Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol

Once I heard that Brad Bird was the director of “Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol”, I was very interested in this movie. Considering that this is the first live action film from the two-time Oscar winning director of “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille”, it is impressive. It is my third favorite “Mission” movie because I like it a lot more than the second film and just a bit more than its successor. Due to the fact that J. J. Abrams is still the producer, “Ghost Protocol” does not ignore the events of the previous film. This is a departure from the other movies in the franchise in which you could watch any “Mission: Impossible” movie without having to watch the previous films. This acknowledgment of the events of the previous movie did work however. I could sense Bird’s direction in many parts of the movie. The Burj Khalifa sequence is very impressive.

At the beginning of the film, we are given hints as to what happened with Ethan and Julia after the events of the third film and it raises quite a few questions. It isn't until over half way through this movie that we are given the answers but by the end of the film, we get the resolution we need. The opening sequences in the prison and in the Kremlin are fun. I particularly love the newest gadget of the IMF: the hallway screen and camera. The anxiety and humour of that scene was very well portrayed. By the way, you really see how well the IMF has taken to Mac products. These sequences however are nothing compared to what the team goes through in Dubai: a mission fraught with more problems than any other in the franchise. This is also the first time that the franchise visits the middle east. The establishing shot of the city is very impressive with its scope contrasting the desert and highway in the foreground. Then we get a great shot of the Burj Khalifa from straight down. I really wish I had seen this movie in IMAX. Nevertheless, I still got chills as Tom Cruise stepped outside the first time I saw it and I still do after multiple viewings. That particular shot in which the camera goes from inside the room to outside looking down is very cool and this is in part due to the sound effects. Brad Bird really had fun and did very well with those IMAX cameras but I can’t say that honestly because I did not see this film in IMAX as I said. As you might expect, Cruise did his own stunts outside the tower. Considering that this is the tallest building in the world, I thought that it was quite a step up from other feats that he had done previously in this film series. Little did I know that Cruise would go even bigger in the next instalments. Other actors in "Ghost Protocol" followed his example in that the fight between Carter and Moreau is done without stunt doubles. As mentioned, the Burj Khalifa scene is great in that the mission is encountering all sorts of glitches. This increases the anxiety and adds to the fun. One story problem with this movie that I have is that unlike the first and third films in the series, our heroes do not successfully accomplish an impossible mission midway in the film. The reason why I like those movies more is because of the Langley and Vatican scenes. “Ghost-Protocol” had our heroes fail at both the Kremlin and in Dubai and I would have liked to see them win in either moment. I also wouldn’t have minded if more masks were used in the whole movie. As per tradition in this franchise, we have a character that repeats the move that Cruise did in the first film in the Langley vault. The slight difference is that in this movie, it is Brandt and he is magnetically hovering above a huge fan instead of dangling from a cable. The climax did have a sense of hopelessness up until the last minute so that is good. I agree with Luther. What Ethan says was kind of corny.

There are other elements that add to this film’s enjoyment. Simon Pegg’s larger role was very welcomed. He is a great at making you laugh. In 2011, Jeremy Renner made his first appearances in two highly successful franchises: the Marvel Cinematic Universe ("Thor") and this movie/franchise. I think he does better as Hawkeye though. Tom Wilkinson is this movie’s well-known actor playing the head of the IMF and his short scene was great. I was so happy when Ving Rhames and Michelle Monaghan showed up in the diminuendo but I wish that their roles were a little larger. Brad Bird snuck in something twice that is in most of his movies and I was pleased that I caught at least one of them in my first viewing of “Ghost-Protocol”. The number A-113 is on Hanaway’s ring which is a reference to his college classroom that he shared with John Lasseter, Tim Burton and others. A-113 is in a lot of Disney movies like the license plate of Andy’s Mom’s van in the “Toy Story” films. The other time Bird referenced A-113 in "Ghost Protocol" is "Rendezvous: Alpha 113". Another thing I noticed in the credits was that Oscar-winners John Knoll and Paul Hirsch from the first film are back as the special effects supervisor and film editor respectively. I did recognize a little bit of Hirsch’s touch throughout. The shot of the Kremlin blowing up however seemed a little unrealistic. Michael Giacchino’s work this time was fine but I felt he did a bit better in the last film. His music during the Kremlin scenes were really good but once we got to India, I got tired of the score obviously reflecting the culture of the scenes. I still long for Danny Elfman from the first film.

This movie may not have been exactly what I was expecting but I was entertained. The direction Brad Bird gave this movie was very noteworthy. The story was fun but you were missing some of the high drama of the third film. I was hoping however that with the success with “Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol” that Brad Bird wouldn't turn his back on animation. After making "Tomorrowland", Bird thankfully headed back to Pixar to make a highly demanded sequel. As for the "Mission" franchise, it has kept on going.

4 Stars