Review: Mission Impossible III
Rule of thumb is, what J.J. Abrams touches, turns gold. Look at the Alias and Lost franchise. A unique style of character depth and mystery.
For MI:3 however, he just hooked up an IV, and let it drip a 100% adrenaline solution. From the start till the end, it never stops. Even though we never go in depth with the characters (or even the story line) Abrams is able to highten the sense of drama.
Also, acting is a part Abrams always keeps an sharp eye on, and there’s not much you can dispute here (not even Tom Cruise’s performance). For the Scarlett Johansson lovers (rumored to have dropped out after Tom’s freaky proposal (the one with which he succeeded to get Katie Holmes), and maybe a of bit some Scientology craziness. Then again, a scheduling conflict sounds so boring) , I can assure you Michelle Monaghan is an able replacement (both acting and hotness factor).
Action wise, it all seems very old-school, and that really helps to create an authentic atmosphere. If you dig action flicks, this will probably be IT for this year.8+.