Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Ethan Hunt comes face to face with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer while trying to keep his identity secret in order to protect his girlfriend.

Director:

J.J. Abrams

Writers:

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci,

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames

7 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Ethan Hunt
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Owen Davian
Ving Rhames	...	Luther Stickell
Billy Crudup	...	John Musgrave
Michelle Monaghan	...	Julia
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Declan Gormley
Keri Russell	...	Lindsey Farris
Maggie Q	...	Zhen Lei
Simon Pegg	...	Benji Dunn
Eddie Marsan	...	Brownway
Laurence Fishburne	...	Theodore Brassel
Bahar Soomekh	...	Davian's Translator
Jeff Chase	...	Davian's Bodyguard
Michael Berry Jr.	...	Julia's Kidnapper
Carla Gallo	...	Beth

Storyline

IMF agent Ethan Hunt has given up field work to train agents instead, because he is seeing someone, Julia whom he wants to marry and live a normal life with. But his friend, Billy Musgrave, an IMF big wig informs that an agent he trained is being held by an arms dealer. Ethan decides to rescue her and does but because of a dead man's switch that was implanted in her, she is killed by remote. When Ethan returns, high ranking IMF man, Brassel chastises both Ethan and Musgrave for their actions. Ethan decides to go off book and bring the arms dealer in. But before leaving he marries Julia. After apprehending the arms dealer Ethan returns with him to the States but upon arriving they are attacked and the arms dealer escapes. Later Julia is abducted.

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Plot Keywords:

arms dealer | rescue | mission | escape | vatican | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of frenetic violence and menace, disturbing images and some sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Bontonfilm [cz] Official site [ru]

Country:

USA Germany China

Language:

English Italian Mandarin Cantonese German Czech

Release Date:

5 May 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

M:i:III

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$713,859 (Hong Kong) (12 May 2006)

Gross:

$133,382,309 (USA) (14 July 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Cruise/Wagner Productions, MI 3 Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min 124 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Buster Reeves:  appears as the gunman who is shot out the window.

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Goofs

When Davian is being kidnapped in the bathroom, as Hunt is coughing to kill time, the camera switches back between Hunt and the bodyguard, the tissue he is holding continually switches between his left and right hands.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Owen Davian: [to Ethan] We put an explosive charge in your head. Does that sound familiar?

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Crazy Credits

Special Thanks: The Hanso Foundation.

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Connections

Referenced in Heroes Unmasked: Let's Get Physical (2008)

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Soundtracks

"String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18 No. 4"
by Ludwig van Beethoven (as Ludwig von Beethoven)
Performed by Kodály Quartet
Courtesy of Naxos
By Arrangement with Source/Q

User Reviews

Lived Up To The Hype: Very Entertaining

I heard nothing but good things about this movie, so I rented it the first day it was available recently.....and I wasn't disappointed. Oh, it does have a bit too much action and a few politically-correct annoyances but neither are much and overall the movie is a lot of fun to watch.

The action scenes are not only interesting; they're spectacular at times. Overall, the photography is slick. It's a good visual movie. Not only the cinematography, but the director did a nice job with many of these shots. The version doesn't have all the gimmicks the first Misssion Impossible film, but it certainly has the best action scenes. The only bad movie of the three MIs was the second one. This one makes up for that.

All the characters are interesting. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as usual, is excellent as the main villain "Owen Damien." Michelle Monaghan makes for an attractive fiancée of Cruise in this movie, but her role is not a major one. Cruise's "team" is fun to watch: a PC group consisting of a white guy, black guy and Asian woman.

The action is improbable as Cruise's "Ethan Hunt" would have to be Superman to perform the stunts and acrobatics he does here. (I would never claim this movie is credible, or even "intelligent" - just escapist fun.)

Just put your brains on hold, and go along for the wild ride. The name of the game is entertainment, and this movie provides it in spades, hence the good rating.