Tom Cruise's Underrated Stunt: Mission Impossible III Leap
Tom Cruise's underrated stunt in Mission Impossible III, performed 19 years ago, remains one of the franchise's most daring and transformative moments, often overshadowed by later, more visually spectacular feats. From scaling skyscrapers to jumping off cliffs, Cruise's dedication to performing his own stunts has become a hallmark of the series, but this particular stunt deserves more recognition for its impact on the franchise's trajectory.
Mission: Impossible III marked a turning point for the franchise, especially after the mixed reception of the second film. The film features what many consider Tom Cruise's most underrated stunt: Ethan Hunt's daring leap from a Shanghai skyscraper. Facing limited options, Hunt is compelled to infiltrate a building via the roof to secure the Rabbit's Foot, a dangerous weapon. This requires him to fling himself from the top of an 80-foot-high building, a stunt that deserves recognition among the series' best.
The Shanghai Leap: A Groundbreaking Underrated Stunt
The Shanghai leap in Mission: Impossible III was indeed a groundbreaking underrated stunt that set a new precedent for Cruise and the franchise. While minimal visual effects (VFX) are used in Cruise's stunts today, this wasn't always the case. The Shanghai leap utilized CGI innovatively to enhance the thrill, depicting Hunt swinging from a cable and landing hard on the skyscraper before sliding down and clinging to a rod to stop his fall.
The stunt was filmed in a hangar for safety, with Cruise performing a 65-foot drop and ending up hanging with his face inches from the ground. Despite the controlled environment, the scene feels real because director J.J. Abrams used close-up shots of Cruise's face to capture both the danger and Hunt's fear before the jump. This contrasts with the mountain climbing scene in Mission: Impossible II, which, while impressive, had a sense of playfulness that the Shanghai jump lacked.
Mission: Impossible III's Shanghai jump is an underrated stunt because it highlights the real danger Ethan Hunt faces, with the potential for death if anything goes wrong. It also initiated the trend of Cruise flinging himself from impossible heights, a characteristic of later films. Furthermore, filming the Shanghai jump in a hangar motivated Cruise to film on-location, leading to the iconic Burj Khalifa scene in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. This shows the lasting impact of this seemingly simple, yet extremely dangerous, underrated stunt.
How Mission: Impossible III Transformed the Franchise
Rewatching the Mission: Impossible franchise reveals that Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in Mission: Impossible III remains the series' best villain. He's not only ruthless and willing to involve himself in Ethan Hunt's personal life, but he's also incredibly sadistic, inflicting pain and suffering on anyone in his way. While danger is a constant for Ethan Hunt, the stakes in Mission: Impossible III felt higher than ever before.
The tone of seriousness and the more humanized portrayal of Ethan Hunt, who nearly dies and loses his wife, has continued throughout the franchise. While humor exists in every movie, they all capture the ruthlessness of Hunt's world, a quality also present in the original 1996 film. Mission: Impossible III also changed Hunt's characterization by showing his willingness to go to extreme lengths for those he loves while still prioritizing the morally correct choice.
In conclusion, while Tom Cruise is known for his death-defying stunts, the Shanghai leap in Mission: Impossible III stands out as an underrated stunt that significantly impacted the franchise's direction. It not only showcased Cruise's commitment to realism but also set the stage for future iconic stunts and contributed to the series' darker, more human tone, solidifying its place in action movie history.