As unlikely a concept is may be, the Mission: Impossible films are getting better with every new installment. While Brian De Palma’s first entry was all style but no substance and John Woo’s bloated follow-up felt at times it was desperately trying to emulate The Matrix (long black coats, nu metal soundtrack), JJ Abrams’ threequel was, surprisingly, an emotionally gripping caper convincingly supported by a series of breathtaking action sequences.
And now, five years after we last saw Tom Cruise’s super spy ride off into the sunset, Brad Bird has pulled off the impressive feat of topping Abrams’ solid work. That’s not to say Ghost Protocol will make critics’ top 10 lists of 2012, but as far as popcorn entertainment is concerned, it’s a winner.
Set a few years after the events of MI:3, we find Ethan Hunt (Cruise) leading a diminutive and somewhat inexperienced IMF team as they break into the Kremlin to retrieve top secret files. However, the mission is a set-up, as the secret service is framed for a large scale bombing on Russian soil by strategist-turned terrorist Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist). With the IMF and its members disavowed by the American government, Hunt gathers the last remaining agents and sets out to stop Hendricks’ plans for nuclear holocaust.
The plot may be as formulaic as they come, but the script throws enough curveballs to keep the audience hooked throughout: why is Ethan in a Russian prison at the start of the film? What happened to his beloved wife Julia since we last saw her? And will Hunt ever settle on a definitive hair style? More intriguingly, the aforementioned team is far from being the gathering of high class professionals we’ve been accustomed to in previous entries. Simon Pegg’s Benji is a blabbermouth tech-head prematurely promoted to field work, Paula Patton’s agent Carter is barely capable of keeping her emotions in check, while Jeremy Renner is intriguingly enigmatic as cagey analyst Brandt.
Meanwhile, the film’s lead is on fine form as the ever resourceful Ethan Hunt. He may be nearing 50, but Cruise gives an impressive physical performance, as we see him throw fisticuffs, sprint through exotic locations and hang off vertiginous skyscrapers. Judging from the footage, he may have it in him to return to the role at least one more time before hanging up the prosthetic mask for good.
However, the Cruiser may be headlining the movie but Ghost Protocol’s real star is Brad Bird. Considering this is his first live action gig, the Incredibles director does a seriously impressive job. Not only does he deliver the franchise’s most inventive opening credits sequence and spectacular action set-pieces seemingly devoid of CGI (a remarkable accomplishment, in this day and age), he also manages to transfer some of the comedy that was a joy to behold in his superhero-themed animated flick. As a result, we get a faulty phone that fails to self-destruct after five seconds and a middle-aged Hunt who realizes he may no longer be young enough to leap off a 5-story building. It’s these moments of light-hearted humour that make Ghost Protocol such an entertaining watch.
They may not be as iconic as Bond or as gritty and realistic as Bourne, but it looks like the Mission Impossible films are still a force to be reckoned with. Go see for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.
4/5
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