LoginAnd as much as I did like the original 1996 movie, despite some convolutions in the story, I found this sequel even better and better than the better-than-reputation-but-flawed sequels. Perhaps it is little too long, but there are so many impressive things about it. The plot may have a sense of familiarity about it, but what Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocool does is make the film as inventive and as relentless as possible knowing this.
The visual spectacle is faultless I have to say. The gadgets are suitably outlandish, anyone here love the retina-based video-screen, the film is shot and edited in a stylish fashions, the stunts such as Cruise dangling off the Burj Khalifa tower are amazing and the special effects dazzling. Brad Bird(director also of the wonderful Iron Giant and the excellent Pixar films Ratatouille and The Incredibles) does a very capable job directing, making everything as gripping as possible.
I very much liked the music too which helps to enhance the action and what not. The dialogue is tension-filled and the humour doesn't jar too much, the film is much better paced than the third film(which I found rather sluggish at times) with some scenes going at an exhilarating rate and the characters while not the most compelling ever are much less cardboard than the previous two outings in my opinion. The story as I've said may be familiar, but again much is done to make us not think too much of this, and if there was one thing that it improved over the original it was that it was less convoluted.
The acting was fine, with Tom Cruise giving perhaps his most comfortable performance of the series, Jeremy Renner is a great new addition and Simon Pegg gives some well-timed comic relief. The villain was good as well and solidly played by Michael Nyqvist, if not as well-written or as well-performed as Owen Davian superbly played by Phillip Seymour Hoffmann.
All in all, I loved it and consider it the best sequel since the original film and even surpasses it. 9/10 Bethany Cox
The best sequel since the original...
Posted : 1 year, 11 months ago on 5 June 2022 03:46
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Review of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Posted : 9 years, 10 months ago on 8 July 2014 11:58
Let's address the elephant in the room, shall we? Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is Brad Bird's weakest film to date by a very wide margin. However, considering Bird's impressive body of work (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille), this is more inevitable than disappointing. And considering this is Bird's first foray into live action, Mission Impossible 4 is all the more impressive. It's leagues ahead of the first two installments, and it barely edges out J.J. Abram's Mission Impossible 3, thus making Ghost Protocol (arguably) the strongest of the four currently existing Mission Impossible films.
After breaking Ethan Hunt out of jail, the makeshift spy team consisting of just four individuals, must stop a mad man from receiving the launch codes to nuclear Russian missiles that threaten the lives of millions. And that is my one sentence synopsis.
While Brad Bird loses a bit of his distinct visual style in the move from animation to live-action, one can still see Bird's fingerprints all over the film. Mission Impossible 4 might just be the most stylish of the four Mission Impossible films. Bird even gets a chance to embrace his animation roots in a snazzy titles sequence, and surprisingly, two "A113" references (I only spotted one during my viewing).
As is generally the case in the Mission Impossible universe, the highlights of the film belong exclusively to the action sequences. And in the case of Ghost Protocol, they have never been better. The opening sequence is absolutely marvelous, and while one could argue that the film never does reach the grand heights of the first 5 minutes, it comes tantalizingly close. The suspense is played up in a charmingly old-fashioned way. Everything that CAN go wrong during the team's missions, WILL go wrong. This results in several "edge-of-your-seat" moments that makes you feel like a little child (I mean that in the best way possible).
Conversely, there does seem to be a bit of action-overload, and the film gets a bit exhausting by the end. The 132 minute run time is extreme, and honestly, at least 15 or 20 minutes could have been shaved off to make for a tighter picture. Certainly some of the "talky" scenes could have been snipped away. Several of these are reasonably funny thanks to likable characters, but just as many of them consist of needless exposition. The last five minutes in particular, suffer from this (as well as a completely unnecessary, and uninteresting twist).
The cast is in fine form. Tom Cruise still sells the role of Ethan Hunt, even though he is given far less to chew on than any of his previous performances as this character. He has no emotional arc this time around, but the character itself is likable enough to make amends for such. Simon Pegg is the primary stand-out, getting the funniest lines and most comedic opportunities. Franchise newcomer Jeremy Renner is solid in a supporting role, and while Paula Patton is fine as Jane Carter, the character itself doesn't have any kind of personality. This is something of a disappointment considering Bird's impressive line-up for strong female characters (Helen Parr from The Incredibles, Collette from Ratatouille, etc.).
But perhaps the most disappointing part of this movie, is the lack of a central villain. While we're teased with a promising antagonist early on, we are instead given an identity-less Russian man, who seems horribly tacked on, and is given no memorable scenes, dialogue, or traits. Ghost Protocol's predecessor, Mission Impossible 3 was significantly better in the villain department, and even the first two films had villains that were nasty enough to suffice.
Michael Giacchino's score is noticeably weaker than his work in Mission Impossible 3, but he still does a notable job of expanding and playing with Lalo Schifrin's iconic theme. The opening titles are great, and Giacchino gets to use some very prominent choir early on - a rarity from the composer.
Despite it's problems, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a lot of fun, and remains the best film in the series so far. The suspenseful action scenes, witty dialogue, and stylish direction add up to a picture that's both smart and entertaining. It's a long ways off from The Incredibles, but Brad Bird has still managed to produce a satisfying action film that doesn't dumb things down - and that alone is worth celebrating.
After breaking Ethan Hunt out of jail, the makeshift spy team consisting of just four individuals, must stop a mad man from receiving the launch codes to nuclear Russian missiles that threaten the lives of millions. And that is my one sentence synopsis.
While Brad Bird loses a bit of his distinct visual style in the move from animation to live-action, one can still see Bird's fingerprints all over the film. Mission Impossible 4 might just be the most stylish of the four Mission Impossible films. Bird even gets a chance to embrace his animation roots in a snazzy titles sequence, and surprisingly, two "A113" references (I only spotted one during my viewing).
As is generally the case in the Mission Impossible universe, the highlights of the film belong exclusively to the action sequences. And in the case of Ghost Protocol, they have never been better. The opening sequence is absolutely marvelous, and while one could argue that the film never does reach the grand heights of the first 5 minutes, it comes tantalizingly close. The suspense is played up in a charmingly old-fashioned way. Everything that CAN go wrong during the team's missions, WILL go wrong. This results in several "edge-of-your-seat" moments that makes you feel like a little child (I mean that in the best way possible).
Conversely, there does seem to be a bit of action-overload, and the film gets a bit exhausting by the end. The 132 minute run time is extreme, and honestly, at least 15 or 20 minutes could have been shaved off to make for a tighter picture. Certainly some of the "talky" scenes could have been snipped away. Several of these are reasonably funny thanks to likable characters, but just as many of them consist of needless exposition. The last five minutes in particular, suffer from this (as well as a completely unnecessary, and uninteresting twist).
The cast is in fine form. Tom Cruise still sells the role of Ethan Hunt, even though he is given far less to chew on than any of his previous performances as this character. He has no emotional arc this time around, but the character itself is likable enough to make amends for such. Simon Pegg is the primary stand-out, getting the funniest lines and most comedic opportunities. Franchise newcomer Jeremy Renner is solid in a supporting role, and while Paula Patton is fine as Jane Carter, the character itself doesn't have any kind of personality. This is something of a disappointment considering Bird's impressive line-up for strong female characters (Helen Parr from The Incredibles, Collette from Ratatouille, etc.).
But perhaps the most disappointing part of this movie, is the lack of a central villain. While we're teased with a promising antagonist early on, we are instead given an identity-less Russian man, who seems horribly tacked on, and is given no memorable scenes, dialogue, or traits. Ghost Protocol's predecessor, Mission Impossible 3 was significantly better in the villain department, and even the first two films had villains that were nasty enough to suffice.
Michael Giacchino's score is noticeably weaker than his work in Mission Impossible 3, but he still does a notable job of expanding and playing with Lalo Schifrin's iconic theme. The opening titles are great, and Giacchino gets to use some very prominent choir early on - a rarity from the composer.
Despite it's problems, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a lot of fun, and remains the best film in the series so far. The suspenseful action scenes, witty dialogue, and stylish direction add up to a picture that's both smart and entertaining. It's a long ways off from The Incredibles, but Brad Bird has still managed to produce a satisfying action film that doesn't dumb things down - and that alone is worth celebrating.
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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol review
Posted : 11 years, 4 months ago on 8 January 2013 10:38
It was actually as good as the others if not better, packed full of action and a decent storyline, as well as great casting made it definitely a film I could rewatch later. Also the comic relief provided by Simon Pegg's character was actually pretty funny at times, which is good so we didn't have to rely on Tom Cruise's cheesy lines.
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A good movie
Posted : 11 years, 5 months ago on 14 December 2012 12:01
I already saw this movie but since it was a while back and since I have it on DVD, I was quite eager to check it out again. Well, after 3 entertaining but still rather disappointing installments, they eventually got it right. Donāt get me wrong, I thought that those movies were not bad but there was always something missing. The first one was just way too convoluted story wise with too many twists, the second one was this time way too simple with a terribly dumbed down and generic plot and the third one focused too much on Ethan Huntās private life. However, with this last installment, they finally managed to find the right tone. Indeed, once again, the action scenes were quite breathtaking but there were also plenty of humor in between so there was this time a great balance. Of course, the plot was once again really convoluted but there was so many fun stuff happening every 5 minutes, you just forgot about it and enjoyed the show. It was also a masterstroke to give Simon Pegg some more screen time as he was quite hilarious. Still, I have to say I was a little bit disappointed by Jeremy Rennerās character. Right now, Renners seems to get involved in as many franchises as possible (āMIā, āThe Avengersā, āThe Bourne Legacyā,ā¦) and he should watch out that we donāt get tired to see his face but he is a pretty good actor so Iāll give him the benefit of the doubt. Eventually, I thought his characterās background was pretty lame after all. I mean, in the trailer, you felt that there was something mysterious about this guy but, eventually, it was rather poorly developed. Still, it was a very fun flick which was really entertaining from the beginning until the end. Anyway, to conclude, it is definitely the best movie coming from this franchise, it is a very solid action flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Mission Accomplished...
Posted : 11 years, 7 months ago on 10 October 2012 01:49
After hovering over Europe, Australia and part of China and Russia with the first 3 ones the 4th instalment of MI moves to the eastern part of the world and Tom Cruise is back in his most popular avatar as Ethan Hunt. With Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol the franchisee finds its 4th director in as many versions. While I did like the 3rd part the most this one is certainly the best in the series and thus pretty much successful in revamping the franchisee.
MI 4 directed by the talented Brad Bird is stylish and smart just like its predecessors but perhaps for the first time the series has a decent screenplay to work with and that shows. Thankfully Bird has downplayed the mask business in this one,while the first three instalments had taken it to ridiculous level. Instead he works hard on the screenplay and the film works mostly on the strength of that.
The story is simple and on track for a MI version so there are ample stunt scenes and as usual they are spectacular. Tom Cruise even though looking a bit aged has done well as the superspy and the star cast looks better in this one. While Simon Pegg & Paula Patton are welcome changes Jeremy Renner as Agent Brandt steals the show. This is clearly not his film and he is supposed to underplay beneath the shadow of Ethan Hunt but Renner is too good an actor to slip by this golden opportunity. Though given a limited scope he is very good in it. He brings in the funny yet tough and importantly subtle touch on board in this otherwise over the top action drama and I just loved him for that. This man is destined for much better roles that is for sure.
So all in all MI 4 is a much better sequel compared to the earlier versions. It has kept the style and over the top flavour intact besides adding new spices to the dyeing franchisee. Even though the film is not immune to illogical moves but to some extent it dares to be different and that itself is commendable job for the director. I am going 7 out of 10 for MI 4 finally somebody has put in some common sense in the silly series.
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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol review
Posted : 11 years, 11 months ago on 19 May 2012 02:36
Two time Oscar Winner Brad Bird known for animated films like The Incredibles, Up and Ratatouille takes a first hand experience in live action cinema. MI4 has all the action film cliches equipped with smart but crazy gadgets. First before watching it, everyone had made up their minds about watching the film just to pass the time. But it turned out to be so much fun and exciting that you forget all the craziness and silliness and enjoy the film! MI4 is just so much fun. The action sequences were totally controlled and perfectly timed (with impossible stunts of course but that's what the film is about isn't it?). In the film's most famous scene, Tom Cruise climbs the tallest building of the world in an attempt to breach the server room. The camera angles were quite impressive in that scene. The thrilling moments were marvelous. The highlight of this film is the story. It's quite simple and thank god they didn't make it too complicated.
Although the film is not groundbreaking or a milestone, it delivered everything with right proportions and ended it before it got too tedious. The best mission impossible film to come out. Brad Bird proved himself to be a worthy director and I will be looking forward to his future films... I hope the fifth installment comes out soon with Bird as the director...
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Although the film is not groundbreaking or a milestone, it delivered everything with right proportions and ended it before it got too tedious. The best mission impossible film to come out. Brad Bird proved himself to be a worthy director and I will be looking forward to his future films... I hope the fifth installment comes out soon with Bird as the director...
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A successful fourth instalment: accomplished!
Posted : 12 years, 3 months ago on 18 January 2012 02:06
Just when we all assumed that the Mission: Impossible franchise had been put on the shelf after the trilogy concluded with the third instalment of the series released in 2006, the announcement of an unexpected fourth film in the series bought forth great risk but at the same time a lot of excitement and anticipation. The three previous films gave us all the explosive action and intense adventures that was required of them and have cherished the pleasure of watching them over the past 15 years. As you watch the Mission: Impossible films, what you see is what you get and as a result, Ghost Protocol is a fresh fourth instalment that sticks to the exciting and exhilarating experience of its predecessors but at the same time creates something that is almost one on its own and it could become the start of something new.
As we have previously learned from long-awaited fourth instalments in a franchise, each have added a more up-to-date outlook of the series and is perhaps pushed away and becomes one on its own. However, in the case of Mission: Impossible ā Ghost Protocol, it is a renovation to the series that perhaps wasnāt essentially needed but added even more excitement, popularity and positive criticism as itās nothing thatās your typical Hollywood film. Itās just a nice and simple action film with a dialogue thatās not too complex. Plus, having altered the title from āMission Impossible IVā to Mission: Impossible ā Ghost Protocol, it adds a difference in that sense as well as within the film as a whole. Surprisingly, Ghost Protocol actually shows that, unlike many franchises, you donāt exactly have to watch the predecessors before watching the latest instalment.
For the fourth consecutive time now, Tom Cruise reprises his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt working alongside four different directors as part of the series. However, his performance in Ghost Protocol is perhaps a rather altered change to the character as we see a more light-hearted and slightly funnier Ethan in this one than we saw in the previous films. Ethan is really not a James Bond-like spy, but due to the inventive and fictional tools and the humourous gags, Ethanās personality is less serious but perhaps more intense to watch on-screen. Cruise is a symbol of Hollywood in the action genre and yet standing at almost 50 years old, he still has it in him to blow us all away with his exciting action adventures. After his Oscar nominated performances in Kathryn Bigelowās The Hurt Locker and Ben Affleckās The Town, Jeremy Renner is the latest recruit in the team as he portrays the IMF technical field agent, William Brandt. After previously battling against Chris Pine and Tom Hardy for the role of Brandt, Renner goes from war, to crime and now to action and suspense and becomes a solid partner alongside Tom Cruise although Brandt was originally going to take over Ethan as the new protagonist of the franchise! Although Renner was decent enough to watch, replacing what Cruise has bought to the series here, nobody can ever live it to that or surpass it.
British actor Simon Pegg reprises his role from the third instalment as Benji Dunn, and what a splendid return it was! Pegg has frequently played these nerdy, no-mans-land characters in films such as Star Trek as Montgomery āScottyā Scott, and was the one handling the gags and comedy that continued to keep the audience keen and managed to do so successfully. With Renner and Cruise for the action and Pegg for the comedy, Paula Patton was the easiest on the eyes as she is a typical female accomplice aiming to engage in strong chemistry with the characters and to add some spice into the film which she also successfully pulls off. After his leading role in the Swedish Millennium trilogy, Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist makes his first crucial Hollywood debut in the English language as antagonist Kurt Hendricks, so this could be the start of something new for him. Ving Rhames, one of two actors to have appeared in all four instalments (of course, other being Tom Cruise), makes a solid cameo appearance in this film too and made his presence known.
After receiving so much criticism when selected as director, Brad Bird has truly surprised us all and has provided us with a film that has bought something out in him that has taken far too long to see. So, who wouldāve thought that Brad Bird, a director whoās directorial filmography consists of animated family films (Pixar Animation Studios films The Incredibles and Ratatouille and The Iron Giant), could have pulled off an intense and exhilarating action espionage film so amazingly? Bird has had appearance as part of the action genre like we witnessed in The Incredibles back in 2004 so you can identify familiar characteristics from that within Ghost Protocol, but going from an entirely style of filming so successfully is beyond belief! So, Bird is a completely different director here as he mixes a straightforward espionage story with intense action and on-running gags that enlightens the audience. As well as making more with Pixar, he simply must continue to blow us all away with these live-action films!
Overall, Mission Impossible ā Ghost Protocol became a huge surprise and is a fantastic action film that is quite possibly the best critically received film of the series, and is my personal favourite. As unnecessary as the film perhaps was to begin with before watching it, the most unexpected outcome Ghost Protocol leaves you with is that it sways you by demanding more, it expresses that the series hasnāt been put to sleep just yet and that we could be seeing a fifth film in a few years to come.
As we have previously learned from long-awaited fourth instalments in a franchise, each have added a more up-to-date outlook of the series and is perhaps pushed away and becomes one on its own. However, in the case of Mission: Impossible ā Ghost Protocol, it is a renovation to the series that perhaps wasnāt essentially needed but added even more excitement, popularity and positive criticism as itās nothing thatās your typical Hollywood film. Itās just a nice and simple action film with a dialogue thatās not too complex. Plus, having altered the title from āMission Impossible IVā to Mission: Impossible ā Ghost Protocol, it adds a difference in that sense as well as within the film as a whole. Surprisingly, Ghost Protocol actually shows that, unlike many franchises, you donāt exactly have to watch the predecessors before watching the latest instalment.
For the fourth consecutive time now, Tom Cruise reprises his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt working alongside four different directors as part of the series. However, his performance in Ghost Protocol is perhaps a rather altered change to the character as we see a more light-hearted and slightly funnier Ethan in this one than we saw in the previous films. Ethan is really not a James Bond-like spy, but due to the inventive and fictional tools and the humourous gags, Ethanās personality is less serious but perhaps more intense to watch on-screen. Cruise is a symbol of Hollywood in the action genre and yet standing at almost 50 years old, he still has it in him to blow us all away with his exciting action adventures. After his Oscar nominated performances in Kathryn Bigelowās The Hurt Locker and Ben Affleckās The Town, Jeremy Renner is the latest recruit in the team as he portrays the IMF technical field agent, William Brandt. After previously battling against Chris Pine and Tom Hardy for the role of Brandt, Renner goes from war, to crime and now to action and suspense and becomes a solid partner alongside Tom Cruise although Brandt was originally going to take over Ethan as the new protagonist of the franchise! Although Renner was decent enough to watch, replacing what Cruise has bought to the series here, nobody can ever live it to that or surpass it.
British actor Simon Pegg reprises his role from the third instalment as Benji Dunn, and what a splendid return it was! Pegg has frequently played these nerdy, no-mans-land characters in films such as Star Trek as Montgomery āScottyā Scott, and was the one handling the gags and comedy that continued to keep the audience keen and managed to do so successfully. With Renner and Cruise for the action and Pegg for the comedy, Paula Patton was the easiest on the eyes as she is a typical female accomplice aiming to engage in strong chemistry with the characters and to add some spice into the film which she also successfully pulls off. After his leading role in the Swedish Millennium trilogy, Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist makes his first crucial Hollywood debut in the English language as antagonist Kurt Hendricks, so this could be the start of something new for him. Ving Rhames, one of two actors to have appeared in all four instalments (of course, other being Tom Cruise), makes a solid cameo appearance in this film too and made his presence known.
After receiving so much criticism when selected as director, Brad Bird has truly surprised us all and has provided us with a film that has bought something out in him that has taken far too long to see. So, who wouldāve thought that Brad Bird, a director whoās directorial filmography consists of animated family films (Pixar Animation Studios films The Incredibles and Ratatouille and The Iron Giant), could have pulled off an intense and exhilarating action espionage film so amazingly? Bird has had appearance as part of the action genre like we witnessed in The Incredibles back in 2004 so you can identify familiar characteristics from that within Ghost Protocol, but going from an entirely style of filming so successfully is beyond belief! So, Bird is a completely different director here as he mixes a straightforward espionage story with intense action and on-running gags that enlightens the audience. As well as making more with Pixar, he simply must continue to blow us all away with these live-action films!
Overall, Mission Impossible ā Ghost Protocol became a huge surprise and is a fantastic action film that is quite possibly the best critically received film of the series, and is my personal favourite. As unnecessary as the film perhaps was to begin with before watching it, the most unexpected outcome Ghost Protocol leaves you with is that it sways you by demanding more, it expresses that the series hasnāt been put to sleep just yet and that we could be seeing a fifth film in a few years to come.
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Impossible, yeah.
Posted : 12 years, 4 months ago on 5 January 2012 12:02
Tom Cruise was just ok in this movie, Pegg was a lil better and everyone else was really bad (special mention to "the girl", Paula Patton: she was horrible).
The worst in this movie are the characters and the implausible (yes even for an action movie) history. The bad guy has no charisma and no one can care enough to hate him. The characters are unidimensional with only enough room for a twist and no meat. There are also a lot of secondary characters that add near to nothing to the story, the action or the movie.
A waste of some good action scenes and a waste of a rather acceptable Cruise. This and the good sense of rhythim (some times too over the top but good enough) are the best of the film.
The fact that the critics seem to like this movie (metacritic sevetythree) I think itĀ“s because they (we) are longing for the good olĀ“ times of action movies in this popcorn sea of epic fantasy puber magic.
IĀ“m giving this a 60 for the exact same reason.
The worst in this movie are the characters and the implausible (yes even for an action movie) history. The bad guy has no charisma and no one can care enough to hate him. The characters are unidimensional with only enough room for a twist and no meat. There are also a lot of secondary characters that add near to nothing to the story, the action or the movie.
A waste of some good action scenes and a waste of a rather acceptable Cruise. This and the good sense of rhythim (some times too over the top but good enough) are the best of the film.
The fact that the critics seem to like this movie (metacritic sevetythree) I think itĀ“s because they (we) are longing for the good olĀ“ times of action movies in this popcorn sea of epic fantasy puber magic.
IĀ“m giving this a 60 for the exact same reason.
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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol review
Posted : 12 years, 4 months ago on 4 January 2012 02:24
Well finally I have visited the theatre in city screening Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol and guess what, my worst fear again materialized. As happened with most of the sequels this movies MI-IV at least didn't make me to come to the edge of my seat. It was not worst but it was not phenomenal either. I feel the movie didn't keep pace with the earlier movies.
Anyway this time Tom and his team end up in a big mess, starting with murder of one of their team mate and bombing of Kremlin. The events leads to shutting down of IMF and now its upto Tom and his team to clear the mess and redeem the honor and pride.
Anyway this time Tom and his team end up in a big mess, starting with murder of one of their team mate and bombing of Kremlin. The events leads to shutting down of IMF and now its upto Tom and his team to clear the mess and redeem the honor and pride.
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Sleek and enjoyable treat
Posted : 12 years, 4 months ago on 22 December 2011 05:27
"The president has initiated Ghost Protocol. The entire IMF has been disavowed..."
The Mission: Impossible film franchise may be fifteen years old now, and 2011's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol may be the fourth instalment in this series, but no trace of exhaustion or lethargy is showing through just yet. What began as a merely good action brand has now become something genuinely special, with 2006's wildly underrated Mission: Impossible III and now Ghost Protocol bringing the franchise to an all-time high. Well-written and stunningly well-made, this fourth Mission: Impossible is a sleek and enjoyable treat. It also denotes the live-action debut for animation specialist Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles), who easily puts veterans like Michael Bay to shame in his construction of some of the most breathtaking, armrest-clenching, thrilling action sequences of the year.
The Mission: Impossible film franchise may be fifteen years old now, and 2011's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol may be the fourth instalment in this series, but no trace of exhaustion or lethargy is showing through just yet. What began as a merely good action brand has now become something genuinely special, with 2006's wildly underrated Mission: Impossible III and now Ghost Protocol bringing the franchise to an all-time high. Well-written and stunningly well-made, this fourth Mission: Impossible is a sleek and enjoyable treat. It also denotes the live-action debut for animation specialist Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles), who easily puts veterans like Michael Bay to shame in his construction of some of the most breathtaking, armrest-clenching, thrilling action sequences of the year.
After being broken out of a Moscow prison, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is united with fellow IMF agents June Carter (Paula Patton) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and offered his newest assignment to retrieve valuable information from within the Kremlin. The mission is abruptly cut short, though, when the site is bombed, leaving the relationship between Russia and America in absolute tatters. With the IMF shouldering the blame for the bombing, a contingency plan known as the "Ghost Protocol" is put into effect, disavowing the IMF. In the event of Hunt or his fellow agents being captured, they would be branded as terrorists and prosecuted accordingly. To clear their names and hopefully prevent World War III, Hunt and his team - who are soon joined by analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) - begin to pursue extremist Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who's working to obtain Russian nuclear launch codes.
Minus the more logical title of Mission: Impossible IV, and with only two returning actors, rumours surfaced that Ghost Protocol was going to be a series reboot of sorts. Luckily, writers Josh Appelbaum and AndrĆ© Nemec do not take such unnecessary measures. While the first two M:I instalments are never explicitly referenced, one critical subplot is intrinsically tied to Mission: Impossible IIIĀ and a couple of surprise cameos reinforce series continuity.
Like its immediate predecessor, Ghost Protocol moves at the speed of a bullet. The picture clocks in at a massive 130 minutes, yet the pacing is extraordinarily quick. The film is adrenalized from the very outset - the pitch-perfect opening involves an exciting shootout followed by a brilliant prison riot-come-escape (accompanied by Dean Martin's song "Ain't That a Kick in the Head") and an exhilarating title sequence set to the classic series theme. From there, it moves fast and never lags. However, the protagonists should have been better developed, and it's a shame that we don't get to know them better (Benji, in particular, could use more development). Mission: Impossible III was afforded a human touch by focusing on Ethan's personal life and relationship with Julia, but such nuances are lacking here. On the other hand, there are enough small character moments and clever humour beats to allow us to at least like the people being caught up in the hail of bullets and bombs.
The Mission: Impossible films have undergone a change in director with each new outing, leading to a welcome shift in aesthetic approaches. In theory, Brad Bird was an odd choice to helm this new adventure, but he easily surpasses his predecessors in terms of technique and excitement. Bird clearly strived to achieve most of the action practically with stunt work, and such an approach is a huge benefit. It's easier to become immersed in Ghost Protocol's action when it genuinely looks like Ethan is perilously scaling the world's tallest buildings with flawed gizmos. Indeed, the much-publicised Burj Khalifa climbing sequence is perhaps the most heart-stopping action set-piece of 2011. (It was filmed with IMAX cameras, too, and the results are phenomenal.) Bird and cinematographer Robert Elswit also predominantly eschew an irritating shaky-cam approach in favour of something smoother, steadier and crisper. Coupled with the precise editing and Michael Giacchino's intense score, the action is coherent, fluid, exhilarating and nail-biting. It's unlikely that these characters will ever find themselves in fatalistic danger, but Bird constantly teases such possibilities to keep us on the edge of our seats as he keeps upping the stakes (Ethan's showdown with Hendricks is a humdinger).
Admittedly, though, some of the action sequences are a bit too over-the-top, and a few scenes are hindered by rocky digital effects (the missile launch looks rather phoney). Not to mention, Ethan should have broken several bones (and his fucking skull) during his adventures here, making a suspension of disbelief a requirement to fully enjoy the action. Such Hollywood touches somewhat weaken the intensity, yet this is only a minor complaint since the flick's fun factor is consistently off the charts.
Tom Cruise may be getting old (he was forty-nine during filming), but the star is in great shape and looks to be aging gracefully. On top of this, Cruise still throws himself into every scene, every line and every action, believably delivering dialogue and performing various daredevil stunts without a double. Hate Cruise for his tabloid-fodder personal life, if you will, but you cannot deny that this guy is a terrific movie star. Fortunately, Cruise is surrounded by a stellar supporting cast here. The role of Brandt was apparently shoehorned into the script to give Ethan an equal since the studio was weary of Cruise's profitability after Knight & Day flopped, yet Brandt feels like an organic part of the narrative with a pivotal role in the mission. It helps that Jeremy Renner is so good here, too, oozing charisma and assuredly handling the action elements. Meanwhile, Simon Pegg shows up here to reprise his role from the third film. Pegg is essentially the comic relief, and he handled such duties skilfully. Unfortunately, however, Ghost Protocol is without a proper villain. Mission: Impossible III boasted a magnificently monstrous Philip Seymour Hoffman, but Ghost Protocol is less successful in this respect.
As opposed to most blockbusters, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol's action sequences do not feel forced; they unfold organically within the fabric of the narrative. Additionally, this is a PG-13 action movie, yet it never feels like Bird is pulling any punches. When people are shot, wounds are visible, and there is blood. As a result, Ghost Protocol doesn't feel unrealistically sanitised. Indeed, it's surprising how solid this movie is. It's not Oscar bait (though it deserves recognition in various technical categories), but it is an exceptionally-crafted, balls-to-the-wall popcorn actioner that's far better than anything Michael Bay has done in the last 5 years. Alongside Fast Five, Ghost Protocol is one of the big-budget studio-produced highlights of 2011.
7.8/10
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