m:i:III

Watched m:i:III yesterday with the gang.

Though I am not a fan of Tom Cruise (and his placenta-eating scientology antics...eeks), I must concede that this is a decent film, and that Tom Cruise did deliver in his role, both in the action and emotional sequences.

But greatest credit should go to J.J. Abrams ("Lost", "Alias") for the seamless flow from beginning to end, as well as the sophisticated but well-executed plot (with that totally unexpected twist, I must add). If you thought "Ocean's Eleven" (didn't watch 12) or "Inside Man" define brilliant missions, m:i:III is one notch up, esp. with the one at the Vatican City, albeit with a stronger focus on technology rather than wit.

I concur very much with the sentiments of this reviewer:

"...Ethan Hunt's character has a thousand more layers than he did in the last two films. This one is completely unpretensious, fun, action-packed, suspense-filled, but it also has a lot of humanity. All the character's motivations are lead by Ethan's personal convictions it seems. And there was a suprising amount of heart in Hunt's relationship with his girlfriend."

and

"Another thing I loved was the return of the team missions. Every little mission Ethan goes through, he's alongside his team. He's very much in the Jim Phelps role, and you end up carrying a lot about the team. Luther (Ving Rhames) is great in this one." Not to forget the magnificent Maggie Q, Johnathan Rhys-Meyers, and of course, the villian, Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

The only gripe I might have would be that the best action sequences were not saved for the last portion of the film, so you might leave the theatre feeling a little dissatisfied because you would expect more for an ending (at least more than the ridiculous *spoiler* resuscitation *spoiler*).

Well I must say this first summer blockbuster has not been a disappointment, and I am eagerly looking forward to "The Da Vinci Code" as well as "XIII"!