This Was Mission Impossible's Most Terrifying Villain

Do you have a wife, girlfriend? It's up to you how this goes. Because you know what I'm going to do next? I'm going to find her. Whoever she is, I'm going to find her and I'm going to hurt her. Mission Impossible as a franchise isn't necessarily known for its rogues gallery. Our minds usually wander to the film's larger-than-life stunts and the meticulously crafted set pieces. You could make the argument they exist more for their breakneck pace than memorable character work. But in the case of one entry, the franchise gifted one of our generation's greatest actors a remarkably iconic villain. I'm going to make her bleed and cry and call out your name. And then I'm going to kill you right in front of her. Before its release in 2006, Mission Impossible 3 went through several directors before actor and producer Tom Cruise reached out to J.J. Abrams to direct. Having just finished watching the first two seasons of Abrams' television series, Alias, Cruise believed the creator was capable of taking the reins for the third installment of the Mission Impossible franchise. And it's not hard to see why. Abrams is famous for a storytelling method he calls the mystery box. During a TED Talk, Abrams described buying a large box with a question mark for $15 that held the promise of $15 worth of magic tricks. It wasn't the tricks themselves that intrigued Abrams as much as the promise the box held. I started thinking, why haven't I opened it? And I realized that I haven't opened it because it represents infinite possibility. Inside the enclosure was the idea that anything that could fit in its area was possible. The box was less a tangible possession and more a representation of hope that begged participation from its owner. I realized that mystery is the catalyst for imagination. After Abrams signed on, production was put on hold to honor his commitments to both Alias and Lost. During that last year's wait, some actors departed from the script being rewritten by Abrams and recast before it was greenlit. Part of that casting was adding actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. At this point in his career, Hoffman was already considered one of the most desirable actors in Hollywood. Known for his nuanced character work, Hoffman had the ability to imbue every role he took with humanity and depth. In Hoffman's deft hands, there were no one-note performances or caricatures, which is exactly what the script for Mission Impossible 3 needed. While Abrams would later become known for engaging the audience through questions and mystery, the plot here is relatively straightforward. Tomorrow may be the only time we can predict where Owen Davian is going to be. Arms dealer Owen Davian, played by Hoffman, searches for a biological weapon called the rabbit's foot and forces Ethan Hunt into helping him by threat and manipulation. Despite the inevitable and almost signature for the franchise betrayal, the movie is fairly bare-bones. Luckily for all of us, Hoffman enlivens the character of Davian with pathos and intimidation. You saw what I did to your little blonde friend at the factory, right? Well, that was nothing. That was fun. For most of Cruise's career, his heroes are almost like puppies, eager to please and run at a moment's notice, and Hunt may be the most concentrated form of that idea. Every obstacle is something to be conquered by will and aptitude. To really balance out that excitable energy, you need a character like Davian. Throughout every encounter with Hunt, Davian comes across as more bothered than challenged. This contrast of not just ideas of good and evil, but ideals toward life is one of Mission Impossible 3's greatest strengths. What I'm selling and who I'm selling to is the last thing you should be concerned about. In the first film, the main antagonist was Jim Phelps, played by John Voight. A legacy character from the original series, the main idea was Phelps had betrayed his decades of service to reveal himself as the true villain. As the mission statement of the relaunched franchise, it's a solid declaration, one that says the old norms may be recognized, but not necessarily adhered to. As an opposing force to Hunt, it's all a little too familiar. After the shocking reveal, there just isn't too much new water to tread. And while Voight is an incredible actor, something about his energy in opposition to Cruise lacks tension. In all fairness, Claire was never convinced her charms would work on him. But I was supremely confident, having tasted the goods. If anything, we feel more for Cruise's Hunt, a soldier whose mentor and father figure betrayed him. Contrast that to Davian. The two have no relationship until Hunt crosses the arms dealer. Davian's opening line to Hunt after being captured are, Who are you and who's the buyer? You don't have any idea what the hell's going on, do you? Hoffman reads the question as annoyed and inconvenienced, while every line from Voight felt like a justification of his actions. You're an obsolete piece of hardware not worth upgrading. You've got a lousy marriage and 62 grand a year. Davian has no interest in anything other than being one step further from his goal in obtaining the rabbit's foot. That doggedness in obtaining a biological weapon was not necessarily new. In John Woo's Mission Impossible 2, our main villain is a former IMF agent named Sean Patrick Ambrose, played by Dougree Scott. He is dead set on releasing a virus called chimera, then selling the cure. This being a John Woo movie, the film is far more concerned in painting gorgeously orchestrated action than memorable performances. Scott's performance here does just fine as the villain, but isn't given much more to do other than be a brush in Woo's painting. Hoffman, though, was given the same skeletal character, but turned it into a truly vicious performance. While Davian is trying to find the location of the rabbit's foot, he holds Hunt's wife, or a woman we presume to be so, captive, and escalates in anger as he counts to 10. I'm gonna count to 10. You're gonna tell me where the rabbit's foot is or she dies. His intimidation is by presence alone. His character feels more like a villain from the famous New Hollywood movement of the 70s than the antagonist of Tom Cruise in a summer blockbuster. It's only when we see the depths of his anger that we recognized how truly villainous he really is. Please. 10. The thing that might separate him most from other villains in the franchise is his complete lack of betrayal. We spoke earlier about the relationship between Ethan and Phelps, but that sense of a good soldier, or in the case of Kurt Hendricks in Ghost Protocol, a scientist, gone wrong, runs throughout the films, used again in Fallout with the character of August Walker. The simple idea is that being faithful or loyal is a rarity in the Mission Impossible universe. If all of these characters are continuously betraying the fictional IMF or very real CIA, then the fact that Hunt remains loyal must mean he is a heroic character. Even if it means going against orders, we're told again and again that he is correct in doing so. That same determination could be applied to Davian as well. There is no faltering in his wants. He has simply set his mind upon a goal and remains steadfast in accomplishing his wants, no matter what the costs or obstacles. And this is an idea that Hoffman revels in. While not given much in terms of screen time, the renowned actor makes every line count. You don't think I'll listen? Look at me. Stay with me. Stop it! I'm going to kill you. I swear to God, I'm going to... Hey! Having already starred in over 25 movies, including classics like The Big Lebowski and Magnolia, Hoffman had perfected the idea of playing off of other actors. It's only natural his aptitude for personally connecting with castmates would translate to the audience. Hoffman seemed to find no greater joy than adding countless details to even the smallest of roles so that they felt completely human to us. Her life is in your a**. Her life is in your hands, dude. And report back to us as soon as it's done. Without Hoffman, the character of Owen Davian would have come across as flat and one-dimensional. We want more dimension from our villains. Luckily for all of us, Philip Seymour Hoffman was a mystery box, someone whose mere presence made us question what would happen next. He filled us with intrigue. And as fans, we are all so fortunate it was always more than $15 worth of cheap magic tricks. So what do you think? What villain jumps out from some of your favorite franchises? Let us know down in the comments below. And as always, thank you for watching Nerdstalgic.