Review of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) by Doctor S — 10 Mar 2013

Outstanding over-the-top action film that redeems the Mission: Impossible brand back to the escapist thrills provided by the original way back in 1996. And in so doing, Ethan Hunt eclipses James Bond as the movies' leading top-secret spy with better stunts, better support staff, better gadgets, and better action.

Brad Bird takes the giant leap from directing animated Pixar characters to incorporating some of the most incredibly believable special effects for this real-life cast to contend with. Hold your breath as Ethan climbs the exterior of the tallest building in the world, escapes from a Russian prison, and pursues a man on foot and by car during a violent sandstorm! What Bird's much more famous predecessors John Woo and JJ Abrams failed to do with M:I 2 and M:I 3 respectively was incorporate any effective elements of humor. Look, this crazy shit ain't real, so don't go acting like the end of the world is the end of the world. Right? Instead Bird skilfully sticks in some comic relief in unexpected places, rather than a cliched clunky catchphrase to conclude an action scene. The gadgets serve this purpose wonderfully, as these experimental devices don't always function properly. When has Bond's gear ever let him down? His perfection and proficiency is so predictable, whereas Ethan Hunt contends with a faulty self-destruct device, a inconveniently mounted retinal scanner, and malfunctioning sticky gloves.

I often grow tired of movies that rely upon an action overload and they don't come any more jam-packed than Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol but the seamless special effects, explosive fight choreography, and engaging characters allowed me to enjoy almost every minute of it. Certainly enough to overlook the logic lapses, like what happens with moving their hallway screen in the more-than-likely case there are protruding lamps or paintings on the walls? And are automobiles really assembled with a full tank of gas? Never mind, I look forward to their next Mission.