Mission: Impossible III

Sometimes I go to the movies to be moved by an emotionally real and touching story. I have even been known to cry in a theatre, then sit through the credits, and I mean ALL they way through the credits, to let my eyes dry before going out in public again.

But sometimes, I go to the movies to eat popcorn and have my block busted. Know what I mean?

Mission: Impossible III fits that latter bill perfectly. It is an action movie in the proper sense of the term: the movie is essentially one action set-piece after another, with interstitial material to give you just enough character background to care, and just enough plot details to keep you interested.

And yes, the set-pieces build in intensity from one to the next, climaxing in an incredible sequence atop the skyscrapers of Shanghai.

You will perhaps scoff at some of the moments, where something incredible happens, either by chance or by design of Ethan Hunt and his team, but, hey, this is not The Searchers, this is a modern-day action thriller, and director JJ Abrams, making his feature debut, is already at the top of his game. He knows not to take himself, or this movie, too seriously. But he takes both seriously enough, and the result is a very, very satisfying movie experience.

Tom Cruise and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are both outstanding in their roles, respectively, as hero and villain. The rest of the cast are solid, if not outstanding. Technically, this film is close to flawless. The pacing, as I have said, is perfect for an action movie. You go, go, go in an action sequence, then catch your breath for a moment or two, and then go, go, go all over again.

You will be thrilled. You will be tempted to cheer, or at the very least, to applaud certain moments. You will laugh. But you most certainly will not cry.