Monday, December 19, 2011

"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" (2011) - Movie Review

Mission Impossible series for this reviewer has become an enigma of action clusters with buried insignificant details. The first one perplexed the hell out of me, the second installment screamed stupidity, the third one carried itself sufficiently well and here comes the fourth one. Produced by Tom Cruise, he should really believe in this franchise and mainly he seems to have too much fun doing this. Suspending everything that remotely resembles logic which is how these films are expected to be watched, “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” delivers nothing less and nothing more. Well, a lot more in terms of world wide travel and stunts gargantuan floating through the IMAX screens.

After personally taking up running in this beautiful 2011, I have great appreciation for the sprints Tom Cruise does through Ethan Hunt. Nothing like the sprints Francois Cluzet did in the French film “Tell No One”, nevertheless Cruise runs with style, vigour and carries the kinetic energy fueling this rocket with slams and bam that would leave anyone into bag of crumbled bones.

Cruise as Ethan Hunt is picked up from rescue mission by Agent Carter (Paula Patton) and promoted Benji (Simon Pegg). As this seems to be a routine in this franchise, it begins with an Agent getting killed and here is Lost famous star Josh Halloway as Agent Hanaway. Alas there are codes that were stolen from him by a devilish and beautiful blonde Sabine (Lea Seydoux) and there is a madman Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) ready to do the craziness expected out of these film’s antagonists. Regardless it paves way to some spectacular travel for Hunt and his team.

Joins Jeremy Renner as William Brandt to add to the testosterone for more than a handful of larger than life stunts that as much as illogical it appears makes you lose breath in the way of its execution. Starting from Josh Halloway’s jump on the back to shoot and land safely through the prison escape of Hunt towards the Kremlin high tech extraction and marching into poor Tom Wilkinson’s cameo in pitstop and to the spectacular skyscraper extravaganza in Dubai and then onto finish in India, this is nothing but an exhibition of splendid action sequences that are choreographed, performed, risked and edited with one thing in mind. Which is the primary philosophy in these blockbusters, to not let the audience pause and think. Before they could digest the mind boggling momentums of these high octane scenes, they are taken into one another piling it one after another. And in the end beyond the corniest dialogues and the predictable plots, what comes out is a happy customer for the money’s worth.

As a film snob, I would terribly object the last line of the previous paragraph but the film projects its aspiration right from the start. And knowing about the franchise, there is nothing short than what was delivered. Director Brad Bird who mesmerized with his animation “Ratatouille” jumps to something unexpected and is inviting further invitations for similar blockbusters. While action films like this are something that ought to be done like this, I would love for him to see venture out and expand his skills further in other genres.

Suppressing the movie jerk in me, I have to say I did enjoy “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”. Say what may about Tom Cruise and say what may about his limited capability of stretching out characters in his stereotypical performances, the man works hard, real hard. And he goes out far and beyond sometimes to work some diverse characters or chooses projects that would conveniently put his acting skills to minimum and action skills to maximum while providing the stage for a better film. He did so in “Minority Report” and “The Last Samurai”. Here he is in this film, giving himself completely to the project he produced and going full on to tackle not alone brilliant stunts but to utter some terrible cliched and horrendous lines I would have hated in any other circumstances. Brad Bird tries to poke fun at those aware of its quality but it does not redeem those. Watch the film in IMAX because it is meant to be seen that way. I am not a big fan of 3D but I am terrifically thrilled for films that venture out for IMAX. “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” clearly comes victorious in that and keeps you solidly entertained while numbing your senses and mind.

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