"MISSION: Impossible III" is more than the latest version of the small-screen espionage drama that has been a pop culture icon since its premiere in the 1960s.
It's also a big-screen version of "Alias," with Tom Cruise taking on the Jennifer Garner role.
"M:i:III" director J.J. Abrams has acknowledged that "Alias," his ABC series about a graduate student living a double life as a secret agent, was inspired in part by the "Mission: Impossible" TV show. And he said "Alias" in turn served as a valuable training ground for him to take on the big-screen adventure, which took in a disappointing $48 million in the U.S. and Canada its opening weekend, less than Paramount Pictures had hoped for.
Given Abrams' fondness for the original, perhaps it's no surprise that "M:i:III" appears to be more of a homage to the first few seasons of "Alias" than to the original "Mission: Impossible."
Consider these similarities. And please don't tell Ben Affleck.
The "Let's Skip the Intros and Just Cut to the Mayhem" Moment
\o7"Alias": \f7The first scenes of the pilot find spy Sydney Bristow (Garner) bloodied and bound to a chair in a dark, ominous room, where she is menaced by a mysterious villain. How she got into this pickle is related in flashbacks later in the episode.
\o7"M:i:III": \f7The first scene of the film finds spy Ethan Hunt (Cruise) bloodied and bound to a chair in a dark, ominous room, where he is menaced by a mysterious villain. How he got into this pickle is related in flashbacks later in the film.
The "Spies Like Excellent Health Benefits" Moment
\o7"Alias": \f7Sydney's fiance is a doctor who has no idea she is a spy.
\o7"M:i:III": \f7Ethan's fiancee is a nurse who has no idea he is a spy.
The "Spies Have Boring Cover Stories" Moment
\o7"Alias": \f7Sydney tells her friends she works for a bank.
\o7"M:i:III": \f7Ethan tells friends he works for the traffic department.
The "Spies Should Get Caller ID" Moment
\o7"Alias" \f7: Sydney gets a call at home from "Joey's Pizza," which is spy agency code for "Your Country Needs You to Get to Work."
\o7"M:i:III": \f7Ethan gets a call at home from "Ready Travel Resort Services," which is spy agency code for "Your Country Needs You to Get to Work."
The "OK, What Is My Mission and No, I Don't Want a Big Gulp" Moment
