The irresistible epic spy film 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol'

Yes, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol runs on an absurd plot and head-scratchingly unnecessary complications, all set against an old Cold War backdrop where people with funny accents scramble for nukes. But within the world and logic that the film and the franchise establish, it all works. And besides, if you’re buying a ticket for a Mission Impossible flick it’s not like you’re looking for a quiet film that explores the depths of the human condition; you’re expecting exciting stunts, globe-trotting sets, cool gadgets, all around popcorn-munching action. 

 

Thinking about Mission Impossible as a franchise, it’s a wonder that it hasn’t gone stale and seems to be just as if not more popular with local viewers than the Bond movies. Considering that few viewers even remember the TV series (a childhood addiction to late night TV is the only reason I am aware of those early seasons), and this is the fourth installment in the film series, it’s a wonder that it remains fresh and keeps viewers headed to the theaters. 

 

Part of it is lead and producer Tom Cruise (who also tends to repel certain viewers), part of it is the big marketing push the movies get, but I think that the biggest thing that has helped this franchise remain viable is its recent choice of directors. 

 

The last film had J.J. Abrams, who finally delivered a true MI movie (Abrams continues to have a hand in the franchise, with producer credits and he brings the writing team Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, from Alias). Now we have Brad Bird, famous for Pixar’s The Incredibles, and in his first live action feature, he astounds. 

 

There’s a scale that Bird brings, making it an epic spy film. The settings are grand and majestic, and the camera sweeps and establishing shots are enough to justify the cost of admission. Even better, when the action happens, there’s a crispness and clarity to both the fight choreography and the way the scenes are shot that is refreshing at a time when too many directors are taking the shaky cam approach to action scenes, and a flurry of movement is all that we can discern sometimes. And just when you thought things were amazing in the last film, everything just goes to the next level here, whether they be chases (one here in a sandstorm!), to explosions, to the kinds of scenes that make you hold your breath (Tom Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, using a pair of high-tech sticky gloves that suffer from technical difficulties), to ones that are both exciting and funny (Jeremy Renner’s Agent Brandt having to jump down a shaft into a server room and Simon Pegg’s Benji having to catch him). 

 

Ghost Protocol begins with an intense chase scene and holds off on showing us Cruise’s Ethan Hunt for a few minutes to establish something about nuclear launch codes and a savvy female assassin’s taking out an Impossible Missions Forces agent (really, if you were hoping for something really smart and logical, you wouldn’t expect that from a franchise that names its elite cover ops unit the Impossible Missions Force right?). And where at the end of the last movie we had Hunt walking away from the IMF to settle down with his wife, here we find him in a Russian prison, being broken out by Benji who is now a field agent, and his teammate Jane (Paula Patton). They need Hunt’s help to stop something to do with those launch codes. But before they can even figure out what’s going on, a massive tragedy happens and gets pinned on the Americans. Thus is initiated Ghost Protocol, where all knowledge of the IMF is disavowed. Hunt and his new team are now out in the wind, rogue agents who have to uncover the plot and prevent the nuclear attack, all while they are being hunted themselves as terrorists.

 

Good stuff

 

Big plot in place, the movie gets to the good stuff. Lots of action, lots of chases, lots of cool gadgets as would be expected of a film like this. Unexpected and most welcome though, is that despite the backdrop of threatening Mutually Assured Destruction, there is a lot of humor. From small sight gags and witty quips to dialogue and scenes that take full advantage of Pegg’s comedic skills, and utilize these so that Cruise and Renner can play off of him, there’s a lighter, funnier feel to this than has ever been in Mission Impossible. 

 

As Ghost Protocol unfolds with one big action set piece after another, we don’t get a sense of story. But that isn’t what we’re here for. We’re here for escalation. We just know that there are some nukes and that’s bad. And they need to be stopped. In the meantime we are whisked away to exotic locales, shown high-tech gadgetry that we wished we could get our hands on, and driven through pulse-pounding complications leading to a truly awesome and memorable climactic face-off in a parking lot (okay, so a fight in a parking lot doesn’t sound that awesome, but trust me, when you see it you’ll know what I’m talking about). 

 

If you can, catch the film on IMAX, because the film’s scope justifies forking out that extra cash for the big screen. It’s big Hollywood popcorn fun that brings out the kid in me. I love the idea of a team working together, doing cool things with cool gadgets and saving the world. When it’s done in this way, it’s irresistible. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol seems an unlikely holiday flick, but it’s what I’ll be going with this Christmas week. –KG, GMA News