Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol' (directed by Brad Bird, The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille) is the 4th MI movie, and for me ... the best yet (including the original). Perhaps that's because it reminded me of a James Bond movie; specifically, '06's Casino Royale. There's globe trotting, non-stop action, eye-popping stunts, gorgeous women, chases, explosions, & a megalomanical villain. 'MI:4' throws everything at us. Onto the story. Veteran IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) & his new IMF team are hunting down Swedish terrorist Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist, of the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series). Why are they after him? Well, he wants control of a few nuclear weapons. Their mission is to prevent Hendricks from attaining the codes for said nuclear weapons. Hendricks & his henchmen will kill anyone who gets in their way & are actually eager to fire the 1st shot in a war that obliterates the world.
Hunt's IMF team consists of 3 other agents: Benji (Simon Pegg), the computer whiz from MI:3; Jane Carter (Paula Patton), who has a tragic back story; and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), an analyst with field agent training, & a secret he's hiding from Hunt. These 3 agents are great. But really, this film is all about Cruise/Hunt; who gets the most incredible, over-the-top stunts. Once Hendricks blows up the Kremlin & frames IMF, the President exercises the 'ghost protocol' & disavows the team. They still have their impossible mission, but now they're doing it off-grid & with their own isolated resources. Hendricks' trail takes them from Moscow (FANTASTIC scene in a red carpeted hallway) to Dubai (in a jaw-dropping sequence) to Mumbai; where the final confrontation occurs.
'MI:4' is 95 min. of a fantastic action movie, & 35 min. of an 'okay' one. If I have a major issue with the film, it's that after the filmmakers got Ethan Hunt to scale the world's tallest building (Dubai's Burj Khalifa) like Spider-Man in the advent of an approaching sandstorm, the film kinda runs out of steam. After the spectacular Moscow & Dubai scenes, the last section of the film in Mumbai, though gorgeous to watch, is the least interesting set piece; giving it quite an anti-climactic feel. I also felt like the film goes on a good 10-15 min. longer than it has to. But I don't want to get too negative ...
'MI:4' brims with exciting scenes (all aided by my viewing in an IMAX theater). And they are executed with such ease & assurance that you wonder why other films can't do it as well. Furthermore, amid these daring set pieces are spurts of well-timed humor ... can't get any better than that! Now, everything Hunt & his team are doing is HIGHLY preposterous. But this is called 'Mission Impossible'; and that's no different than any other film in this franchise. I don't know how the filmmakers came up with the ideas & gadgets that they do, but boy am I glad to have watched it all. 'MI:4' is a technical marvel, as well. The editing is crisp. The cinematography (by Oscar winner Robert Elswit) is bold - with incredible helicopter shots & electric ground action. Any CGI work is invisible; it all looks so real. And I loved Michael Giacchino's pulsating score (with the M:I theme popping up).
Now lemme talk about Tom Cruise. I don't care what anyone says. He. is. the. Man. At nearly 50, he still has that big screen charisma that says "I'm a Star", and he runs with it. I'm just so impressed by how he hurled himself into most of the stunts in this film. I doubt anyone else his age, or even much younger, would have attempted what he achieves. As for the villain: well, it's a stock character. The acting is besides the point (unfortunately). Simon Pegg? Very funny. Paula Patton? Sympathetic, athletic & HOT. Jeremy Renner? He acquits himself well, but this is the Tom Cruise show.
'MI:4', with its mix of old-fashioned action & dazzling technology, provides immense thrills & good doses of suspense. It's all about turning off your brain, being in the moment (of what's going on), & enjoying the rush of adrenaline that the movie affords you. Sure, there are contrivances abounding. And the actual plot seems a bit stale/insignificant (as far as modern actioners go). But no one's expecting an Oscar-caliber script. If only the last Act had as much punch & verve as the first 90 min., I'd be championing this as one of the very best films of the year. As it is, I still recommend it highly.
Hunt's IMF team consists of 3 other agents: Benji (Simon Pegg), the computer whiz from MI:3; Jane Carter (Paula Patton), who has a tragic back story; and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), an analyst with field agent training, & a secret he's hiding from Hunt. These 3 agents are great. But really, this film is all about Cruise/Hunt; who gets the most incredible, over-the-top stunts. Once Hendricks blows up the Kremlin & frames IMF, the President exercises the 'ghost protocol' & disavows the team. They still have their impossible mission, but now they're doing it off-grid & with their own isolated resources. Hendricks' trail takes them from Moscow (FANTASTIC scene in a red carpeted hallway) to Dubai (in a jaw-dropping sequence) to Mumbai; where the final confrontation occurs.
'MI:4' is 95 min. of a fantastic action movie, & 35 min. of an 'okay' one. If I have a major issue with the film, it's that after the filmmakers got Ethan Hunt to scale the world's tallest building (Dubai's Burj Khalifa) like Spider-Man in the advent of an approaching sandstorm, the film kinda runs out of steam. After the spectacular Moscow & Dubai scenes, the last section of the film in Mumbai, though gorgeous to watch, is the least interesting set piece; giving it quite an anti-climactic feel. I also felt like the film goes on a good 10-15 min. longer than it has to. But I don't want to get too negative ...
'MI:4' brims with exciting scenes (all aided by my viewing in an IMAX theater). And they are executed with such ease & assurance that you wonder why other films can't do it as well. Furthermore, amid these daring set pieces are spurts of well-timed humor ... can't get any better than that! Now, everything Hunt & his team are doing is HIGHLY preposterous. But this is called 'Mission Impossible'; and that's no different than any other film in this franchise. I don't know how the filmmakers came up with the ideas & gadgets that they do, but boy am I glad to have watched it all. 'MI:4' is a technical marvel, as well. The editing is crisp. The cinematography (by Oscar winner Robert Elswit) is bold - with incredible helicopter shots & electric ground action. Any CGI work is invisible; it all looks so real. And I loved Michael Giacchino's pulsating score (with the M:I theme popping up).
Now lemme talk about Tom Cruise. I don't care what anyone says. He. is. the. Man. At nearly 50, he still has that big screen charisma that says "I'm a Star", and he runs with it. I'm just so impressed by how he hurled himself into most of the stunts in this film. I doubt anyone else his age, or even much younger, would have attempted what he achieves. As for the villain: well, it's a stock character. The acting is besides the point (unfortunately). Simon Pegg? Very funny. Paula Patton? Sympathetic, athletic & HOT. Jeremy Renner? He acquits himself well, but this is the Tom Cruise show.
'MI:4', with its mix of old-fashioned action & dazzling technology, provides immense thrills & good doses of suspense. It's all about turning off your brain, being in the moment (of what's going on), & enjoying the rush of adrenaline that the movie affords you. Sure, there are contrivances abounding. And the actual plot seems a bit stale/insignificant (as far as modern actioners go). But no one's expecting an Oscar-caliber script. If only the last Act had as much punch & verve as the first 90 min., I'd be championing this as one of the very best films of the year. As it is, I still recommend it highly.