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Few people thought it would happen (and even fewer want it to) but it looks like Paramount has greenlit a fourth Mission: Impossible film with Tom Cruise.  Per Variety, Cruise and J.J. Abrams will be co-producing the sequel with a possible 2011 release date.  There’s no word on a director yet, but odds are Abrams will pass on the gig in favor of the follow-up to this summer’s blockbuster Star Trek reboot.

Opinions on the first three films vary but can be summed up as follows… blind love for Brian DePalma’s part one, intense hatred for John Woo’s part two, and general indifference to Abrams’ part three.  This saddens me because it reveals just how out of synch most movie-goers are.  In reality, the first Mission: Impossible movie sucked and the affection for it can only be chalked up to nostalgia or faulty memories.  Come on people, that helicopter in the tunnel sequence was ridiculous and poorly realized effects-wise.  M:I 2 is lambasted mercilessly, and while it could never be mistaken for being a smart movie it’s still an absolute orgy of action, stunts, and doves.  And finally M:I 3 is probably the best of the three thanks to an interesting villain, an emotional core, and some grounded directing from Abrams.

Are you interested or excited about a fourth M:I film?  Who should direct it?