While Abrams' directorial debut successfully arrested the franchise's "slide to self-destruction, Mission: Impossible III ultimately settles for being merely solid rather than spectacular, a competent thriller that fails to capitalise fully on its promising premise.

The film's greatest strength lies in its central performances, particularly the electrifying antagonism between Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt and Philip Seymour Hoffman's Owen Davian. Hoffman, in what was then an unexpected casting choice for a blockbuster villain, brings a chilling, methodical menace that elevates the entire production. His Davian isn't a cartoonish super-villain but a pragmatic, terrifyingly competent arms dealer whose motivations feel disturbingly real – a quality that lends the film its surprisingly dark tone. Hoffman's performance remains one of the series' high points, with later entries struggling to match the sheer presence he brought to the role.

Cruise, meanwhile, delivers one of his more restrained performances as Hunt, particularly in the film's first act where we see him attempting to retire from field work as an IMF trainer. This domestic interlude with his new wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan) provides a welcome emotional anchor that previous entries lacked, though the execution feels somewhat perfunctory. The relationship lacks genuine chemistry, making Julia's subsequent endangerment feel more like a plot device than an emotionally resonant crisis. This emotional disconnect extends to the rest of Hunt's team, with the introduction of Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn – while ultimately becoming a franchise staple – feeling somewhat underdeveloped here.

The film's much-touted return to complex spy craft proves somewhat overstated. While Abrams does surround Hunt with "a competent IMF team" – a welcome change from the "IMF turncoats" who served as villains in the first two films – the plot mechanics ultimately devolve into standard action fare. The much-hyped "mystery box MacGuffinry" never quite coalesces into anything particularly clever or surprising. The supposed "mole within IMF" storyline feels hastily constructed, serving primarily as a narrative convenience rather than a genuinely compelling mystery. The film's attempt to reflect US War on Terror and its moral ambiguities remains frustratingly superficial, with the thematic depth promised by its dark tone never fully realised.

Where Mission: Impossible III truly shines is in its action sequences, which represent a significant step forward for the franchise. Unlike many contemporary action films that rely excessively on CGI, Abrams grounds these sequences in tangible reality, creating a palpable sense of danger that digital effects often lack. The Vatican sequence, while borrowing heavily from Alias (Abrams' television series), demonstrates his flair for tension-building and spatial awareness in action choreography.

However, the film's pacing proves problematic. After the strong opening act establishing Hunt's domestic life, the narrative accelerates too rapidly into standard chase-and-rescue territory. The middle section becomes particularly tedious, with repetitive action sequences that lack the escalating stakes necessary to maintain tension. This pacing issue is compounded by the film's relatively short runtime (125 minutes), suggesting that tighter editing might have improved the overall flow.

The production history also casts an interesting light on the film's uneven quality. Abrams was brought in after multiple directorial changes due to "creative differences," and the production suffered significant delays due to his commitments to Alias and Lost. These disruptions likely contributed to the film's somewhat patchwork feel, with certain sequences (particularly the emotional beats) feeling underdeveloped compared to the meticulously crafted action set pieces. The cast reshuffling – with actors like Kenneth Branagh, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Scarlett Johansson departing due to scheduling conflicts – may also have impacted the film's cohesion.

Despite these shortcomings, Mission: Impossible III deserves credit for laying the groundwork for the franchise's remarkable renaissance. It represents "a marked improvement over Mission: Impossible II, and it set the foundation for the franchise's eventual reinvention. The decision to focus on Hunt's emotional vulnerability through his relationship with Julia, while imperfectly executed here, would inform the more successful character development in later entries. Similarly, the introduction of a proper supporting team (including the debut of Simon Pegg's Benji) established the ensemble dynamic that would become a series hallmark.

At the end, Mission: Impossible III succeeds primarily as a course correction rather than a triumph. It delivers not particularly memorable, but solid spy action thriller entertainment that effectively reset the franchise after the misstep of its predecessor. For all its flaws, it proved that the Mission: Impossible franchise still had life in it – a crucial realisation that would pave the way for the even more successful instalments to follow.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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