Mission Rebooted.

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2012)

Shortly after having watched David Fincher's gripping take on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,me and a friend started to discuss that with the cinema offering "25%" off all cinema tickets for the day,and also with New Years Day only two days away,it seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to go for a double bill,of what would hopefully be a fun second feature.Rushing to the box office,I was thrilled to find that tickets were still being sold for the new Mission Impossible film,which was set to start in 10 minutes!.And since being very entertained by the action- packed trailer I had seen for the film a few weeks ago,this looked like the perfect film to send 2011 out with a bang.
The plot:
Attempting to get hold of secret documents,IMF agent Trevor Hanaway is left bleeding on the pavement,after being killed by an assassin called Sabine Moreau.Realiseing that someone has stumbled onto their plans,agents Jane Carter and Benji Dunn quickly gather themselves up,and help fellow agent Ethan Hunt and his mole escape from a Russian prison.Hoping to get hold of the files again that Hanaway had intercepted,(which are thought to have details about nuclear weapons)the team decide to invade The Kremlin.Sadly for the team,someone else is about two steps ahead of their plans,and before Hunt and Benji have any time to think,a section of The Kremlin is suddenly blown up.Being left confused by all of the chaos around them,the agents woes are not helped when the head of the IMF, (not, the International Monetary Fund one!)tells them all that due to Russia blaming the IMF for what is views as a terrorist attack by the US,the IMF has no choice but to mark the team as "Ghost Protocol",and "unofficial" rouge agents for any of their activates connected with this ever increasingly dangerous mission.
View on the film:
Looking at the timeliness of the Mission Impossible film adaptations,and the career path of lead star/producer Tom Cruise,it is interesting to see the films act as a very sturdy foothold for him,with the third and fourth film in the series both helping to reestablish Cruise as a "main event",either after his personal (the Oprah show) or professional (Knight And Day) choices had threatened his career to go "over the edge".For his performance in this strong entry to the series,Cruise introduces a well placed "imperfect" side to the character,which help to make the breathtaking stunts and the enjoyable screenplay a lot more engrossing due to each of Ethan Hunts missed-timed punches and miscommunication giving the film a gripping "rough" feel.Whilst Jeremy Renner gives a fine performance as new mega-spy in waiting lead character William Brandt,his introduction to the series has a bit less impact then expected,due to the wonderful scene-stealing performance of Paula Patton as Jane Carter.Almost from her first scene,Carter gives a dynamite-exploding excitement to the film,thanks to her showing that whilst the character can dress with style, (the scene with her in THAT green dress being a particular highlight)she also has the wits and intelligent to be the perfect agent for Hunt's team.With how much Patton puts into the character,she ends up leaving audience members hoping that she will follow in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie and get an action film all for herself...Despite working with a script the lacks the twist and turns that made Brian De Palma's take so thrilling,first time (live action) director Brad Bird (who directed the sadly over looked,stunning adaptation of Ted Hughes The Iron Giant)shows an eye for action and excitement which will have you on the edge of the seat.For the centre-piece scenes in the film of Ethan Hunt climbing the tallest building (as of 2011) in the world,Bird delivers brilliant camera moves which pull the audience straight into the action,with his 365 degree camera move showing Cruise performing the stunt being one that looks almost impossible to shoot!,which along with some well measured visual gags, (a fight scene involving an assassin and a "missing" window being
an especially good gag) make this a stunning "first" effort,for what should be a very promising live-action career.
Final view on the film:
A strong,action-packed instalment for the re-booted franchise,filled with charismatic performances,well executed directing and stunts which will leave you breathless.