Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Review
When the original Mission Impossible film came out in 1996 it was definitely quite thrilling. As good as it was, it was definitely a quick burning flame as subsequent Mission Impossible films quickly tarnished the brand into the trash bin. So now, 15 years after the original film, the Mission Impossible series has been reborn as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
The best thing that can be said about Ghost Protocol is that it fails to shoot itself in the foot. The previous sequels contained elements that were just so outrageously fake that any suspension of disbelief goes right out the window. The goal for Mission Impossible movies is to push the limits of what could really be feasible in the top secret of spies, without crossing that threshold into absurdity. With this, Ghost Protocol does a pretty good job.
Yes, there still are extraordinary stunts. A great example of that are the scenes at, or rather outside, the Burj Dubai. Out of the ordinary? Definitely. Feasible? Sure. It was definitely exciting to watch and with my acrophobia, my heart was pounding from just watching it. I think something that helped out with making it feel more believable is the injection of human imperfection into Cruise’s character. Instead of being a machine who can do anything, anytime, Cruise now plays someone who is a bit past his prime, and who recognizes that. Whether it be the hesitations before acrobatics, or the hesitancy before something dangerous, Cruise seems to be much more relatable yet still highly skilled and talented.
One interesting thing with this movie is that it seems like Tom Cruise is trying to turn the Mission Impossible franchise into a sort of James Bond-like series. I foresee a new and stand alone MI film coming out every couple years. The success of this will obviously depend on how well the films continue to do.
There still were some low points however. Casting is where things took the biggest hit with the largest disappointment being Paula Patton in general. There were times where I felt like I was in the twilight zone or something because her acting skills just seemed terrible. I’m not a huge Jeremy Renner fan either but I’ll him in the acceptable disappointment category. Overall, the movie is good and entertaining. It’s not on the level where you’re going to rush to get the blu-ray as soon as it comes out, but you’ll enjoy it.