Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - (December 16, 2011 – IMAX release; December 21, 2011 – Wide release): PG-13
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #3 with $13,600,000 (limited release)
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $13,600,000
Gross Revenue: $81,800,000
Production Budget: $140 million
Director: Brad Bird
For the past fifteen years, the Mission: Impossible series has set the gold-standard for spy films, offering genuine espionage narratives filled with intense action and awesome gadgets; Tom Cruise has led each entry as the likeably badass super-agent Ethan Hunt, my previous favorite being John Woo’s Mission: Impossible II from 2000. Needless to say, regardless of Cruise’s questionable personal life, Paramount wouldn’t have too big a challenge in selling audiences on another sequel to the familiar and popular franchise, but that didn’t stop aggressive marketing tactics such as the BMW cross promotion that highlighted the cars that would be appearing on-screen. One big question mark involved director Brad Bird’s involvement…granted, he has had considerable financial and critical success in the animated realm (I trust titles like The Incredibles and Ratatouille ring a bell), but there was something uncertain about handing over control of a high-profile sequel for his first live-action film. Now, seeing an action film like Ghost Protocol in IMAX seems like a no-brainer, but Paramount took an extra step to draw in an audience for early IMAX showings…the first 6 minutes of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Dark Knight Rises would screen ahead of the film, and that fact alone guaranteed my advanced purchase. As a fan of the franchise, I was looking forward to Ghost Protocol, but in retrospect, I was vastly unprepared for the film’s insanely high quality.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol starts as an IMF agent is killed by an assassin during a high-risk assignment in Budapest; field agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) then extract Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) from a maximum security Russian prison in order to complete the mission. Hunt and his team infiltrate the Moscow Kremlin archives in order to identify a person of interest known only as “Cobalt,” but the mission is compromised and a bomb ends up destroying the Kremlin. As Hunt is extracted from Moscow, the IMF Secretary (Tom Wilkinson) explains that the Russians have blamed the attack on the IMF as an undeclared act of war, prompting the president to activate “Ghost Protocol,” a contingency that disavows the entire IMF, leaving Ethan and the rest of his team as unsupported fugitives and accused terrorists. Just as Ethan is introduced to chief analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), the convoy is ambushed by a Russian security team in an attack that claims the life of the secretary. Narrowly escaping, Hunt and Brandt identify Cobalt as Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), a strategist who has stolen a nuclear codes and a launch-control device and intends to start a worldwide nuclear war. Embarking on an adventure that takes the team from Dubai to Mumbai, Hunt and his fellow agents race to clear their names and prevent a veritable nuclear holocaust.
Now, the previous Mission: Impossible films have always offered high levels of action, but Ghost Protocol is like a shot of adrenaline, because start to finish, the jaw-dropping action just does NOT stop. Each action sequence showcases gutsy stunts and incredible gadgetry that draws on imagination and bends physics in such a strong way that you at first think you might be watching a cartoon, but it is just believable enough to be unbearably awesome. The standout scene involves the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, where Tom Cruise scales the building from the 110th floor using special adhesive gloves; in IMAX especially, the scene is so engaging and edgy that you will be on the edge of your seat the entire time…the audience broke out in applause, a relatively rare occurrence in theaters. It is also surprising that Tom Cruise still embodies a believable action hero, bringing back the stylish twist to the superspy that would have you believe Ethan Hunt is not only able to steal a woman from James Bond, but would also kick his ass afterwards. Based on his ability to film those action sequences alone, Brad Bird more than proves his competence as a live-action director, but the other surprising aspect of Ghost Protocol involves its pacing and humor, which maintains such a high level of energy that you are disappointed when the over two-hour running time concludes.
Though it is not billed as a comedy in any way, shape, or form, make no mistake when I say that Ghost Protocol is funny, blending the considerable action with sarcastic and self-aware humor that will have you laughing and then gasping when a huge explosion levels a building. Anytime you think the dialogue or story gets a little corny, the film makes fun of itself before you get a chance to criticize. Tom Cruise may be the star of the film, but his supporting cast is easily the best of any previous Mission: Impossible entry…Jeremy Renner is brutal and noble, sharing an almost fraternal bond with Cruise; Simon Pegg is innocent, funny, and sarcastic; and Paula Patton is an unbelievably sexy femme fatale that will seduce you and then beat the hell out of you. As far as the plot goes, Ghost Protocol is complicated but surprisingly easy to follow, more so than some of the series prequels; in fact the only real aspect in which this film doesn’t surpass its predecessors is the one-dimensional and nonthreatening villain, but I doubt most moviegoers will notice, much less care. All-in-all, this fact combines with the other accolades to make this newest entry an unbelievably well-made action film that is not only the best action film in years, but also a reverent must-see for any fan of the Mission: Impossible series.
Now, I realize that Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol has yet to be released in all theaters, but the exclusive IMAX and large-format domestic showcase and international release has already drawn a considerable audience. Drawing $13 million and a third place opening on IMAX screenings alone is impressive, but over $68 million in 38 overseas markets shows that Ghost Protocol has already covered more than half of its production budget before wide release. Critical praise has been through the roof, so positive word of mouth should build enough buzz for a strong Holiday Movie Season haul. Given how much I enjoyed the film, I was understandably thrilled when it was announced that Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Brad Bird have all expressed interest in returning for a fifth Mission: Impossible adventure…I’d buy my ticket tomorrow. Everyone knows the theme song, everyone knows the star, and I hope that this review is now enough to convince you that everyone needs to know that Ghost Protocol is the new gold-standard for the action genre that both deserves and demands your attention.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
