Video Americain

Review

Tom Cruise has joined the ranks of Charlton Heston, John Wayne and Mel Gibson as controversial, even hated, celebrities that are nevertheless true movie stars. On-screen, they mesmerize, eschewing method acting and (seemingly effortlessly) creating larger-than-life escapist icons in nearly every role. Even during his most ridiculous, couch-jumping, thetan-operating, Katie-nuzzling year, Cruise managed to star in, produce, and recruit the fearlessly talented J.J. Abrams to create one of his best action films to date.

Where the first De Palma installment was cynical and cold, and the second John Woo installment was bloated and excessive, cowriter/director Abrams has instead followed his "Alias" template to create a relentlessly paced action film with a resonant romantic backbone. Ethan Hunt is ready to settle down with a fianceé (Monaghan) who is oblivious to his secret globetrotting life. But when "one last mission" (a breathless break-in and rescue) has an unexpectedly tragic result, he's sucked back in pursuit of the ominously evil Owen Davian (Hoffman) – who we know is bad news thanks to a precredit flash-forward, where he shoots Ethan's fianceé in the head. With mask-revelations at a minimum, the twists and turns aren't always what you expect, and Abrams is savvy enough to only show what's necessary: A footrace through China reveals every tense step, while a spectacular high-rise heist is mostly ignored in favor of a comic-relief conversation by the lookout men.

Perhaps best of all, Cruise is able to carry the picture while not hogging the screen. One lengthy sequence has Ethan wearing a Davian mask, allowing Hoffman a showy action sequence that he pulls off with aplomb. And former "Felicity" Keri Russell threatens to steal the show early as an agent nearly as badass as Hunt. Fans of '70s chase movies and '80s action movies alike will find this to be the film they've been missing for so many years.

 -- David Gorgos