Cruise’s M:I-3 Is Action Packed Adventure

Forget about Tom Cruise’s personal life and go see “M:I -3 (Mission Impossible III) for the super-duper action packed stunts. My husband and I had not seen a good blow’em up movie in awhile, and this one was a feast for the eyes. Tom, at age 44, is no longer a pretty boy. He has grown into his huge grin and there are a few wrinkles to give character to his face. He’s physically fit and is believable running, leaping, shooting, and hanging upside down from a vehicle. Cruise has always radiated intelligence, and again his sharp focus gives bearing to the character of Ethan Hunt.

Preposterous plot line? Heck yeah! That’s why we go see a Mission Impossible movie. Ving Rhames appears once again as the reliable buddy, cracking wise with comments as he helps on the mission. Lawrence Fishburne is the big cheese back at the office, and we have twists and turns with him and Billy Crudup, another official at the IMF office – who’s backstabbing who?

This time, Ethan has a love interest (Michelle Monahan), which of course offers up a pawn in the mission. Gee, do you think the bad guy will kidnap her? Heck yeah! But the key is watching Ethan to see if he can beat the clock to save her. Oh, the dangers of love. I am not giving away any serious clues to the movie. If you have seen the previews, you can figure out what will or will not happen. The reason to see the movie is to escape into two hours of heart pounding action and adventure. “M:I-3” is an excellent sequel and not lazy as so many sequels are. The director, J.J. Abrams (of “Lost” and “Alias”), knows his way around a camera and pacing and hits a winner for his first big screen flick.

The ultimate reason for the success of “M:I-3” is the casting of Philip Seymour Hoffman as the villain. Wow! He is not hamming it up. He projects menace and hatred and evil with the intensity of his delivery. He and Tom Cruise on screen together move this summer flick to a higher plain. The summer movie season has officially begun. Buy a ticket, a big tub of popcorn, and a large soda. It is time to be entertained and “M:I-3” will get the heart pumping. Have fun!