Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

MI4 is a very entertaining follow up to the third film and fits in nicely with that film.   With complex action set pieces, the film moves along at a break-neck speed.  MI4 is a sharp action movie that I enjoyed immensely.  It has a lot of energy and humor. 

Brad Bird stepped up to the plate, as this is his first live action film.  Bird came from the animation field, but really showed that he has the potential to be a great action director.  Because this is his first live film, his distinct style isn’t really present.  His movie style clearly is set in the same technique as producer J.J. Abrams’ stuff.  I don’t have a problem with that either, because Abrams is a good director to follow. 

Bird does a good job keeping the camera still and showing us the action.  Many seasoned directors could learn a thing or two from him.  He keeps things moving without that many dull scenes. 

Tom Cruise is pretty much the same character as he was in the last three movies.  However, like third film, Cruise takes a side seat to the rest of the IMF team.  I always felt the remake MI series should always be a team effort just like the old TV series.   I think it was good for Cruise to let the other characters in the movie get some good screen time, unlike the first two movies. 

While I’ve never been a fan of Cruise the person, he handles himself extremely well.  The man runs like there’s no tomorrow.  There is a certain scene at the very end that he acted pretty well in, which I won’t spoil. 

Speaking of the rest of the IMF team, Simon Pegg is having a lot of fun playing the gadget man, and it reminds me of his role as Scotty.  This time around, he gets to play out in the field.  So, they expanded his role. 

Did I mention how much I found Paula Patton to be extremely sexy?  She is one butt-kicking female agent that is very convincing in that role.  She has a great moment seducing a media mogul from India that is very funny.   

Jeremy Renner is clearly set up as a potential replacement for Ethan Hunt.

One of the best set pieces has to be the entire Dubai section of the film.  Not only does Ethan climb a skyscraper, but he also chases a guy through a sandstorm on foot and in a car. 

There are layers upon layers of problems for the team to deal with.  And, that was my favorite part about the movie. 

The other aspect I really dug about the movie is the way it handles the continuity within the franchise.  There are unaccredited cameos from other established characters from the franchise that I had no idea were going to show up.  I also like that they at least talked about a certain issue that Ethan had at the end of the last movie involving a certain person.  And, they handled it in a touching manner. 

Michael Giacchino has returned to compose the film music, and his music is much better than his first installment (part III).  He uses a few themes from part III, but most of the music is fresh for the new movie.  It is fast paced and bombastic, but quiet in some parts.  I also like Giacchino’s new version of IM theme, which is different than the one used in the third.  I loved this score a lot. 

I only have two issues with the movie.  One, the villains are a little weaker in this story than the other films.  The motives are bit weaker and they don’t have the presence the other villains in the series had.  Two, I wanted more from the Russian secret police chasing after Ethan.  There needed to be more for them to do in the story. 

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a very good action movie with a lot of great scenes going for it.  With its lighter tone, the movie doesn’t seem like a burden with its over 2 hour running time.  Tom Cruise isn’t annoying and places his ego aside to let the other actors shine in the movie.  Despite a few minor flaws, it is a very good follow-up to the third movie. 

Grade:  B+