Movie Review: MI4 – Ghost Protocol

Director: Brad Bird

If you think age has slowed down Tom Cruise, wait till you see him fearlessly climb the tallest building in the world in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. OK, maybe that scene involved a couple special effects, but the stunt was cool nonetheless.

I haven’t seen any of the three previous M:I movies, so I’m not sure if that makes this an uneducated review or an unbiased one. Either way I was pretty giddy when the classic M:I theme song rolled around in the cheesy opening credits. Overall, the movie was about what I expected: mediocre plot, underwhelming twists and solid acting. Simon Pegg, who is the techy of the crew, plays an effective comic relief and probably the highlight of the movie for me. Surprising because Jeremy Renner is one of my favorite actors and his character didn’t do justice to his talent or the film. Cruise did a pretty good job, but what caught me by surprise in this movie were the abundance of sappy scenes. Cruise has more (un)motivational speeches than he does good stunts, and in one scene I couldn’t tell if Renner’s character was starting a bit or sincerely crying. The last 10 minutes of the movie were so cheesy that they may as well have stripped the script of a 90s Disney movie. Maybe this is all too harsh, but I figure a M:I movie is supposed to be hardcore bad ass, and this at times didn’t live up to that. This movie also included the longest fruitless chase scene I’ve ever seen, which I didn’t appreciate at all.

I have to admit, however, that a few stunt scenes, particularly when they’re in Dubai, were really well done. I couldn’t care less about Cruise’s character unfortunately, but there were stretches where I found myself holding my breath on the edge of my seat. Some of the gadgets and imaginative technology they used was creative, but even I thought some of it was a bit far-fetched. I don’t mind when movies go beyond our time, but those things should be explained well – like how they work – and connect to the rest of the film.

If you’re looking for an action thriller this winter break, maybe this isn’t your worst choice. And for my Bollywood fans out there, there’s a pleasant surprise just for you.