Mission: Impossible III

Mission: Impossible III (abbreviated as M:i:III) is a 2006 American action spy film directed by J. J. Abrams (in his feature film directorial debut), and produced by and starring Tom Cruise, from a screenplay by Abrams and the writing team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It is a standalone 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, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, 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's Alias (2001–2006), but this further delayed production on the film due to Abrams's 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 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 over $398 million worldwide, becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2006, but became the lowest-grossing film in the franchise. The sequel, Ghost Protocol, was released in 2011. The film's storylines are continued by future sequels Fallout (2018) and The Final Reckoning (2025).

Secret agent Ethan Hunt is retired from fieldwork and has settled down with his fiancée, nurse Julia Meade, who is unaware of his career. Impossible Mission Force (IMF) Director of Operations John Musgrave approaches him 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, which kills her before he can disable it with a defibrillator. Afterward, IMF director Theodore Brassel berates Ethan for the haphazardly conceived and executed mission.

Ethan later 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 and sell a mysterious item codenamed the "Rabbit's Foot". Ethan visits Julia at her workplace, and they impulsively get married. Ethan plans an unofficial mission to capture Davian. The team successfully infiltrates the Vatican and captures Davian. Ethan attempts to interrogate him, but Davian is unfazed and promises to kill everyone Ethan cares about.

As an armored convoy takes Davian across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Ethan learns that Lindsey's microdot is a warning that Brassel may be a mole working for Davian. The convoy is ambushed by mercenaries who extract Davian. Realizing Julia is in danger, Ethan races to her 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 taking part in Ethan's interrogation, Musgrave surreptitiously helps him escape and directs him to find the Rabbit's Foot in Shanghai. Ethan travels to Shanghai and meets his team, which Musgrave sent there under the guise of another operation. They plan and execute a dangerous plan to steal the Rabbit's Foot (a canister apparently containing an unidentified bioweapon) from a well-guarded skyscraper. Ethan delivers the canister to Davian, who drugs 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, and Davian gives him to the count of ten to tell him where Ethan put the Rabbit's Foot. Ethan pleads for her life and assures Davian that he brought the real Rabbit's Foot, but Davian shoots Julia in the head and leaves. Musgrave arrives and shows Ethan that the woman Davian shot was actually Davian's former translator, wearing a mask of Julia's face. He explains that, as the real IMF mole, he wants to help Davian sell the Rabbit's Foot to Middle Eastern terrorists to provide an excuse for US military intervention. To this end, he betrayed Lindsey and framed Brassel. Ethan overpowers Musgrave, frees himself, and takes Musgrave's cell phone.

Calling Benji for help, Ethan locates Julia but encounters Davian, who activates the explosive in Ethan's head. Disabled and with four minutes to live, Ethan fights and kills Davian, frees Julia, and teaches her how to fire his gun. He jury-rigs an electrical cord to electrocute himself, deactivating the explosive but stopping his heart. Julia shoots and kills Musgrave and one of his henchmen, then resuscitates Ethan with CPR. Ethan finally explains his IMF career to her.