'Mission Impossible III,' 'Hoot,' and 'An American Haunting'
10:17 a.m. Friday, May 5, 2006
Sure, I'm as sick of Tom Cruise as any other pop culture fan.
But within the first minute of "Mission: Impossible III," Cruise completely disappears into agent Ethan Hunt, who once again must endure perilous obstacles on his way to saving the world.
A major improvement over the enjoyable but somewhat forgettable first two films, "Mission: Impossible III" features one of the most attention-getting opening scenes of any recent action movie. And it never lets up after that.
"Alias" and "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams takes over the series, crafting a scenario in which Hunt is no longer a field agent and is more concerned with his impending marriage to a bride who doesn't know anything about his real day job. The hero is compelled to become more proactive, however, when he runs afoul of a sadistic arms dealer (played by recent Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman).
If "Mission: Impossible III" is any indication, this summer movie season should be a big step up from last year.
Also opening in theaters this week is "Hoot," the adaptation of Carl Hiaasen's book for young readers. Logan Lerman plays a 14-year-old newcomer to a small Florida town who takes up a fight against evil developers attempting to open a pancake restaurant on land populated by endangered owls.
And finally, "An American Haunting" tells the story of the infamous Bell Witch, which is known to ghost hunters as the only case in American history in which a poltergeist caused an individual's death. Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland star as the heads of the supernaturally tormented family.
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