Action/Adventure/Thriller
2 hours and 13 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Written by: Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec
Directed by: Brad Bird
Produced by: J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, and Tom Cruise
Cast:
Tom Cruise
Jeremy Renner
Simon Pegg
Paula Patton
No Plan. No Backup. No Choice.
Five years after the third Mission: Impossible movie, Tom Cruise became enthralled enough by the attention and acclaim of that sequel to agree to the studio's demands of yet another installment in the franchise. J.J. Abrams also returns from the third movie, this time being moved to the role of producer instead of director. If five years between sequels seems like a long time, remember the length of time between the first film and the second was four years, and from the second to the third was six. The Mission: Impossible franchise hasn't exactly been known for churning out prompt sequels the way something like the James Bond series has done. However, these lengthy hiatuses away from the series may actually serve in its benefit, allowing the creators to take their time and develop the stories.
Case in point: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, a film that seamlessly combines all the wonderful attributes of the first three films of the series, and manages to tell a tale full of engaging and exciting entertainment. It's essentially the kind of film that popcorn was made for.
The first Mission: Impossible movie relied heavily on its intricate and complex storyline, expertly handled by its prolific cast (which remember included Jon Voight). Mission: Impossible II, however, chose to step away from the complicated and engaging storyline and offered us a simpler story shrouded entirely by over the top gadgets and action sequences - each filled with a nearly pornographic amount of slow motion shots. Mission: Impossible III attempted to return the franchise back to the elements of the first one, giving the series its most complex and human characterizations - mainly due to its cast as well (Tom Cruise and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as other series staples). However, Mission: Impossible III lacked the engaging story of the first one, therefore it fell short of what it intended to do. Having said all this, the series creative controllers clearly could see what worked and what didn't from each of these three movies, and boy did they get things right with Ghost Protocol.
The story is unquestionably less complicated than the original film's, but in many ways Ghost Protocol recognizes the core concept of Mission: Impossible II - you can have a less complex story with astounding action sequences - and it gets it right simply due to the story not being as ludicrous as the second film's was. It also helps that the action sequences aren't filmed in a ridiculous fashion, again as was the case with the second movie. Centered around international espionage (as is always the case), the film is a race against the clock to stop terrorists from firing off nuclear weapons and starting a world war. This simplicity allows the action sequences in the film to really shine through and do most - if not all - of the entertainment work, but also it is a story that is politically relevant living under the constant fear of something like this happening in our current world. Therefore, it is simple yes, but it is also engaging in an incredibly effective way.
And it is the action sequences that are undoubtedly the stars of Ghost Protocol. Every Mission: Impossible movie has boasted some big - possibly unbelievable - stunt sequence that is carried out masterfully by Tom Cruise. In Ghost Protocol, it is without a doubt the sequence about halfway through the film where Cruise's protagonist, Ethan Hunt, must free climb up the side of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Naturally, it's assumed green screens were used, although knowing the risks Tom Cruise has been willing to put himself in (in the film's sequel, Rogue Nation, he actually did attach himself to the outside of a plane while it took off), one can't be too sure that Cruise isn't really dangling on the outside of the building. Regardless of how the feat was captured, it is blended together marvelously and is truly a memorable moment not just from within this franchise but from action movies in general. Unfortunately, because this stunt is so grand and so breathtaking to watch, the movie does fizzle out somewhat after it. Sure, the sequences after are engaging and thrilling - particularly the end fight sequence in an automated parking garage, but they lack the sheer wow factor that the Dubai sequence held, never making the audience feel as astonished as they did halfway through the movie.
It should be added because this is an action film, I'm always willing to forgive the use of CGI and green screens a tad more than I normally should - especially if the story and performances are engaging. Some CGI sequences in the film are indeed a bit much (the Kremlin exploding mainly being the biggest one), they are easily forgivable in the grand scheme of the picture, given the genuinely good and entertaining qualities the rest of the film possesses.
Tom Cruise, an actor everyone either loves or hates, I must say handles these roles well. He's clearly a performer who is attracted to more physical roles like this, and while Ghost Protocol doesn't allow him to really flex his acting muscles the way Mission: Impossible III did, he does absolutely do a terrific job in this movie. His commitment to the stunt work and action scenes makes some of their more unbelievable qualities easier to stomach, and sequences of dialogue show his maturity as a performer over the years. You don't have to love Tom Cruise as an actor, but you undoubtedly have to admit the man has handled himself capably in some truly impressive films.
The film's villain, played by Pavel Kríz, is surely not one that is as memorable as Jon Voight's in the first film or Philip Seymour Hoffman's in the third, but Kríz does handle himself well. His character is not enormously present throughout the film, but given the risks and back stories, it is one that is certainly better written than the villains of the second and fifth Mission: Impossible movies. The supporting cast of Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, and Paula Patton also provide the film with many of its charms. Patton's character poses as a new, but complicated interest for Ethan, one that he ultimately denies any romantic involvement with. Renner's character is an interesting counterpoint to Ethan, due to us as an audience knowing so much about Ethan Hunt. Renner's character provides enough mystery to these heroes that is no longer present with Ethan, and yet still keeps us tied to Ethan as the main protagonist. And Simon Pegg, of course, is as funny and entertaining as ever. His witty one liners never feel stupid or annoying and certainly challenge Cruise's more stone faced moments with some much appreciated humor.
When it is all said and done Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a damn impressive action movie, boasting to be nothing more than that. It succeeds in surpassing most of its predecessors and follower in the franchise due to its understanding and utilizing all the elements that worked in the other films, and weaving them together in an intriguing enough and purely entertaining storyline. Riddled with fun performances and some mind-blowing action sequences, it will be hard to beat this quality of filmmaking in any subsequent Mission: Impossible movies to come.
8/10
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