Should You Decide to Accept...

Rating: 7/10 (1 January 2012)

This film is recommended.
Brad Bird ( The Incredibles, Ratatouille ) was the perfect choice to rejuvenate this languishing series. With his skills in animation and his visual panache, he expertly directs the film as if it is a live action cartoon, using his actors as props to his lavish backdrops. Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, ( a terrible title, I might add ), is the best installment of the series, which is faint praise for a series that has been lackluster and absurd in its previous re-enactments. Is four the charm? Yes. Does it entertain? Absolutely? Does it make sense? Absolutely not.
This movie franchise is merely one hair-raising stunt after the next hair-raising stunt with very little plot or logic in between the chases, disguises, and gadgetry that hide the gaping holes in the story. In MI4, Ethan Hunt ( Tom Cruise, looking fit and a bit older ) is back with a new team of agents on call ( Jeremy Renner as Brandt, Simon Pegg as Benji, and Paula Patton as Jane Carter ). All are undercover and underwritten as before, and again, the action is fast- paced and the exotic settings slightly more interesting this time around.
It's still patently formulaic: The mission is planned to the nth detail, something goes wrong with the plan, quick thinking and agile maneuvering saves the day. In MI4, the team has decided to accept the mission to track down a terrorist named Hendricks ( Michael Nyqvist ). Only this time, they are disavowed due to an initial failed attempt to stop this madman in Russia, thus giving them the Ghost Protocol status. The IMF team goes on an endless search for justice and to reinstate their standing in the espionage market. This leads our determined and unstoppable agents to Dubai, Mumbai, and other global cities to bring down Hendricks at all costs.
Bird keeps the scenes moving quickly from one highly-charged moment to the next. The film's rapid-fire action sequences are skillfully choreographed and thoroughly suspenseful. Yet this time, they bristle with more intensity and sly humor than any of the other movie installments.
The major set piece of the film takes place outside the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai as Hunt plays Spiderman and climbs the tall exteriors with special gloves that allow him to stick to the windows. That is until...well, that's part of the formula, remember? ( By the way, this specific film sequence is classic and will long be regarded as one of the most breathtaking moments in modern filmmaking. The stunt-work, photography, editing, and use of CGI are remarkable in their staging and execution. ) There are also other spectacular action sequences involving a blinding sandstorm chase and another exciting section at a multi-level parking garage that moves swiftly on many levels.
The new cast has a wonderful chemistry and their individual quirks add to the tension and thrilling results. Also on hand in a small but humorous role is Anil Kapoor as Brij Nath, a rich and pampered playboy who is another target in the team's strategy of foiling the villain.
As always, the Mission Impossible intricate plotting continues to defy common sense and ask its audience to blindly believe in their schemes and goals. So much of the story depends on Hunt's plan to go a certain rational way, never taking into account human foibles and random coincidences. This template becomes troubling and absurd as it always makes the IMF team's best laid plans go astray, making the moviegoer question their professional killer instincts.
The real aim of this film series and Mr. Cruise and Co. is: Reality, be damned! Let the good times roll! Come on and take a wild ride with us! Enjoy the adrenaline rush! Any moviegoer is expected to set aside their disbelief in order to enjoy the film even more.
So, with all that said, Mission Impossible 4 is really Mission Improbable. This is a crowd- pleasing action-packed thriller with strong production values and some of the most extreme stunts ever filmed. Your enjoyment level will vary depending on your acceptance, or lack thereof, with its ludicrous plotting and preposterous logic. Of course, it's not Shakespeare, you knew that going in, but then Shakespeare never hung 130 stories above the ground either like Tommy Boy. GRADE: B
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