Mission: Impossible - Phantom Protokoll

Mission: Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol captivated me to the core leaving me eager to relish it even in 2023. I wonder how astounding and exquisite the experience would be to watch such contents in 4D!

The movie's inception with a gripping prison break set the tone for a non-stop thrill ride considering we get an idea this is something big. The exhilarating momentum reached its zenith during the iconic Burj Khalifa scene which was marvelously shot! It's still one of the greatest scenes in the world of Cinema!

Tom Cruise's brilliance and the surreal work on the Burj, including the elevator sequence, left me in awe. Simon Pegg's resourcefulness and humor in action movies added a delightful charm.

The film's action and adventure never failed to entertain ensuring there was never a dull moment. The thrill remains intact, making it a delightful re-watch. I eagerly await more MI movies, hoping to watch one in 4D!

The movie presents a story that is absurd. Nevertheless, it is entertaining. The movie takes the players to many different parts of the world. How they get to these places the movie does not explain. At each place people are on the run, traps are being set, communications are tense, as the good guys and bad guys try to outwit the other. The movie is devoid of any overt political content, concentrating its attention on telling the story. Tom Cruise delivers an energetic performance that carries the movie. He is in almost every scene. The movie is never dull. For fans of action movies, this movie will not disappoint.

The first half of the movie is probably the best action movie of the last 20 years. It is intense, well shot, engaging and absolutely stunning visually. The stunts and action set in Budapest, Moscow and Dubai and are absolutely fantastic and make the movie. Unfortunately the movie slows down greatly in the second half of the movie (or is it two thirds/one third?) in Mumbai and loses itself in some common genre traps: too much explaining stuff that doesn't make sense and some fairly 'average' action. It's a small gripe, probably half explained by the fantastic beginning of the movie. The cast is the best of the series: Jeremy Renner is a good addition, Lea Seydoux is a pretty cool villain and the female lead whose name escapes me is somebody I wish I would have seen in another movie? And Cruise is Cruise, he's the man in this saga. A great movie overall, well done Brad Bird!

Saw this at a London IMAX press preview screening.

Clearly JJ Abram's mission impossible, should he choose to accept it, is to lead a talented team to resurrect a declining franchise and re-ignite it with renewed vigour and a very high dosage of fun and entertainment.

I'm glad to say, mission highly accomplished.

Brad Bird's first time direction of real actors (must have been a shock when they talked back at him) exhibits the same zestful energy and fun that we got from his animated films such as The Incredibles. Though not with the subtlety of his Iron Giant but this is Mission Impossible, so we cant expect that kind of subtlety here.

Story is outrageously OTT and thats how it should be for a franchise that violently throws plausibility out of the window with much deliberation. Not much else to say about the story apart from the fact that it can easily be translated into a Bond movie. We're in that kind of villainous territory here and it is fun.

The action sequences are inventive, relentless, fun and tense. Some scenes are filmed in IMAX format and when seen on an IMAX screen, are breathtaking and immersing.

As well as Brad Bird's energised and retro direction, the cast really sparkles too. Cruise rocks as an action stunt hero. In fact more so now than he ever did. His traditional self stunt work in this series continues to impress particular in his skyscraper scenes. There is also more playfulness and assuredness in a role he has now worn into nicely. Simon Pegg gets a delightfully big promotion to join Hunt's team making us laugh throughout the movie. And Paula Patton adds an elegant sexiness to the MI team missions. Another new addition to the team, Jeremy Renner also gels smoothly into the squad.

This film has drastically rejuvenated the franchise that I now highly anticipate further adventures of Ethan Hunt and his new vibrant team, equally or even more so than the next James Bond movie.

The first one was well made, but got boring. The second tried too hard to be cool. The third one was great, but the style was too jarring. The fourth one said: "screw it, let's just have some fun" and everyone else followed its lead.

Ghost Protocol might be the most rewatchable movie in the franchise (it's certainly the one I've rewatched the most). Its creative set piece, amazing stunts, likeable team, fast pace and perfect runtime make for an endlessly rewarding viewing experience.

It's a bit dissapointing that Luther only got a cameo at the end, but making Benji a field agent was one of the best desicions made in the series. The villain is the most boring in the franchise, but this is arguably the first MI movie to really focus on the whole main team and not just Ethan Hunt and I love it for that.

With its first three entries, the franchise was clearly trying to find its identity. Here, they finally found it, and I love it.