Mission: Impossible III (abbreviated as M:i:III) is a 2006 American action spy film directed by J. J. Abrams in his directorial debut and produced by, and starring, Tom Cruise, from a screenplay by Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It is the sequel to Mission: Impossible (1996) and Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) and the third installment in the Mission: Impossible film series. It also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Crudup, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q and Laurence Fishburne. In Mission: Impossible III, retired Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agent and trainer Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is forced to return to active duty to capture elusive arms dealer Owen Davian (Hoffman).
Development for a third Mission: Impossible film began in 2002, with David Fincher slated to direct; he and his eventual replacement Joe Carnahan both departed by 2004, both citing creative differences. Abrams was hired months later at the behest of Cruise, who was a fan of Abrams' Alias (2001–2006), but this further delayed production on the film due to Abrams' contractual obligations for Alias and Lost (2004–2010), and caused prospective cast additions Kenneth Branagh, Carrie-Anne Moss and Scarlett Johansson to depart the film. Principal photography began in July 2005 and lasted until that October, with filming locations including Shanghai, Berlin, Rome, Los Angeles and the Vatican City.
Mission: Impossible III premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2006, and was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on May 5, 2006. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its pace and stunts, and was considered an improvement over its predecessors. The film grossed $398 million worldwide, becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2006. The sequel, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, was released in 2011.
Plot
Ethan Hunt has retired from IMF fieldwork. He trains recruits and has settled down with his fiancée, nurse Julia Meade, who is unaware of his real job. He is approached by IMF Director of Operations John Musgrave about a special mission to rescue one of his protégés, Lindsey Farris, who was captured while investigating arms dealer Owen Davian. Musgrave has already prepared a team for Ethan: Declan Gormley, Zhen Lei and old partner Luther Stickell. The team rescues Lindsey in Berlin and collects two damaged laptops. As they flee, Ethan discovers an explosive pellet implanted in Lindsey's head. Before he can disable it with a defibrillator, it detonates and kills her.
IMF Director Theodore Brassel reprimands Ethan and Musgrave. Ethan learns that Lindsey mailed him a postcard before her capture and discovers a magnetic microdot under the stamp. IMF technician Benji Dunn recovers enough data from the laptops to determine Davian will be in Vatican City to obtain a mysterious biological hazard codenamed the "Rabbit's Foot." Ethan plans an unofficial mission to capture Davian. Before leaving, he and Julia have an impromptu wedding at her hospital's chapel. The team successfully infiltrates the Vatican and captures Davian. On the return flight to the U.S., Davian is unfazed by Ethan's interrogation and responds by promising to kill everyone he cares about.
After landing, Ethan learns that Lindsey's microdot contains a warning about Brassel and Davian. The convoy taking them across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel is ambushed by mercenaries who extract Davian. Realizing Julia is in danger, Ethan races to Julia's hospital to discover she has already been kidnapped. Davian calls Ethan and gives him 48 hours to deliver the Rabbit's Foot in exchange for Julia's life. Before he can move, Ethan is apprehended by the IMF and questioned about the loss of Davian. While in the room as part of Ethan's interrogation, Musgrave discreetly mouths that the Rabbit's Foot is located in Shanghai and assists Ethan in escaping. Ethan travels to Shanghai and meets his team, which Musgrave sent there under the guise of another operation. Ethan obtains the Rabbit's Foot and delivers it to Davian, who tranquilizes him and implants a micro-explosive similar to the one that killed Lindsey in his head.
Waking up, Ethan sees Davian holding a gagged Julia at gunpoint. Davian tells Ethan that he's going to count to ten and shoot Julia if he doesn't tell him where the Rabbit's Foot is. Despite Ethan asserting that he brought the real Rabbit's Foot, Davian ignores him and continues to count, causing Ethan to snap at him. However, Davian once again ignores him and accuses Ethan of thinking that he's playing. Davian shoots Julia and leaves. Musgrave arrives and reveals himself as the actual IMF traitor. Julia is still alive, and the dead woman is actually Davian's translator, used to confirm the authenticity of the Rabbit's Foot. Musgrave was working with Davian to obtain the Rabbit's Foot so that the IMF would have cause to launch a preemptive strike against the terrorists Davian works for. Ethan knocks Musgrave unconscious, frees himself, and uses Musgrave's phone to obtain Julia's location.
With Benji's help, Ethan locates Julia but encounters Davian, who arms the explosive in Ethan's head. Ethan fights and kills Davian before freeing Julia. He jury-rigs an impromptu defibrillator to deactivate the explosive, asking Julia to bring him back and teaching her how to shoot a gun. Julia kills a henchman, then Musgrave, who is carrying the Rabbit's Foot, before resuscitating Ethan.
Ethan finally explains his IMF career to her. Back in the US, Brassel and others congratulate Ethan as he leaves for his honeymoon with Julia.