A glimpse of the teaser scene, when Tom Cruise is scaling Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is probably enough to convince you that it's going to be this year's most jaw-dropping action scene. And with two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner included in the picture, fans of the movie franchise, as well as action/espionage movie enthusiasts, won't have any reason not to see Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol-- enhanced in an IMAX theater, and actually partially filmed using IMAX cameras.
Super-spy Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise, who did all of the stunts in this movie) returns to the big screen after five years, in Ghost Protocol, this time working equally with a team, alongside Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), and Paula Patton (Precious). In this fourth installment, Hunt's agency, the IMF (Impossible Mission Force), is disavowed-- blamed for the bombing of The Kremlin in Moscow (The U.S. counterpart of the White House), the U.S. president initiating the black operation "ghost protocol." With no back-up, stripped off their gadgets, and no support from the U.S. government, the four-person rogue team works hand in hand, making do with what they have, to clear the agency's name and chase the villain in a seemingly impossible mission to save the world.
Ghost Protocol, directed by Brad Bird (his first time to helm a live-action movie after captivating the world with his Oscar-winning brilliant animation films The Incredibles and Ratatouille), is a whirlwind fast-paced action flick intended to tense your muscles, keep you at the edge of your seat, and leave you breathless...and also laughing from time to time. The first scene is instantly a Brad Bird trademark: humorous, light, and entertaining-- a prelude to the rest of the movie's mood and feel. Simon Pegg's appearance alone in the opening scene, as the tech savvy agent, already spells out comedy.
If you haven't seen, or can barely recall, the first three Mission Impossible movies, this is probably the most action-packed... and the most light and playful. And with the movie writers ridding us of serious and complex mysteries in the plot, Ghost Protocol is almost like the live-action counterpart of the The Incredibles-- an enjoyable popcorn movie. Not much thinking is required here; apparently, the movie only wants you to experience the adventure of a team of highly skilled agents with no time to lose, trying to catch a villain with a cliche-ish evil agenda. So if you're looking for a mentally stimulating, or a challenging unpredictable mystery plot, then you're not going to find it in here-- because Ghost Protocol is only about fun, action, and entertainment-- and it fairly succeeded in its intention. It's engaging, tensing, and oftentimes funny, with seamless special effects, beautifully choreographed one-on-one fight scenes, and delightfully impressive displays of modern technology.
The team has good chemistry. Renner adds spice to the movie without outshining Cruise; Pegg is an effective comic relief; Patton, though, as the female lead, lacks personality and is too teary eyed, but is fairly in sync with the dynamics of the team.
As the last Hollywood blockbuster movie you will see in the cinemas this year, Ghost Protocol is a fitting year-ender for movie buffs out to be solely entertained and de-stressed in the holiday season. If you want to be taken from the heart of Moscow to Dubai, to India, in a breakneck-speed ride of spy action, suspense, and comedy in a light story, then seeing Ghost Protocol is a mission that you must choose to accept.
3.5/5
Philippine theatrical release: December 16th 2011
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Blue is glue. Red, death.