A man named Owen Davian kills an IMF agent that was sent undercover by the legendary Ethan Hunt, who has retired from combat missions. Hunt now has a fiancé, Julia, who believes that he works for the traffic department when he really trains younger IMF agents to go into combat. He is assigned to his last mission. His mission, should he choose to accept it is to capture Davian, who is selling a toxic weapon called the rabbits foot. But Davian is reckless, cruel, and deathly. He promises Hunt that he will find Julia, hurt her, and Ethan will be too dead to help her. The mission is no more different to others, its dangerous, smart, and impossible; but now it’s personal.
Tom Cruise, the most exciting and successful star in the world, returns to one of his signature roles, Secret Agent Ethan Hunt, in “Mission: Impossible III.” In this pulse-racing, mind-bending action thriller, Hunt confronts the toughest villain he’s ever faced – Owen Davian (Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience.
The film is co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams, who brings his unique blend of action, character, comedy, and drama to the franchise. The millions of loyal viewers of Abrams’s landmark creations, the television series “Lost” and “Alias,” know what to expect: an enthralling, intricate story with an unexpected and arresting payoff that satisfies on every level.
With “M:i:III,” Abrams and Cruise turn the spy thriller on its ear as they hark back to the best aspects of the original TV series that inspired the films – a well-connected team of agents centered around a bold and heroic leader, the most exciting action stunts imaginable, and elaborate twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.
About the Production
Producer Paula Wagner says, “Tom Cruise and director J.J. Abrams deliver a breathtaking, action- and suspense-filled movie with humor, drama, and great characters that leaves the audience wanting more.”
Abrams responded immediately to the opportunity to bring a new vision of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise to life. “When Tom approached me about directing this movie, I said `yes’ before he asked me the question,” says Abrams. “The promise of a `Mission: Impossible’ movie is the ultimate opportunity for a writer and a director. You have the chance, especially with someone like Tom and the other actors we have in the cast, to get into some real emotional character portrayals.
“From the beginning, Tom and I talked about wanting to do a movie that had a surprisingly personal and intimate story,” continues Abrams. “When you hear `Mission: Impossible,’ you know you are going to get extreme situations, great action, and incredible stunts. The idea was to take that opportunity, and combine it with an intimate story, a love story, and friendships that were real friendships with characters that you get to know and like.”
To achieve that, the director says, he asked a few questions that probed some parts of the Ethan Hunt character that have gone unexplored. “How do you reconcile being a man who does what Ethan Hunt does?” asks Abrams. “Our approach is not to make a movie about a spy, but to tell a story about a man who is a spy. It may sound like semantics, but when you truly let that guide you, the questions come and the answers that appear are actually relatable, emotional, and fascinating.”
Producer Paula Wagner agrees. “Ethan Hunt has a life separate from his work – which creates a new conflict for him in this world of intriguing missions,” she says. “In addition to overcoming the challenges that confront the IMF, this film looks at how he has to marry his personal life with the danger of his job.
“What sets `M:i:III’ apart from the first two is that we also show more interpersonal relationships within the IMF,” Wagner continues. “Ethan Hunt and Luther Stickell have been working together now for a number of years. They have a relationship that is based on a solid friendship that is explored in this movie. Tom and Ving as actors and J.J. as a director handle that relationship all with a wonderful irony, humor, and finesse.”
The third key relationship in the film is that between Hunt and the villain, Owen Davian, played by Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman. “Whenever he plays a role, he makes the part his own; he never does what you expect, so his characters are never the same,” says Cruise. “When Ethan Hunt goes up against this guy, it’s terrifying – because Philip could go anywhere with Davian, Davian’s capable of anything. Ethan’s never faced a villain as ruthless and fearsome as Philip’s.”
“Mission: Impossible III” also delivers all of the incredible action and breathtaking stunts that moviegoers expect from the franchise. The writing team – Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Abrams – dreamed up new sequences for Hunt to survive… which, says Abrams, put the director in a delicate situation. “When we started writing the action sequences, we would say, `We shouldn’t even write this because Tom’s going to want to do the stunt himself.’ In the end, we realized, of course, we had to give the best we could. Though it’s a bit hair-raising, it’s inspiring to work with an actor and producer who’s so willing to give everything to make the best movie he can.”
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Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Maggie Q, Laurence Fishburne, Keri Russell, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Crudup, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Bahar Soomekh, Carla Gallo
Screenplay by: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, J.J. Abrams
Production Design by: Scott Chambliss
Cinematography by: Dan Mindel
Film Editing by: Maryann Brandon, Nick Gibbs, Mary Jo Markey
Costume Design by: Colleen Atwood
Set Decoration by: Karen Manthey
Art Direction by: Dennis Bradford, Stephen Bream, Daniel T. Dorrance, Sean Haworth, Kevin Kavanaugh, Gary Kosko, Brad Ricker, Domenic Silvestri
Music by: Michael Giacchino
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of frenetic violence & menace, disturbing images & some sensuality.
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: May 5, 2006
Visits: 114
