Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Though it does, for the most part, seem to have emerged directly from a Mission: Impossible template, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol nevertheless comes off as a superior sequel that benefits from the charismatic work of its stars and from the inclusion of several thoroughly engrossing action interludes. The storyline follows Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt as he and three cohorts (Jeremy Renner’s Brandt, Simon Pegg’s Benji, and Paula Patton’s Jane) attempt to prevent a diabolical madman (Michael Nyqvist’s Hendricks) from acquiring nuclear launch codes, with the quartet’s continuing efforts complicated by the complete and total shutdown of the IMF by the American government. Filmmaker Brad Bird, working from a script by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, kicks off the proceedings with a thrilling prison-break sequence that immediately captures the viewer’s interest, with the movie’s inevitable segue into standard Mission: Impossible territory – ie disavowals, megalomaniacal villains, nuclear launch codes, etc, etc – subsequently alleviated by an ongoing emphasis on high-energy, over-the-top action set pieces. And although Bird’s overuse of shaky camerawork and rapid-fire editing drains the life out of the film’s one-on-one fight sequences, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol‘s propulsive narrative makes it rather easy to overlook the few missteps that crop up along the way – with the movie’s highlight undoubtedly Ethan’s hair-raising jaunt on the (very high) exterior of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper. It’s a breathtaking interlude that can’t help but lend virtually everything that follows a fairly anticlimactic vibe, as the film’s lulls become more and more pronounced past that point and it ultimately does seem as though Bird is treading water in the build-up to the final confrontation (which is, admittedly, well worth the wait). The end result is a perfectly watchable (yet undeniably overlong) entry in an almost remarkably consistent series, with the movie’s overall impact heightened on an ongoing basis by its eye-popping, jaw-dropping IMAX presentation.

*** out of ****