Oh, J.J. Abrams, you magnificent bastard. There are moments in M:I:3 that are so him, I can barely stand it, because I love him so dearly (feel free to insert fan girls icon here). Watching this third installment brought about that same comforting sense of familiarity that the second did with John Woo, and while some might chalk that up as a negative, I revel in it. There aren't enough auteurs in mainstream Hollywood these days, and we should cherish those few we are afforded.
Abrams comes out strong in his motion picture debut, after establishing a rabid fanbase with his three tv series. Looking at that line up, Felicity, Alias, Lost, the commonality is not instantly recognizable. M:I:3 acts as the missing link that binds them all. While the most obvious comparisons come by way of Alias, there are touches of all three shows in the film.
For those looking to avoid spoilers and/or babbling, I will say in short that Mission Impossible: III was a solid action film, and one I recommend for anyone looking for some popcorn-muching, escapist fun. The story operated around a basic MacGuffin of a nebulous bio-hazard, and blissfully spared us unnecessary details and politics, allowing for a simple enjoyment of the characters, action, and suspense without being completely brainless. Performances varied from adequate to impressive, dialog was cheeky and fun, and the action sequences were as spectacular as one might expect of both the series and the director (though not quite as spectacular as genius of John Woo, but then, how could it be?). See it and enjoy it and try not to think too hard. ;)
And now, for those brave enough to withstand spoilers (for this film, Alias, and Lost), proceed...
I love when a director just shamelessly steals from himself, because, I mean, why the fuck not? Everyone steals from everyone in Hollywood, so if you've got a good idea, you might as well steal from yourself. But the timing, man, the timing! I mean, was I the only one that instantly thought of the bomb in Will Tippin's brain when Davien said to Hunt, "This might seem familiar"? Granted, I just watched that episode this morning, but holy déjà vu, Batman! I don't know if I was relieved or disappointed when it turned out to be a flashback to Felicity's head exploding rather than a wicked little inside joke.
And Felicity. Everyone plugged Alias as Felicity, if Felicity grew up and became a secret agent. I couldn't help but wonder if the casting of Keri Russell in the role of Hunt's protegé wasn't J.J.'s answer to that claim. Keri Russell did an outstanding job in a minimal role (yet another tip of the Hitchcock cap in offing well-loved star in the first few minutes), living up to another rule of J.J.: giving the little brunette the gun and letting her kick some serious ass.
Another J.J. moment that I will never stop loving is the way in which a man, dead as a doornail, will be brought back to life against all odds by heavy blows to the chest after traditional resusciative efforts have failed. At first, I thought that the dirtrade in that moment was going to be killing Hunt off, as that seems to be what J.J. does these days (oh dear Boone, Shannon, Libby, and Ana Lucia), but the second she started hammering on his chest, I knew he would live, because that is J.J.'s way.
A case could also be made for the tremendously effective use of fuselage in his work as well. While I typically loathe chase sequences (harboring particular dislike for boat chases, and I am looking at you, Mr. Woo), the helicopter chase through the windmills was particularly spectacular, and generated the most creative death-by-aircraft scene that I've had the pleasure of witnessing since that jerk was sucked into the engine in the pilot of Lost.
And of course, let no one forget the obligatory Greg Grunberg cameo. ;) Now if only someone would give the man a starring role...
i'm so glad you liked it too! I had a similar review (only without all the Film Theory Major-esque additions), and it pleases me when we have similar movie reviews...
Hehe! Did you see Jimmy Kimmel Live last friday(when MI3 opened) and they had J.J. directing the show, Dominic Monaghan guesting on it AND Greg Grunberg sitting the whole time with the band banging on some bongos?! It was amusing!