Mission: Impossible III

What’s it about?

After IMF agent Ethan Hunt comes face to face with a sadistic arms dealer, he finds his and his fiancé’s lives threatened by the madman.

The facts 

• Directed by J.J. Abrams (Lost TV series, Alias TV series)
• Starring Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhame, Michelle Monaghan
• English, Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese, German, and Czech languages
• Runtime: 126 minutes

Why did it get this rating? 

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

All Mission: Impossible films carry an M rating, but the content can vary, and tends to get stronger as the franchise goes on – our breakdown below is here to help parents and whānau decide what’s suitable for their tamariki or rangatahi.

Violence 

This film contains constant action sequences depicting frequent fighting violence and large-scale destruction where many people are shot, injured, and killed. The constant risk of certain characters being killed may unsettle or frighten some younger viewers.

Mission: Impossible III contains stronger violence than its predecessors.

Some of the strongest moments of violence include:

• Perhaps the most shocking scene involves a woman who is killed by a detonation within her skull. Though no explosion is seen, we see her eye pupils suddenly shoot outwards in opposite directions, lifelessly, as the inside of her head explodes. The device that caused the explosion is later pulled out of her during a surgery which is also disturbing.
• A man beats up a group of men in an elevator.
• Two characters fight, before one is hit by a vehicle.
• One character has a large adrenaline needle stabbed in them, and another is electrocuted with a taser dart.
• Victims are tortured: we see them tied to chairs with visible signs of stress

Sex scenes

A couple have sex in a supply room after a quick hospital chapel wedding. We see them remove shirts and then the camera cuts away. 

There’s brief nudity when we see a girl in the shower from head and shoulders up.

Coarse language

This film contains some coarse language, with words like “a*s,” “sh*t,” and “b*tch.”

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters
• What the M?! (Blog)