Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is the best in the series to date. For one thing, it feels closest to the fun atmosphere of the original TV series, and for another it provides a comparatively light hearted counterpoint to the darker previous instalment (which itself was the best in the series up to that point).

The globe-trotting plot is completely ridiculous – and massively entertaining – from start to finish. To be honest I wouldn’t like to spoil the ludicrous twists and turns, even those in the first act (one of which is spoilt in the trailer). This is far more enjoyable if you come to it knowing nothing whatsoever about the story.

That said, I can reveal that it features Tom Cruise back in action-packed form, looking only slightly older than he did in Top Gun (is the guy ever going to age?). He gets to wear the regulation silly disguises and climb the regulation ludicrously high landmark (in this case, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). The rest of the cast – including Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg – do well in their respective roles, especially Pegg whose tech support character behaves like a fanboy overwhelmed to be sharing scenes with Tom Cruise.

Director Brad Bird is mostly known for animated gems such as The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, but he makes the transition to big budget live action with no discernible hiccups. In fact, he is particularly adept at showing off expansive locations such as Red Square in Moscow and desert sandstorms in Dubai, as well as the hugely exciting action scenes. He handles his cast well too, getting plenty of laughs along the way courtesy of the witty screenplay. The one sort-of nit is the villain, who isn’t as memorably evil as the one in the previous film, but the rest is so enjoyable it seems churlish to complain.

In short, Ghost Protocol is a really, really fun action thriller that demands to be seen in the cinema on the biggest screen possible (for maximum vertigo-inducing impact in the Dubai sequences). Actually, it would make a fine holiday double bill with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, as both films are total nonsense but unashamedly entertaining. You’ll have a huge grin on your face coming out of both.

Simon Dillon, December 2011.