7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Lured back into action by his agency superiors, Ethan Hunt faces his deadliest adversary yet - a sadistic weapons dealer named Owen Davian. With the support of his IMF team, Ethan leaps into spectacular adventure from Rome to Shanghai as he races to rescue a captured agent and stop Davian from eliminating his next target: Ethan's wife, Julia.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle MonaghanAction | 100% |
Adventure | 72% |
Thriller | 51% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
What I'm selling and who I'm selling to is the last thing you should be concerned about.
In the case of the Mission: Impossible films, throw the old adage that says "the third
time's the charm" straight out the window. The first two films got their respective formulas right
from the get-go, with the first Mission: Impossible offering a breathtaking cat-and-mouse
espionage thriller. The film offered not only a smart thinking-man's plot, but also just the right
amount of action to punctuate and compliment the complexities of the story. Along with
standout
acting and classy, mesmerizing direction from Brian De Palma (The Untouchables),
the
film is an unequivocal success. Its predecessor took a different approach, turning the lead
character into an action hero, amping up the excitement and minimizing the intrigue. What else
would one expect from a film directed by John Woo (Broken Arrow)? Both
formulas work particularly well, so the question that overrides all others when it comes time to
view Mission: Impossible III is, "which Ethan Hunt will show up to save the day this
time?"
'Mission: Impossible' overload!
Mission: Impossible III arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded transfer framed in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This is easily the best looking Blu-ray of the Mission: Impossible trilogy. Colors are a bit warm; much of the image seems to have a slightly golden and red tint, and flesh tones tend to look somewhat rosy. However, it's a very good image overall, with rather strong detail and levels of clarity in most every object seen on-screen, from faces to background materials. The image occasionally has a slightly soft look to it, but the majority is sharp and well defined. Black levels are good throughout. The print is free of any discernible blemishes, and a subtle layer of film grain lends a bit of theatrical flair to the image. Overall, M:I III boasts a rather strong, but not quite reference-grade, transfer.
Mission: Impossible III explodes onto Blu-ray with a solid if not slightly underwhelming Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. A recent summer blockbuster and an Action extravaganza yearning for a lossless soundtrack, M:I III is a missed opportunity to showcase the potential of lossless audio and perhaps even serve as reference-grade track. Instead, the lossy Dolby Digital mix is sufficient and exciting in all the right spots, but lacks that last bit of oomph and clarity to take it over the top. The action sequences fill the soundstage with plenty of ear-splitting moments, punctuated by a plethora of gunfire during the Farris rescue sequence. Several explosions throughout the film offer up a sufficient level of bass, notably those as heard during the bridge attack sequence. Surround speakers are often put to good use; an opened cargo bay door on a plane in-flight in chapter ten engulfs the listener with blowing wind and shaking objects as the powerful wind bursts through the listening area. Dialogue is delivered crisply and evenly, never presenting volume or discernment issues.
Mission: Impossible III comes to Blu-ray as a jam-packed two-disc special edition. The
only
extra on the first disc is a feature-length commentary track with Director J.J. Abrams and Actor
Tom
Cruise. The track is lively, engaging, and jovial, with the pair sometimes speaking over one
another,
sharing anecdotes from the set, telling jokes, discussing editing techniques, speaking of the
performances and
professionalism of the actors, and more. Disc two contains the entirety of the visually-based
supplements, beginning with The Making of the Mission (1080p, 28:42). This is a
moderately-interesting making-of piece that begins with a discussion about Abrams' involvement
and talent and moving on to looking at the making of various sequences, closely examining sets,
locations, stunts, and action sequences, highlighted by plenty of interviews with cast and crew
and
behind-the-scenes footage. Inside the IMF (480p, 21:15) focuses on the assemblage
and camaraderie of the talent
involved in the making of the film, highlighting the strengths that each brings to their respective
roles, with plenty of obligatory back-patting amongst the interviewees.
Mission Action: Inside the Action Unit (1080p, 25:39) is another piece that goes
behind-the-scenes, this one
focusing primarily on the work involved in making the most intense action sequences possible.
Visualizing the Mission (1080p, 10:40) is a piece that looks at the importance of
computerized pre-visualization sequences in developing the film's action sequences. Mission:
Metamorphosis (1080p, 8:09) takes a look at both the construction of the famed masks
from the Mission: Impossible franchise and their place in the series. Scoring the
Mission (1080p, 4:59) takes viewers into the world of writing the music for a major motion
picture.
Moviefone Unscripted: Tom Cruise / J.J. Abrams (480p, 8:03) features the duo answering
a series of questions from fans and from one another. Launching the Mission (480p,
14:04) looks at the film's premiere in five world locations -- Manhattan, Rome, Paris, London, and
Japan. Next up are a series of five deleted scenes (480p, 5:21), followed by Excellence in
Film (480p, 9:15), the Tom Cruise tribute piece found on all three Mission:
Impossible Blu-ray discs. Concluding this set of extras is a collection of four trailers (1080p,
5:23), six TV spots (480p, 3:14), and a photo gallery.
Mission: Impossible III is an exciting summer blockbuster that, under the wrong leadership, may have been a complete disaster. It's a perilous exercise to follow up on two films from the same franchise with such drastically differing tones, but Director J.J. Abrams takes the film in just the right direction, finding a sweet spot that showcases the best attributes of the first two films and combining them into a stylish, well-paced, smart, and explosive popcorn movie that is elevated further thanks to the mesmerizing performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the film's villain. M:I III doesn't quite top the original, but it comes close, and is a fine way to solidify the trio of films as one of the better trilogies in recent years. Paramount's Blu-ray release of this film is somewhat disappointing. It offers a solid MPEG-2 encoded 1080p transfer but only a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and considering the film's recent vintage and action-oriented nature, the lack of a lossless option is disheartening. Fortunately, the disc does offer a wide array of bonus material spread over two discs. While the absence of a superior audio track is a major oversight, the disc nevertheless earns a recommendation based on the quality of the visuals, the supplements, and most importantly, the film.
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Limited Edition
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