One of the best installments in the series

Rating: Null/10 (26 August 2012)

(Re-review in preparation for Rogue Nation)
After a bomb destroys the Kremlin during a mission, "Ghost Protocol" is initiated which disavows the IMF and puts Ethan Hunt and his team on the run. His mission; should he choose to accept it is to stop the real culprit codenamed Cobalt who is on an extremist mission to destroy the world in the name of peace.
"Ghost Protocol" is the first "M:I" film to include a title rather than a number to mark its place in the series and boy is it one excellent movie. Everything about this film is fantastic: the action, the team dynamics, the set pieces and even the humor! In fact, "GP" has probably the most humor out of all the "M:I" films despite the stakes being so high and that's fine because humor doesn't hurt during an action sequence as long as it's done right. While the plot of a villain trying to destroy the world is cliché, it's the execution that makes the film so great. What's even greater is the fact that not everything goes to plan for the IMF in this film and their gadgets don't always work; adding tension to the action scenes.
The cast does an excellent job with their roles. Each with their own unique personalities. Tom Cruise still proves that he's an action star and the sequence of him climbing the Burj Khalifa is one of the best parts of the film. He shows how much of a leader he has become since the first film. Jeremy Renner before he was on "The Avengers" is an analyst with a dark secret. He shares some great banter and quiet drama moments with the team. Paula Patton is a beautiful and capable agent with a score to settle. Simon Pegg reprises his role as Benji from "M:I 3" and he makes a great replacement to Ving Rhames as the computer expert and comic relief. His comic timing is impeccable.
Animation auteur Brad Bird directs this film as his first live action feature. Much like J.J. Abrams before him, he breaths fresh life into the franchise. The cinematography is beautiful and the action sequences are breathtaking and pulse pounding.
The only weak link to the film is the villain Cobalt played by Michael Nyqvist. Nyqvist's performance is good but his screen time is minimal and he has little personality or depth other than that of a generic extremist. But this is only a minor nitpick since the rest of the film overshadows this flaw.
A great spy action thriller and one of the best installments in the series. 9/10