Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol

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Review by Sean Lynch

Tom Cruise is one of those stars, in the same realm as Russell Crowe, whose public persona has become so prominent and easy to ridicule that it overshadows what they do for a day job. 

So I'm the first to admit that when the name Tom Cruise pops up in my brain, my first thought is always "Eeek, his movies suck!".

But here's the thing - having recently re watched the Mission Impossible trilogy on Blu Ray I've quickly been reminded that Tom Cruise is the last of a dying breed. He is a bonafide, 100%, no arguments, "Movie Star". 

The moment a Cruise flick starts you completely forget all about that Scientology, jumping on couches bizzo - and are transported into the world of the film.

It's astonishing (to double check, I even re watched War of the Worlds and Minority Report), his presence just absorbs your full attention. With Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol  it's exactly the same - Cruise is this franchise and he keeps you watching until the end credits roll!

That said, Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol is a pretty cracking action adventure in it's own right (for the record, in terms of quality : 3, 4, 1, 2).

With Pixar guru Brad Bird at the helm this time around, this surprisingly humour filled edition of the franchise (one of it's strengths has always been that it gives it's directors the chance to be 100% committed to their own individual visual styles) kicks off with all guns blazing and rarely slows down.

The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in a global terrorist bombing plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated and Ethan Hunt and his rogue new team must go undercover to clear their organization's name. 

No help, no contact, off the grid.

The visuals are sublime, with sequences spanning across the globe - 30 minutes of which are shot in eye poppingly awesome IMAX - in some of the most interesting locations yet seen in an action film.

The much talked about "World's Tallest Building" scene is worth the hype (especially if seen on IMAX screens) delivering vertigo challenging moments that will have you wanting to see it again just to experience it again.

There are some nice moments of continuity, which seperates the franchise just enough from it being regarded as "An American Bond" rip off, and newbies Simon Pegg and Paula Patton provide plenty of freshness.

Ghost Protocol does fall short occasionally when it tries to inject some "Character Building" moments for Paramount's "Great White Hope" Jeremy Renner (aka : Daniel Craig V2.0), but aside from it's blatant attempts to trick audiences into thinking Renner is something he just isn't at the moment, Bird has created one of the best popcorn action flicks of the year.

For movie nerds, your mission - if you choose to accept it - is to check the movie out in IMAX as the prologue to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises plays before each screening (and while not as gritty and awe inspiring as The Dark Knight's prologue) it certainly is an epic teaser to what will be one of the biggest movies of next year.

Now, enough blabber, let's all go to the DVD store and have a Cruise / Crowe marathon to remind us of just how TV and tabloids ruin our memories of genuine movie stars.

4 out of 5

Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Australian release: 15th December, 2011
Official Site: Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames, Josh Holloway
Director: Brad Bird