Mission: Impossible III (2006)

The Mission: Impossible franchise is unique because each movie has a different director and, unlike the James Bond or Harry Potter franchises, each director really brings his own vision to the series. J.J. Abrams’ style fits well into the M:I world because his projects have elements of various genres within them. That’s what makes this an enjoyable movie.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is trying to settle down. He has retired from active field work for the Impossible Missions Force and is now engaged to nurse Julia (Michelle Monaghan). Of course, we know things aren’t going to be easy for them, because the film opens with Ethan and Julia tied to chairs and a gun pressed against Julia’s head while Ethan is interrogated. We cut back to Ethan being lured out of retirement by IMF agent John Musgrave (Billy Crudup) to rescue Ethan’s protégé, Lindsey (Keri Russell) from arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman-the man holding the gun at the beginning of the film). Ethan and his team–Declan Gormley (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Zhen Lei (Maggie Q), and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames)–go to Berlin to rescue her, but Lindsey dies when a small explosive planted in her skull is detonated. The team then decides to go rogue and capture the elusive Davian. They are successful, but Davian is in turn rescued by his mercenaries and kidnaps Julia. Ethan is then sent by Davian to steal the “Rabbit’s Foot” and deliver it to him for Julia’s life.

I liked this movie because of the humor Abrams and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman injected into the story. The first two films were so serious. There were a couple amusing parts, especially in the first film, but it actually looks like Cruise is having fun making this movie. There’s also an irreverence to some of the humor and action. You also feel like the IMF team is more fully-formed than in the second film. It made me more invested in the film and anxious for what would happen. This is good storytelling for what could otherwise have been a by-the-numbers action movie.

3.5/5

The Invention of Lying (2009)

The premise of this movie had so much potential, but falls flat on its face.  It’s not so much the invention of lying, but at times throughout the film it’s the invention of abstract thought, empathy, and inner monologues.  People in this alternate universe don’t just tell the truth all the time, they do so unprompted, just blurting out whatever they’re thinking.  Which in and of itself is still a pretty funny concept.  And once writer-director-star Ricky Gervais’ character Mark Bellison “invents” the lie, it seems like things could start to take off.  Since anything everyone says is considered 100% accurate, Bellison has the opportunity to win the affection of his blind date Ann (Jennifer Garner), get his job back at Lecture Films and one-up head screenwriter Brad Kessler (Rob Lowe), and do basically whatever he wants.

But rather than mine that development for the ridiculousness that could come from it (think Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day), Gervais and co-director Matthew Robinson make the film too saccharine.  Bellison is a likable loser and tries to do good by lying, preventing a neighbor from committing suicide, helping a homeless man, and comforting his dying mother.  In doing that last act, however, Bellison becomes a prophet of sorts, having inadvertently created the concepts of heaven and God.  All this attention though, doesn’t give him what he wants: Ann.

Other than the execution, the most disappointing thing for me was the way so many great actors had absolutely nothing to do when they made their cameos: Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, John Hodgman, and Christopher Guest are all wasted.  Shaun Williamson and Stephen Merchant are great to see together again in a very brief scene, but you’d really only appreciate it if you had watched Gervais’ series, Extras.  In short, a tragic waste of cast and concept.

2/5