Mission: Impossible III *** (2006, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg) – Classic Movie Review 2739

Co-writer J J Abrams makes his first film as a director in the 2006 third instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, in which Tom Cruise’s agent Ethan Hunt has retired from field work for the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) and trains new recruits. Ethan is sent back into action to track down the elusive arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Though its $134 million American domestic run was significantly lower than that of Mission Impossible II, as well as of box-office analysts’ expectations, the film was considered a box office success. M:I-III’s international box office gross has reached $263.8 million, for a combined worldwide gross of $397.9 million, which sounds good but was the lowest so far of the series.

With its breath-taking stunts, awesome effects and breakneck pace, it is a well-plotted, sprightly action movie. It deserved and mostly received positive critical reviews, though Roger Ebert gave it a marginal thumbs down, whatever that is.

The main cast are Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Laurence Fishburne and Eddie Marsan.

Principal photography began in Rome on July 18 2005 and ended in October. Location filming took place in China (Shanghai and Xitang), Germany (Berlin), Italy (Rome and Caserta), the United States (California and Virginia), and Vatican City. The night scenes involving the skyscrapers were filmed in Shanghai, while some of the Shanghai filming was also done in Los Angeles. The score is by Michael Giacchino.

Maybe surprisingly, Thandie Newton refused to reprise her role as Nyah Nordoff-Hall from Mission: Impossible II. Kenneth Branagh, Carrie-Anne Moss and Scarlett Johansson left the production due to delays caused by replacing original directors David Fincher and Joe Carnahan. As producer, Cruise then called J J Abrams, offering him the director job after having binge-watched the first two seasons of Alias.

It is preceded by Mission: Impossible (1996) and Mission: Impossible II (2000) and followed by Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015).

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© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2739

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