Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

          To be honest, I expected Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol to be much worse. One of my biggest pet peeves is movies that expand past a trilogy like Shrek, Indiana Jones, and Pirates of the Caribbean, but this was one of the few that turned out incredibly well. Personally, my 3 favorite trilogy expansions are Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Live Free or Die Hard, and Terminator Salvation. 

          Before seeing it, I was skeptical of how it would turn out partially because of the director Brad Bird. Originally an animator for Disney, Bird has made other movies such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille, but I did not know if he would make a good live-action director. I consider the movie to be a success so that issue has been resolved. 

          However, I probably should have recognized that J. J. Abrams (director of Lost, Mission Impossible 3, Star Trek, and Super 8) was producing and writing MI4 and began with higher expectations. Luckily, I was proved wrong because Ghost Protocol was phenomenal.

          Like any other Mission Impossible film, the gadgets are absolutely amazing. Every mission includes something new that takes your breath away. I would rather not give away the details because it makes for a good surprise, but I will say that they rival gadgets from the James Bond films.

          During and between missions, the dialogue between characters is hilarious.  I found that most of this is due to Simon Pegg and the writing of J. J. Abrams.  The wonderful dialogue keeps the viewers entertained during the slow parts. This makes for a fast paced movie because you don’t necessarily recognize the slow parts.

          Without revealing too much, I will say that I loved Jeremy Renner and his character. I feel like he is slowly breaking from his normal characters which I have been waiting for. Hopefully, he will completely break free in The Bourne Legacy. His character has an emotionally conflicting past that adds to the film’s complexity.  When his character and his motives were revealed, my jaw literally dropped.

          For a director that has never done a live-action film, Brad Bird used some incredible cinematography. The scene where this is the most noticeable is with the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest skyscraper in Dubai. If you have seen the trailer, you would know that Tom Cruise has to climb on the outside of the building. For a person who isn’t scared by heights, I felt quite anxious because of the well planned shots.

          I am not sure if this was because of the movie theater or the sound editing within the actual film, but I thought that the sound effects were much too vibrant. It wasn’t the volume but the amplitude of the gunshots, doors slamming, and windows breaking.  I found it quite distracting and it almost gave me a headache.

          MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!

          While I thoroughly enjoyed MI4, there were some things that I was displeased with. Josh Holloway (Sawyer from Lost) was killed in the very first scene which was a major disappointment because he seemed so awesome. The film definitely started out with a bang, than was silenced with his death. I felt like his character’s death was necessary to the plot but I was sad to see him go so quickly.

          At the beginning, I was upset that Ving Rhames was not apart of the film. In one of the last scenes, he is introduced with a very non-dramatic entrance which was incredibly disappointing.

          Also, I was upset that Michelle Monaghan was killed off in this film. Her character was lovable and added to Cruise’s character. However, I was quite pleased by the plot twist of her actually being alive. Her death was a cover up to protect her from people against the IMF. In the end, I was very happy with her character’s reappearance and the amazing storyline thanks to J. J. Abrams.

          Overall, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is one of the best action movies I have seen in a while. I have already made plans to see it again. So far, it is the best of the series and I am hoping that the franchise keeps going.