December 23, 2011 Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol
Studio: Paramount Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence.
As you would expect in a movie titled "Mission: Impossible"...things don't go very smoothly for our favorite secret agents in the fourth installment of the series.
To get things rolling, the Kremlin has been bombed...and the IMF is taking the blame. The president has initiated Ghost Protocol, meaning the IMF is disavowed and the agents are on their own.
A terrorist named Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) is the man responsible for the bombing in Russia...and now he wants to start a global war.
But IMF's best man, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has other ideas. Hunt and his fellow agents chase Hendricks to Dubai..and eventually to India.
Enroute to Mumbai, Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Benji (Simon Pegg) discuss how they're going to break into a supercomputer to hack it. It involves Brandt undertaking a dangerous move.
Once onsite...Brandt has to literally make a serious leap of faith. He must jump face certain death and jump straight down into a shaft, unless Benji's technology performs as planned and Brandt's magnetic suit averts disaster.
With eye-popping stunts, edge-of-your-seat tension, hard-hitting action and genuinely funny moments, "Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol" is a great time at the movies.
Cruise is back in full action-star form as he races to save the world. His co-stars shine. Renner brings a much-needed boost of pure acting talent, Pegg injects humor and charm...and Paula Patton (Jane) is all business as an agent dealing with personal loss.
Director Brad Bird has knocked it out of the park with his first live-action effort. Bird, who previously helmed "The Iron Giant", "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" shows that his talent isn't limited to animation.
His touch is all over this story. From the big sweeping stunts to the small moments of humor and sincerity, its a great balance and a fantastic job of directing.
The movie races from one thrilling scene to the next...whether it's escaping from a Russian prison, breaking into the Kremlin, surviving a raging sandstorm or scaling the world's tallest building, "Mission: Impossible" will please even the most hardcore action fans.
This might be the fourth movie in the series, but the franchise shows no signs of slowing down...and feels invigorated with this new chapter.
On my rating scale, "Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol" earns a HOME RUN.
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Charlie rushes to get a half-naked woman out of his bedroom before Chelsea (Jennifer Taylor) arrives
December 23, 2011
