Bird Brings Visual Zing and Cruise Again Delivers in the Exciting Fourth Installment

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2011)

I honestly didn't know which number sequel this was before watching the 2011 entry into the franchise. In fact, I had only seen the original 1996 "Mission: Impossible" prior to this viewing and heard rumors that the two previous sequels in 2000 and 2006 were simply retreads of the first movie, which was in itself a reimagining of the popular 1960's TV series, granted an extravagant, multi-million-dollar reimagining directed by Brian DePalma. This one showcases an older yet still agile Tom Cruise returning to the role of intrepid IMF agent Ethan Hunt, and even as he closes in on fifty, he demonstrates the same unparalleled commitment to dangerous, high-flying derring-do he displayed in the first one fifteen years ago. This time, the reins have been handed over to Brad Bird who makes his live-action directorial debut after scoring with a couple of Pixar's megahits, "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille". The results are fortuitous because Bird brings great visual flair to a film that demands gasp-worthy action sequences.
In fact, the action is so propulsive that the convoluted plot takes a decided backseat. Written by André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum, the story feels like a throwback to the days of Soviet spy-versus-spy intrigue and A-bomb secrets. This time, it all revolves around a briefcase with Russian launch codes that are prized by a brilliant Russian madman named Kurt Hendricks, code name Cobalt, who wants nothing less than using them to destroy the world. He is so feared that Hunt has to be sprung from a Russian prison where it is unclear why he is incarcerated until the very end of the film. A small IMF team has been assigned the duty, consisting of sultry but tough Jane Carter, tech wizard Benji Dunn, and unexpectedly, the IMF Secretary's chief analyst William Brandt. They need to track down a French assassin for hire who has already killed one of their own in cold blood for the briefcase. The team ends up in the Kremlin where their plans go fatally awry. The CIA points the finger at the IMF team for the disaster and invokes the dreaded Ghost Protocol.
The now-rogue agents make their way to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, where Hunt has to scale the outside of the building to manipulate the building's computer system. A botched transaction with the assassin leads to mayhem and then a final stop in Mumbai where there is the inevitable race against the clock to save the world. The movie is really all about the set pieces – the Russian prison escape, the Kremlin break-in and explosion (an excellent special effect), Hunt's gravity-defying climb in Dubai and an overwhelming sandstorm, and the movable multi-level parking lot in Mumbai which sets that stage for the final showdown. Performance are secondary in this kind of movie, but they are mostly workmanlike. Cruise is inarguably in his element as an action hero, and he appears to perform most of his death-defying stunts. Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker") also shows the necessary chops as the initially mysterious Brandt, and it is clear he will be playing a larger role in the next installment.
Paula Patton, a long way from the inspirational teacher she played in "Precious", brings the requisite sexy strength to Carter, in particular, in a no-holds-barred fight scene with the assassin played by Léa Seydoux (whom I was surprised to discover is the same actress who played the shy antiques dealer in "Midnight in Paris"). Simon Pegg ("Hot Fuzz") initially tries too hard for laughs as Dunn until he finally settles into the film's more tongue-in-cheek tone. Michael Nyqvist only has to convey relentless menace as Hendricks, which he does just fine. Anil Kapoor ("Slumdog Millionaire") shows up as a wealthy Indian tycoon, as does Tom Wilkinson quite briefly as the IMF Secretary. The actor who plays the Russian intelligence operative, Vladimir Mashkov, bears such a striking resemblance to SNL's Fred Armisen that for the longest time, I thought it was Armisen in an impressive change-of-pace. Veteran cinematographer Robert Elswit ("There Will Be Blood") does excellent camera-work in the various locales – Budapest, Moscow, Dubai and Mumbai. Fans of the franchise shouldn't be disappointed.