Mission: Impossible III - a retrospective
J.J. Abrams brilliant debut and a stripped back human story to add to the franchise
J.J. Abrams debut feature breaks from the Mission: Impossible franchise in a variety of subtle ways and here with MI:3 immediately, and following next to zero opening credits we have a stand-off between a bloodied, bruised and manacled to a chair “Ethan Hunt” (Tom Cruise) and this episode’s bad guy, arms dealer and “black market trafficker” “Owen Davian” (Philip Seymour Hoffman). As the count down to death for his wife “Julia Meade” (Michelle Monaghan) sat opposite Ethan continues, Davian confirms “We’ve put an explosive charge inside your head” and with “Brownway” (Eddie Marsan) standing behind him, Davian cocks his gun, points it at Julia, and demands to know where this film’s MacGuffin is: a highly prized “Rabbit’s Foot”. With his gun now pointed at her temple, Davian begins counting from 1 to the threatened shooting of Julia at 10 as Ethan looks his new wife directly in the eyes, confirming “everything will be OK”. From 1 through 3 Ethan remains calm, explaining first that he gave Davian the Rabbit’s Foot before assuring him he’ll rectify any mistakes made in order to help him. As Davian continues the countdown from 3 to 4 Ethan screams in anger as he tries to release himself from the handcuffs holding him in bondage to the chair and as Abrams’ camera now moves quickly between the three main protagonists Davian continues counting to 5 and now 6, Ethan lies, stating the Rabbit’s Foot is in Paris, then pleads innocence with Davian who disbelieves him, before shooting a round from his gun into the chair holding his wife.
“You don’t think I’ll do it” Davian screams, before he continues “SEVEN”.
“I’ll kill you” responds Ethan, “I swear to God, I’ll kill you”.
“EIGHT” continues Davian.
Ethan pleads for the life of his wife, assuring Davian he will do everything in his power to help him.
“NINE”
“I want to help you” Ethan continues, “But you got to do what’s right”.
Cut to a stone faced Davian.
“No. No” exclaims Ethan, a tear rolling from his left eye. “NO!”
“TEN”
A gun shot signals the commencement of the iconic Mission: Impossible theme tune…
Following a shorter than normal introductory theme tune and the commencement of the film’s opening credits we find ourselves in the mix of a lively engagement party for Ethan and Julia, with Ethan playing both gregarious host and covering for his real career within the IMF as a “Transportation Manager”. Cleverly we now see Ethan (OK, Tom Cruise) in a throwback to one of his earliest films rattling a silver cocktail shaker and Tom (OK, Ethan Hunt) showcasing his IMF lipreading skills to the amazement of his guests before the merriment of the party continues amid smiles and laughter, kisses and dancing and after the briefest of cameos from Aaron Paul long before Breaking Bad, the telephone rings and Ethan’s outside world reality crashes in upon him:
“This is Ready Travel Resort Services — We’d like to offer you the chance of an all expenses paid trip to Mexico”
Making his excuses to leave the party, Ethan drives to a local 7–11 and pre-arranged meeting point with IMF Director of Operations “John Musgrave” (Billy Crudup). A clandestine conversation ensues whereby Musgrave needs Ethan “back in the field”. Ethan declines, but before leaving the convenience store, Musgrave rattles a disposable camera hanging on a shelf and asks him to take some pictures of the engagement party. Returning home and sitting alone in a study, Ethan opens the package surrounding the disposable camera and following a scan of his retina, the camera relays a typically distinctive and secretive Mission: Impossible operations message: “Lindsey Farris” (Keri Russell) is missing presumed kidnapped in Berlin and there’s only one suspect — Owen Davian.
“Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find Lindsey and bring her home. This message, let’s call it my excellent engagement gift to you, will self destruct in 5 seconds…”
Ethan, lost in thought, holds the camera as it disintegrates in a puff of white smoke.
So there’s the opening 10 minutes of J.J. Abrams debut feature at the helm of the Mission: Impossible franchise and suffice to say Ethan accepts his mission as Lindsey is akin to his “little sister” and from Berlin and a shoot-out and rescue mission ending with a night time helicopter chase through the blades of a wind farm we first enter Vatican City from above and below its famed walls and then, the highlight of the film, and Ethan (OK, Tom Cruise) leaping like a lunatic and skydiving from one Shanghai Skyscraper to another. Why? In search of the Rabbit’s Foot, that’s why, and as described by IMF Agent “Benji Dunn” (Simon Pegg) the “Anti-God” and “End of the world kind of stuff”. Which brings us neatly onto Ethan’s backup team here in the guise of “Declan Gormley” (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and “Zhen Lei” (Maggie Q) but more importantly perhaps is the return of Ving Rhames who continues in his role of “Luther Stickell” to this very day. As does Simon Pegg and in a role that has grown exponentially over the years and whilst many actors and actresses have come and gone in this franchise over the near thirty year, eight film franchise (Anthony Hopkins, Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Rolf Saxon, Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin and Angela Bassett to name just a lucky seven), Tom Cruise has steered the ship from day one in 1996 and the very best of the seven, soon to be eight, films to date.
I have a rather large sweet spot for the Mission: Impossible series of films dating back to watching re-runs of the original TV series late at night when I was an impressionable young teenager through to the original film in 1996 and through to the present day. I also have a rather large sweet spot for the films of Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (or plain old Tom Cruise to you and me) as whatever your individual take on the bread and circus that is the Tinseltown of Hollywood, Tom Cruise makes damn fine movies and does whatever it is his maker sent him here to do — to be a Movie Star. In the near two decades since MI:3 Tom Cruise has saved the world with his IMF team another four times, tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler in Valkyrie, collaborated once more with Christopher McQuarrie on the Jack Reacher franchise, reprised his role as “Maverick” in the surprisingly very good Top Gun sequel and even swam in the conspiratorial waters of American gun and drug running in 2017’s American Made.
Tom Cruise is American made, and I for one can’t wait for the summer and the Final Reckoning that will surely bring an end to his spectacular run in the Mission: Impossible universe.
Thanks for reading. I hope this message in a bottle in The Matrix finds you well, prospering, and the right way up in an upside down world.
Whilst you’re here I may as well brag about the release of my two recently self-published books. Both are free to read if you subscribe to Amazon Kindle “Unlimited” or reasonably priced in both paperback and hardback. Go on, treat yourself or a loved one and help out an Indie Author! Buy the books if you’re financially able to. They also look far, far better in print!
We HAVE to keep the spirit of reading books alive and well.
Thanks.
"still life, with gooseberry" - link to Amazon
"Rasputin and Raspberry Jam" - link to Amazon
Boy do we agree on this one and Woo's second entry! This one is my personal fave of the franchise.