MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)

MyRating: YYYY

Director: Brad Bird

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Samuli Edelmann, Léa Seydoux, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapoor , Tom Wilkinson

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is another action movie that will stun you with its high-octane and adrenaline-rush action sequences, after the highly entertaining and full-speed adrenaline-pumping Fast Five this year. Some of the scenes may make you hold your breath (and maybe open your mouth) due to its unbelievably crazy actions and stunts. Tom Cruise seems to be enjoying and addicted to jumping from high-rise buildings. After the bungee jump he did from the top of Bank of China Tower building in Shanghai in Mission: Impossible III (2006), now he is climbing the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, a building with 829.84 m (2,723 feet) height and 160 floors. Our world really needs to build more taller skycrapers for him to jump in his next movies.

Being accused of involving in a fatal terrorist bombing attack in Russia, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his new team members are left alone to take the blame, as the U.S. government activates "Ghost Protocol" that shuts down the entire IMF (Impossible Missions Force) organization. Hunted by the Russians and disbanded by their own government, Ethan and his team must move fast in a mission to stop the enemy mastermind from jeopardizing the world with a nuclear war threat, and to clear their organization's name, as well as theirs.

Fast-paced, and full with gripping and intense actions, Brad Bird (the director of The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille), who directed his live action movie for the first time, has successfully made another great fun Mission: Impossible movie that will put this franchise in the high level of pride and expectations, after the good things that J.J. Abrams brought and did in Mission: Impossible III. This fourth installment of the series has a highly enjoyable storyline with Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible big screen version and style of 'IMF team in a dangerous mission', which showcasing their use of sophisticated high-tech gadgets, and of course, full-blown actions.

This movie has beautiful sceneries of many exotic places, from Budapest to Moscow (into the heart of The Kremlin), and from Dubai to Mumbai. As I watched this in a normal theater, I can only imagine how great this film will look like in the IMAX theater (the movie was partially shot using IMAX cameras), especially the Burj Khalifa building climbing scene that will put your vertigo level at test. The dialogs between the characters were well written and the movie also gave enough room for other main characters to shine.

The cast was solid. I always like Tom Cruise, as I think he is one of the great actors Hollywood ever has, who never seems to lose his energy. And as Ethan Hunt, he seemed to channel all of his energy perfectly with running and fighting and jumping and doing other unbelievable action stunts by his own, including hanging and swinging in the heights of Burj Khalifa building. I think I saw more Tom Cruise rather than Ethan Hunt here (as his big name, personality and ego are much bigger than his character), but we can also see how he was really committed in all that he did in this movie and gave all that he could in bringing us a high class and a top-notch action movie. And he has the charms as a megastar leading actor. He always does.

The addition of Jeremy Renner, one of the hottest comodity in Hollywood nowadays and a two-times Academy Award nominees in two years in a row with The Hurt Locker and The Town, was a smart choice from the producer. He played an IMF analyst William Brandt, who possesses extra skills that other normal analysts don't possess, but with his own secret and past. He was cool here, and it was interesting to see him being paired up with Tom Cruise as a team. Renner has his own moment when in one scene he has to jump into a ventilating shaft with a horizontal flying body position, that reminding us with the same famous style that Tom Cruise did in the first movie.

After also appearing in Mission: Impossible III, Simon Pegg has a bigger role and screen time here as agent Benji Dunn, who just got promoted as a field agent. He has the expertise with computers and hacking into security systems. His character was funny and a smile teaser of this movie, with many of his funny lines that will definitely make you smile. I think Pegg did shine in his own way in this film. And as the only woman in the team, Paula Patton also gave a good and enjoyable performance as agent Jane Carter, a one-tough-chick who kicks ass and has a revenge to make.

Top cast, exotic places, awesome action concept and sequences, supported with a good script, what else do you need in order to make a real thrilling action movie? It has the complete package, with lots of explosions, dangerous stunts, car chase, bare hand fightings and dust storm, including an explosion that threw a car and landed just inches from the running Tom Cruise. The prison breakout scene in the beginning of the movie, and the intense final fighting scene in the car assembly warehouse, began and ended the movie with full punches.

Tom Cruise's memorable and spectacular Burj Khalifa building scene, which is the highlight of this movie and will be remembered for years to come, may be a bit over-the-top. But that is what you pay to see in a Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible movie. And as the scene was very well shot and directed, and well acted, that made it looked believable and thrilled you at your seat, at the end you will not mind if some of the things you see are not making sense at all.

It has been a good long journey for Tom Cruise and his 'Mission Impossible'. I hated and didn't enjoy the first Mission: Impossible (1996, directed by Brian De Palma) at all. The second Mission: Impossible II (2000) was okay, with John Woo turned it into a Hong Kong style action movie. The third one by J.J. Abrams, Mission: Impossible III (2006), was surprisingly great and highly entertaining, and without a doubt the best of the three. And this latest sequel, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), was another good example of a great action movie that knows how to deliver rock-solid action scenes. Be prepared for adrenaline-rush, as this is the movie that will surely satisfy the adrenaline junkies. (MJ)

MYMOVIE CRITIC - REVIEWING MOVIES FROM THE AUDIENCE'S STANDPOINT