Review: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

There is something to be said about Mission Impossible as a film franchise and its staying power. Not many series can reach four films and still maintain the quality it has. Now, that isn't to say they're great films. The most I'll ever say about any of them is that they're pretty good, and that includes the latest installment Ghost Protocol.


The film opens on an action sequence involving former Lost star Josh Holloway running across a rooftop and jumping off, shooting his assailants, and making it to an alley before being offed by an obvious to spot assassin. Enter Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise reprising the role yet again).


Ethan is imprisoned in Russia and is soon busted out by his IMF team made up of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Jane Carter (Paula Patton). Cue opening credits. Ethan and his team then infiltrate the Kremlin to obtain information on a man code named Cobalt, but are set up by said man and the Kremlin blows up, with blame landing solely on the IMF.


The film's main plot follows Ethan and a now disavowed IMF trying to stop a mad Russian (Michael Nyqvist) from inciting global nuclear war. Along the way, Ethan is paired up with "chief analyst" Brandt (Jeremy Renner), who may or may not have a secret to share about himself and Ethan.


The film as a whole is a commendable project. Being the fourth film in the series it does surprisingly well at not falling into unintentional self-parody. Of course, it does occasionally take a few intentional jabs at the series as a whole, contributing to its overall entertainment value.


Director Brad Bird handles the material well and has an interesting method of building suspense. He also has an eye for creative shots. One sequence involves a car crash shot entirely from the inside of the victimized car and while I've seen this in a few other films, this was the first time I'd seen it in an action film. It's usually a feat to find a single shot that lasts more than a second or two during an action sequence. Kudos, Mr. Bird.


The film is far from perfect, however. There are times when it seems that there is just too much going on. For such a simple premise it certainly progresses in a complex manner. There's also something to say about Cruise, who seems disinterested in the material at times. It's almost as if he disconnects from a scene right in the middle of it.


The film certainly does the franchise justice, though, and certainly surpasses the second and third installments.


Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - 3/5