Instead of renting a DVD this week, we went to the theatre to see MI3 on our son's recommendation. He was right: it was good! And I like his take on Tom Cruise: the guy may jump and squeal on Oprah's couch, rave about Scientology and exhibit other eccentric behaviors, but I don't go to a movie to see him act like himself. I expect him to be acting like someone else. And for me, he did it splendidly in this. Despite it all, he remains darned good looking and he has a wonderful intensity and physicality that make him very entertaining to watch.I think I did like this one better than its predecessors. Being a fan of the original Mission Impossible TV series, I was quite dismayed with MI 1 when the team -- which was what the series was all about -- was wiped out in the first five minutes of the movie. The second one had no team either, so I was very happy to see it returned in this one. MI 3 is still not about the team pulling one off on the bad guys per se, but I could live with that.
The opening especially intrigued me -- showing a portion of the climax, one that ends badly, before breaking away to What Came Before. Throughout the movie I kept straying back to that information, wondering if knowing it was making the story better or worse. At times I thought it didn't help, because I didn't like it, and it lessened the impact of what would have been surprising story developments otherwise. Though even when you knew what was coming, I thought they ended up doing a really good job of making it surprising and interesting. The bridge scene, for example. The capture of the rabbit's foot for another -- I was almost dreading that, to be honest. We already know from that opener that he got it, so why go through all the time and trouble of showing us how? And, as it turned out, they didn't really, and handled that section very intriguingly.
I also enjoyed the scenes between Ethan and his fiancee -- such a contrast of light and joy to all the dark tension and seriousness of the rest of what was going on in his life.
So I'd have to say, I recommend it, and am glad we paid to see it in the theatre. There are some really nice visuals that would probably lose impact on a smaller screen. Plus, it's just fun to do now and then.
Next up: Superman Returns!
Have a great day
Karen
