Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Out with the old, and in with the... old.

    For those of us still lingering in the recent celebration of New Years, the saying, "Out with the old, and in with the new" holds a prevalent place in our hearts. The new year is the time for resolutions: our own inward expectations that allow us to grow and mature as people. New things are always exciting no matter their significance because it gives us opportunity to distance ourselves from the memories of our past-- whether they be comforting or disheartening-- and take steps forward. Unlike it's antecedents, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol outfits itself in completely new gear, or likes to think so. The IMF is completely disavowed after being wrongfully blamed for a terrorist bombing of the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, and leader of the IMF, gathers together a rag-tag team of agents and sets out to redeem their name, all while following through on their initial assignment: prevent impending nuclear war.

     The Mission: Impossible series dates back to when special effects and graphical enhancements were starting to make huge leaps and bounds in the film-making industry. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol takes a page from the Mission: Impossible collection and runs with it; however, in the process, it creates its own original twist. Of course, this movie has tons of special effects and many things do get blown up, but unlike the previous installments in the series, Ethan and his group of understudies have to provide for themselves. No longer can they make silly mistakes and hope they get patched up by someone upstairs; they are all that remains of the IMF and if they slip up, they will be deemed terrorists.

     Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol introduces a new setting for the story, but it leaves the rest to tradition. The plot is predictable and the progression of the film feels too familiar. Issues with originality aside, this film plays in the perfect territory and puts up a good fight. By no means will this film cause you to second guess your initial suspicions of how the film will come to a close, but it will make you appreciate just how advanced computer technology has become in the past couple years. The gadgets used by the team are pretty awe inspiring and the green screen effects are very well executed and incredibly convincing. Tom Cruise does a good job in his role as Ethan Hunt. There was nothing outlandish or stellar about his performance aside from the fact that he was able to do some of the stunts at his age. Tom Cruise is a prolific actor and is certainly an accomplished one, but in this movie, I felt like the performance was not truly convincing. Cruise may have been struggling from the same restraints as Keanu Reeves as Leo in The Matrix, but his monotonous expressions and universally unemotional reactions to various events made me question his dedication to the character. Ethan Hunt does have a lot of baggage, and I would not expect a ton of emotion from such a figure, but a smile here, a tear there, or a gasp at some point would have made me believe he was a more complete and compelling character. The supporting characters in the movie were well picked and gave great performances. Simon Pegg, playing Benji Dunn, gave an especially entertaining exposé of his talent in comedic situations.

     The cinematography in this movie is just fine for an action movie. Brad Bird, the director of the film, helped ease the rather vacuous story along with clever camera movements and complex scene effects but the direction alone was not enough to pick up the slack of the writing and acting crews. There were times in the movie when I would have preferred wide angle shots as opposed to close up views of character expressions, but this was not my production to direct, so I respect the choices made by Mr. Bird.

     Like all action films, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is pretty violent. Guns are generally the weapon of choice and they are discharged quite often. I was able to stomach the Mission: Impossible movies as I child, but be wary of whether or not you are going to allow a child to see this movie. As usual, it is your decision as supervising guardian. Considering this movie is PG-13, kids 13+ should definitely be able to handle even the most intense moments of violence in this move. 

     This movie has no prerequisites per se, but it might be a good idea to check out the previous Mission: Impossible titles, and it may even be smart to glance at the original television series the movie series draws inspiration from. Upon entering the theater, be prepared to be wowed by the caliber of the explosions and the incredible collection of close calls, but do not go in expecting to see a nominee for best picture of 2011.

Ratings:

Direction: 3/4 - It wasn't amazing. It was well done, but it wasn't amazing. The direction helped carry the movie along but fell short to other outstanding jobs of direction currently in theaters.

Casting: 3.5/4 - Tom Cruise, the godfather of the series, was of course the main character and rightfully so. The supporting cast was very well put together and collectively gave compelling performances.

Acting: 3/4 - I would have preferred a more convincing depiction of Ethan Hunt, but what I got was acceptable. The supporting cast, however, really pulled out the stops.

Effects/Art Direction: 3/4 - This movie probably used really advanced, expensive equipment to portray is action scenes. I was expecting a little more action and destruction, but nevertheless, the effects and art direction were very well thought out.

Promotion: 3.5/4 - I saw almost too many commercials for this movie. That's good! Repetition is good! I would recommend a little variety in the commercials, but as long as it gets people familiar with the title, it's done its job well enough.

Length: 1/4 - Maybe it was the thin, conflicted story line but this movie felt like it dragged on for quite some time. Granted it wasn't as bad as Titanic (in terms of length), but I can't help but wonder if there was some plot device that could have been used to make the movie feel shorter or more fast paced.

Overall Rating: 2.8 STARS/ 4 STARS (Just short of excellence!)

--Zach Cohen

Here's the trailer: