Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) Review

By Paco McCullough

Mission Impossible is back, whether you wanted it or not. The over-the-top action franchise returns, but has made some much needed changes along the way. Eschewing the standard facemask disguises and betrayals from within, the format of this film is a nice change of pace for a franchise that has grown stale. While far from a perfect film, MI: Ghost Protocol may be the best MI since the first one.

The movie starts out with the literal bang of a gunfight and moves quickly into a jailbreak. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), has been locked in a Russian jail for a couple of years, and the IMF is finally getting around to breaking him out. The team responsible? New team leader Jane (Paula Patton) and the welcome face of Benji (Simon Pegg), now a field agent. Ethan is called immediately into action to face an impressive threat- a nuke wielding madman.

For the first 45 minutes or so, the movie is near-perfect. Action is increasing steadily, characters are introduced, and plot points are made saliently, without killing the pacing. For this section of the film, imagine a spy version of a movie like Shoot 'Em Up or Crank. The climax of this intense action is Cruise's death defying stunts off the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This scene left me breathless while those around me gasped in awe. I would easily recommend this film for the sequence alone.

Unfortunately, the film goes downhill from this point. It allows itself to get caught up in unnecessary side plots and unneeded character development that kills the pacing. After the sheer insanity of the midsection of the film, the climax is also something of a letdown. While still fun, it pales in comparison. Besides which, there is an absurd fight scene that expects us to believe that superagent Ethan Hunt can get his ass kicked by a college professor at least 20 years his senior. A cheesy and overly long denouement resolves issues that no one in the audience can be expected to care about.

Director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, shooting his first film with live actors) shot a large portion of the film in IMAX format, and if your wallet can take the blow ($16.50 for a matinee?!), it's well worth it to see it in IMAX. The sheer scope allowed is incredible and certain scenes need to be seen to believed. Mission Impossible is the perfect sort of film to show in this format, as the spectacle of action films only benefits from the expansive screen, making it a must-see for fans of action films.

4 out of 5 stars