The trailer for Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol is a work of art. From the moment I first saw it, I couldn’t wait for it to arrive in theatres. The trouble with a good trailer, however, is that the movie sometimes doesn’t live up to the hype (i.e. Knight and Day, 2009) So while I anticipate, I also worry a little. Will the long-awaited film deliver?
Mission Impossible 4 might… just might… be the best of the series. I only say ‘might’ because I thought JJ Abrams did wonders with #3, especially after #2’s embarrassing display. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays an intense bad guy and keeps #3 on its toes. What makes #4 better?
Ghost Protocol starts out quick and loud and keeps going at a smart pace through to the end. The story isn’t overly brilliant or original, the disavowed team desperately tracks down missing nuclear launch codes and warhead, but it works enough for the MI franchise. The point here is action, and there’s plenty of that. But there’s also the personal angle in which we find out what’s been going on with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt lately (remember his wife?) and how the new team, featuring familiar face Simon Pegg (Star Trek) as Benji as well as new-comers Paula Patton (Jumping the Broom) as Jane and Jeremy Renner (The Town) as Brandt, end up on the same dangerous mission. They track the bad guys, a trio of uninteresting take-over-the-world types, around the globe, hitting exotic locales such as Dubai and Mumbai. These locations lend to the beauty of this ‘action’ picture, the colors and landscapes and architecture popping off the screen. Of course, seeing it in digital IMAX enhances that to the Nth degree, and as a ‘movie geek’ my breath was literally taken away.
While director Brad Bird paid attention to visual details, he also incorporated stunning sound effects and background music that make the picture complete.
My favorite part? Hands down, Jeremy Renner. From the trailer, I thought maybe he’d be a bad guy. Spoiler alert (if you thought the same as I did), he’s a great part of the team and lends power to the overall cast. Yes, even standing next to almighty Cruise (in case you didn’t catch it, that was ‘tongue-in-cheek’). There’s definitely a reason Renner was Oscar nominated for his performance in Hurt Locker. He’s got the goods, and he continues to prove it in Ghost Protocol. He even gets the honor of uttering my favorite line in the whole movie – but you’ll have to go see it to find out what he said.
MI4:Ghost Protocol is a solid action movie perfect for the coveted holiday season. If you liked the others (minus #2 of course), you’ll love this one too. I’d see it again in a heartbeat and it’s already on ‘the list’ for future BluRay buys. In my world, that means quite a bit.
