Mission Impossible III: Not So Glib After All

On Saturday I went and saw M:I:III. I wasn't so optimistic about it; to be frank, I thought it would suck. A lot. But I was quite pleasantly surprised by it, I must say. It was awesome! Great cast, cool plot, tons of action. Phillip Seymour Hoffman played the bad guy, and I love him. Other supporting players included Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (Matchpoint), Felicity--I mean Keri Russell, Laurence Fishburne, and Billy Crudup (Big Fish).

It was a job well done by Tom Cruise, too, and perhaps that's what shocked me the most. He's been such a moron in the press lately, I doubted I could watch him for two hours without some serious eye-rolling. But I didn't. At first I thought maybe it was because I was afraid of the Scientology police, but I've concluded that I just like Tom Cruise as an actor. It's a fondness that goes way back, starting with Jerry Maguire and intensifying around the Vanilla Sky/Last Samurai era. A relationship like that should not just be left behind just because Tom's sanity has been. The guy may have jumped the couch, but he's still got the skills. He's not on the phenomenal plain of acting that some are, but I've never been disappointed when I've seen him in a movie. He delivers.

SO I've come to a conclusion, and here it is: Tom Cruise is a maniac in his everyday life, it's true. But he is awesome in movies. It cannot be denied, and I think it's a lesson we should all take to heart.

I have a few examples to get everyone started, so let's review:

Cool

Dorky

Awesome

Psychotic

Lovely

Sickening

Any questions?