Movie Review: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

I would like to begin this post by wishing everyone a very Happy New Year 2012. I wish you good health, happiness, success and prosperity in the new year.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported my blog thus far and helped me improve on it with their valuable feedback.

Now, coming back to my post...

Movie Review: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

A few weeks ago, I went to catch the screening of the much awaited Mission Impossible - Ghost protocol. I have been a huge fan of the Mission Impossible series and I always wait with great gusto for the next installment to come out. As a child, my favorite superhero was Spiderman but as an adult, my two favorites have been Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt. I enjoyed the previous three Mission impossible movies (I and III especially) so I was eagerly awaiting to watch this one. I hold the director Brad Bird in high esteem as The Incredibles and Ratatouille are two movies which rank at the top of my list of greatest animated movies of all time. Although I didn't doubt his capability, I was certainly curious to see how he would contribute to this hugely successful and highly anticipated action-packed series. 

The movie screening was in IMAX, one of my favorite theaters in Singapore. With larger-than-life crystal clear images on a gigantic screen, enhanced by state-of-the-art digital surround sound, watching a movie there is an incredibly thrilling experience.

***Plot***

The movie opens with the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) trying to intercept a courier in Budapest working for a mystery man code named "Cobalt'. The mission fails just as it reaches completion when Agent Hanaway is shot by a female assassin. 

Next we see a very short-handed IMF team composed of agent Jane Carter and computer whiz Benjii Dunn attempting a rescue operation of agent Ethan Hunt who has somehow landed himself in a Moscow prison. In the middle of the rescue however, Hunt has other ideas and drags along with him a bewildered cellmate whom he later delivers to safety. He then learns that their next mission is to gain access into the Moscow Kremlin archives impersonating a Russian general and steal some very important documents identifying Cobalt. After infiltrating the Kremlin the team discover much to their alarm that their radio frequency has been intercepted and a message broadcast alerting Russian police to the break in. Minutes later, a bomb detonates inside the building killing several people. The IMF team manage to escape in the nick of time but realize that they are now under scrutiny by the Russian government for perpetrating the crime and run the risk of being labelled terrorists.  

Hunt secretly meets with the IMF secretary and his chief analyst, William Brandt where he is informed that the President has initiated a ghost protocol (meaning that the IMF is now disavowed and all support withdrawn). As the meeting is in progress, they come under attack by Russian security forces and Hunt narrowly escapes along with Brandt. The IMF secretary however, succumbs to the attack. 

From there onwards, the four of the surviving members of the IMF are in a race against time to clear their organization's name. With the help of Brandt, the team identifies Cobalt as Kurt Hendricks, an eccentric Russian nuclear strategist who plans to start a nuclear war. They discover that it was Hendricks who bombed the Kremlin and then acquired a Russian nuclear launch-control device. He would now need its codes from the Budapest courier in order to launch a nuclear missile at America. 

The movie then darts from the of the sandy landscapes of Dubai with the imposing Burj Khalifa at its crux to the fascinating cultural splendor of India where the mission enters its thrilling climax. This is one fast paced roller coaster ride with not a dull moment in sight.

My thoughts...

This is a visually spectacular movie. There were several moments in this movie where I thought my heart would stop beating. The action scenes filmed in Dubai are nothing short of mind boggling. It is enough to give anyone an acute case of vertigo! Watching any movie at IMAX is watching it at its best. Unobstructed panoramic views place you right in the on-screen action. 

In addition to the incredible action sequences, there are certain scenes in the movie which strike an emotional cord with the audience and thereby adds more depth to the movie. 

Coming to the performances, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt is just as brilliant as he was in the previous movies. Kudos to him for performing his own stunts. The gorgeous Paula Patton as Jane Carter holds her own, Simon Pegg as Benjii Dunn with his delightful accent provides the light-hearted moments and Jeremy Renner as William Brandt is exceptional. Anil Kapoor as rich Indian playboy Brij Nath has a tiny cameo but manages to inject a few laughs with his over the top portrayal.

My only three tiny complaints are that I would have liked to hear more of the original Mission Impossible music (I never get tired of listening to it), I would have loved to see the face mask trick scene that the previous movies had (I just find that thrilling) and I wish that the villain had been more....well....villainous (don't we all love a good baddie). But then again, if the mission of this movie was to entertain you then in my case at least, 'Mission Accomplished'.

Don't miss this one people....my suggestion though would be to watch it at IMAX if you want to enhance your viewing experience a 100-fold.


My rating for this movie is,

Cheers,

Megha