Mission: Impossible III

Just when you start to think that maybe this franchise is dead, along comes another one. The first film adaptation of the popular 60s television series (which was essentially the sister show to Star Trek) was released in 1996, with the next being four years later in 2000, and now the third installment appears six years later. It's odd to think that the first movie came out over a decade ago, and while Tom has obviously grown older, he has managed to keep a fairly youthful appearance (the man is in his mid-forties after all), and he at least doesn't look too different in this film. If we're lucky, the gap between this film and the next may be so large that we won't have to deal with the Ethan Hunt character again and finally get the ensemble-oriented Mission: Impossible film that honors the concept of the original.

It's not that the third film is bad, though it is hampered by a few caveats that have it mimicking the actions of the last two films (a staple of really bad sequels, though this falls more into the "average" category). M:i:III has a wonderful first half that is almost completely overshadowed by a rushed, simplistic, and corny third act. For his first big budget summer blockbuster film, J.J. Abrams shows his confidence as the director of this monster, but its still apparent that he and his team haven't quite made the transition from hour-long TV fare to the big-screen theatrical environment. There is a lot of similarities between this film and Alias/24. Occasionally, these similarities help (especially after the really lackluster second film), but more often then not, I found myself shaking my head at moments I had already witnessed on TV.

I could really pull a full review out of my experience with the film, but that will have to be for another time and another place. Not surprisingly, Abrams staple composer, Michael Giacchino, was hired for the score and I was really excited about the possibilities. Having been appreciative of his talents since Medal of Honor, I figured that if anyone could deliver a truly exciting Mission: Impossible score, it would be him. While there are moments that are as inspiring as I had hoped, this turns overall into the blandest score I've heard from him to date.

Each of the three composers for the series have made it a point to leave their marks based on their interpretation of Lalo Schifrin's original theme for the series. Elfman's was the first to really hit it hard with a full orchestra, and it remained the premiere version of the theme even through the second film (with Hans Zimmer's blazing guitar rendition that suited the film but was an too heavy in its turn of direction nonetheless). Giacchino thankfully returns the theme more to what it was originally intended, but he still pumps it up. Overall, I'd say that Elfman still edges out in the enjoyment factor, but Giacchino's rendition places him in a very close second place.

With the opening few minutes, the listening is thoroughly drenched in Lalo Schifrin moments, starting with the performance of the main theme and then a nice take on "The Plot". It is a really nice way to establish the homage to the source material, but it can be a little disconcerting as Schifrin was writing for as series that resorted to brain more than brawn, and the "Factory Rescue" is an exercise in explosions and gunplay. The score is handled appropriately for those visuals, but the immediate impression is that the action sequences are not as well thought out here as they have been in Giacchino's other scores. Comparisons to his work on Alias are to be expected, and it's disheartening that M:i:III comes up lacking. With very little effort to establish much in the way of additional thematic material, it feels like Giacchino essentially painted himself into a corner. I can understand the desire not to rely on the main theme too often as it is already firmly grounded in the audiences' consciousness. Anything more than what is done already with this score would be overkill. However, part of what has made his music work so well over the years is a nice palette of material that he utilizes to keep things fresh and an inventive use of thematic ideas that carry sections of cues.

As an example, his most memorable action cue for me was "Helluvacopter Chase". It's a simple ostinato that has the driving force of strings and percussion behind it. It's built up and then played with, returned to its basic properties and then embellished again. This idea works well for the moment, but is sadly overused throughout the rest of the score( though Philip Seymour Hoffman's character is represented musically by the same concept and is effective as well). The problem seems to stem from the fact that the sequences are taken on their own and not as part of a whole. This gives way to "mikey-mousing" the intense action scenes in a way that just makes it a drain to listen to isolated on CD.

The moments that work the best do so in a big way. Giacchino's scoring of the kidnapping sequence in the Vatican (showcased in tracks 7-11) deftly shows off his ability to really nail the essence of what the material should be. In fact, a purchase of this album will likely hinge in part on what you think of that particular section of the score. As this sequence is the highlight of the film itself, perhaps through it all the inspiration was really dependent on what was being seen on the dailies. The final track is also great, starting off with a "sneaky" interlude, and then a segue into a powerful percussion hit that signals the appearance of the Mission: Impossible theme (which is handled solely on percussion for a few moments...a nice touch). It's pleasing that the album ends on such a high note, and is especially welcome in that the album makes no references to the god-awful Keyne West song that trashed the end credits.

For all its flaws, this album sill comes recommended to those who have enjoyed the Mission: Impossible film scores. Giacchino fans really need no excuse as his music is still enjoyable even when he's faltering. Just remember that as high as this album can reach at times, it still has its fair share of lows.

Reviewed on May 16, 2006