Ghost Protocol: No Mission is Impossible
There really is no "Mission Impossible" for Agent Ethan Hunt as seen anew in "Ghost Protocol," the latest and fourth installment of the smash Tom Cruise starrer.
The third "M.I." film might've rubbed off its critical and commercial success to "Ghost Protocol," and Cruise and his co-producers J.J. Abrams (who directed "M.i.:III") and Bryan Burk seem to be more intuitive now with what works and what doesn't. The story in "Ghost Protocol" isn't the most innovative plot in the spy genre - and yes, it wasn't as cerebral as how the first film was noted for - but the heart-stopping action scenes more than compensate for these.
You'd think nothing else can top that iconic scene in the first film in which Cruise got suspended on a floor with motion sensors (something which we'll remember through one of the scenes in "Ghost Protocol" featuring Cruise's co-star Jeremy Renner), or that scene in the second film where Cruise climbed a steep mountain. Well, what could be more death-defying than crawling Dubai's Burj Khalifa (a.k.a. the tallest building in the world) a la Spiderman - but with a pair of electromagnetic gloves? That scene featuring the 49-year-old Cruise will more than likely be an iconic, worth-remember one in recent film history.
That scene is one of those shot using IMAX cameras, making us feel at some points as if we're with Cruise in trudging the Burj. As the cameras follow him looking down 100-plus floors below, and as we see him almost falling after one of his supposedly hi-tech gloves disintegrates, our legs couldn't keep still. And if you really have a bad fear of heights, you might feel like puking.
The action never stops in this more than two-hour film, which finds Hunt with a mission of stopping a treacherous madman (Michael Nyqvist) from releasing a nuclear bomb that could put the human race in deep peril; the latter believes that it is only by sacrificing human lives can world peace be finally achieved. The gravity of this mission may well be associated to the second film, in which Hunt and his team had to destroy a deadly virus before it wipes everyone out.
Agent Hunt is not alone in this mission as he reunites with technical field agent Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and works with new faces Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and desk analyst William Brandt (Renner), and of course with the help of their eye-popping, cool gadgets. We'll also find them globe-trotting, from Moscow to Dubai and Mumbai, conquering enormous heights, sandstorms, and yes, even bad, bad traffic while that signature theme song by Lalo Schifrin plays in the background. It's also admirable how Hunt's team kept pushing themselves to their limits especially when things go wrong.
Brad Bird and his writers André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum give us breathers by injecting humor in scenes. While "Ghost Protocol" marks Bird's entry in the live-action film department, his experience in making animated flicks (with "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" in his credit) helped further build action and intensity in the film. He intelligently incorporated his know-how, thus, keeping every moment gripping, exciting, and energetic.
Hats off to Cruise, Rener, Pegg, and Patton as their imperfect yet formidable team develop rapport as the film progresses, but are also given enough opportunities to shine individually. The biggest spotlight, of course, is on Cruise. He may not be as young as when he did the first film, but he still possesses the same stamina and passion. And we wouldn't contest; after all, it was Cruise himself who did his stunt up there at the Burj Khalifa!
Expect twists in "Ghost Protocol," especially on Renner's character. It may not be such a breakthrough, but the revelation scene best highlights the humanity among the characters, and how they had to make tough choices for the ones they deeply care about.
Well, Burj Khalifa down, what could be next? Mt. Everest? Not impossible - right, Agent Hunt?
"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" is now showing in theaters worldwide.
The third "M.I." film might've rubbed off its critical and commercial success to "Ghost Protocol," and Cruise and his co-producers J.J. Abrams (who directed "M.i.:III") and Bryan Burk seem to be more intuitive now with what works and what doesn't. The story in "Ghost Protocol" isn't the most innovative plot in the spy genre - and yes, it wasn't as cerebral as how the first film was noted for - but the heart-stopping action scenes more than compensate for these.
You'd think nothing else can top that iconic scene in the first film in which Cruise got suspended on a floor with motion sensors (something which we'll remember through one of the scenes in "Ghost Protocol" featuring Cruise's co-star Jeremy Renner), or that scene in the second film where Cruise climbed a steep mountain. Well, what could be more death-defying than crawling Dubai's Burj Khalifa (a.k.a. the tallest building in the world) a la Spiderman - but with a pair of electromagnetic gloves? That scene featuring the 49-year-old Cruise will more than likely be an iconic, worth-remember one in recent film history.
That scene is one of those shot using IMAX cameras, making us feel at some points as if we're with Cruise in trudging the Burj. As the cameras follow him looking down 100-plus floors below, and as we see him almost falling after one of his supposedly hi-tech gloves disintegrates, our legs couldn't keep still. And if you really have a bad fear of heights, you might feel like puking.
The action never stops in this more than two-hour film, which finds Hunt with a mission of stopping a treacherous madman (Michael Nyqvist) from releasing a nuclear bomb that could put the human race in deep peril; the latter believes that it is only by sacrificing human lives can world peace be finally achieved. The gravity of this mission may well be associated to the second film, in which Hunt and his team had to destroy a deadly virus before it wipes everyone out.
Agent Hunt is not alone in this mission as he reunites with technical field agent Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and works with new faces Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and desk analyst William Brandt (Renner), and of course with the help of their eye-popping, cool gadgets. We'll also find them globe-trotting, from Moscow to Dubai and Mumbai, conquering enormous heights, sandstorms, and yes, even bad, bad traffic while that signature theme song by Lalo Schifrin plays in the background. It's also admirable how Hunt's team kept pushing themselves to their limits especially when things go wrong.
Brad Bird and his writers André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum give us breathers by injecting humor in scenes. While "Ghost Protocol" marks Bird's entry in the live-action film department, his experience in making animated flicks (with "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" in his credit) helped further build action and intensity in the film. He intelligently incorporated his know-how, thus, keeping every moment gripping, exciting, and energetic.
Hats off to Cruise, Rener, Pegg, and Patton as their imperfect yet formidable team develop rapport as the film progresses, but are also given enough opportunities to shine individually. The biggest spotlight, of course, is on Cruise. He may not be as young as when he did the first film, but he still possesses the same stamina and passion. And we wouldn't contest; after all, it was Cruise himself who did his stunt up there at the Burj Khalifa!
Expect twists in "Ghost Protocol," especially on Renner's character. It may not be such a breakthrough, but the revelation scene best highlights the humanity among the characters, and how they had to make tough choices for the ones they deeply care about.
Well, Burj Khalifa down, what could be next? Mt. Everest? Not impossible - right, Agent Hunt?
"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" is now showing in theaters worldwide.
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