Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Movie Review

MISSION ACCEPTED

By: Derek Shultz

Director Brad Bird steps out of his Pixar director’s chair to tackle a well-loved action franchise in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Apparently the high action of The Incredibles combined with the storytelling of Ratatouille can combine into a well-made live-action film. There are certain things that the audience comes to expect from a Mission Impossible movie which includes action, stunts, technology and Tom Cruise. This latest release in the franchise provides all of that and more as Cruise and his partners choose to accept the mission.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol begins with a Russian prison escape to free Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). After the first of many well-choreographed fights, Hunt and his crew, that includes Benji (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton), begin a mission to infiltrate the Kremlin in Moscow. This leads to the disavowing of the IMF organization which forces Hunt and his team to undertake their mission to save the world without support. This impossible mission sounds pretty basic, but these films are successful for their amazing plotlines. The film spans across the world in a variety of beautiful locales and provides the very best in Mission Impossible gadgets. A car with a touchscreen windshield, contact lenses that scan documents, and gloves that climb buildings are just a few of the technological eye candies to grace the screen. Giant dust storms, electronic parking garages, and lavish Indian estates accompany this technology and provide a visual feast for the audience.

Cruise delivers a great performance that resonates with a brilliant supporting cast of Pegg, Patton, and Jeremy Renner who plays Brandt. There is a fine blend of comic relief and serious drama to provide a simple plot covered in action, Yum. It is rare for an actor to want to do his own stunts, which made Tom Cruise hanging 130 stories on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai seem obviously fake. However, this actor threw caution to the wind and performed this amazing stunt on the tallest building in the world. The pure realism of this effect combined with brilliant cinematography made this one of the most aweing experiences seen on a movie screen. It certainly was made even more spectacular when seen with the brilliance of an IMAX projection.

It must be said that there are some rather outlandish moments in this film that border on believability, but this is what should be expected from this franchise. It wouldn’t be an impossible mission if you sat there thinking, “well I can do that with my cell phone”. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol breathed new life into this franchise with some amazing, nonstop action from start to finish. This thrill ride was further enhanced by a collection of actors who connect the audience to the story in a way that eliminates confusion and allows the audience to sink their eyes into the visuals.

Brad Bird established himself as a versatile director and it is exciting to look forward to work from him in the future. The Mission Impossible franchise will continue as long as Tom Cruise says yes, but after this film it doesn’t seem to be a waste of time and money. It is always fascinating to see what films can do with today’s technology and this movie has certainly opened eyes. There are few fourth films in a series that truly understand what the audience wants and provides it in a new and exciting way. This film does that with a stylish and confident, yet unexpected director. Whether you have seen the other three movies in this series or not, you should not pass on Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. “Your mission should you choose to accept it…See It.