Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Review

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2018)

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a film directed by Brad Bird. After the third one, I was eagerly waiting to watch this one. And one again, the M: I series didn't fail to surprise me.
Plot: Ethan and his IMF team, now disavowed, must stop a Russian strategist who wants to start a war between the US and Russia.
Story and direction: Knowing that Brad Bird (his first live-action film) was going to direct the film, I had huge expectations from it. The story is takes the basic idea of US vs. USSR and spuns it into a complex and diversifying one. The film has so many layers and interesting characters because of which there were no dull moments. The new characters introduced have such interesting back stories that it is interesting to watch them. Each scene is just full of tension and suspense. This film very nicely balances the action and thriller aspect of the film. Full credit goes to Brad Bird on proving that he can give a good film whether animated or live-action. The action scenes and VFX are just spot-on especially the one in Dubai where my heart just skipped a beat several times. The cinematography is just awesome. Since IMAX cameras were used in some scenes, it feels quite good. There are many wide-angle shots that do enhance the beauty of the film. The editing of the film is wonderful. Michael Giacchino has again done wonders with the BGM of the film. My only issue with the film is just the villain. He has no such motivation or arc. He is just a guy who wants to destroy the world. I can very safely say that he is the least impressive villain of the entire series.
Performances: Tom Cruise has just synonymised himself with Ethan Hunt. It is juts difficult to imagine this series without him. Jeremy Renner delivers a great performance. So does Paula Patton. Simon Pegg returns in this film with a much meatier role as compared to the previous venture and he just impresses. Michael Nyquist was good on the acting department but nothing the story did to move his character forward. Ving Rhames and Michelle Monaghan do return in smaller roles but it is always good to see them both.
Favorite Scene: Apart from the Dubai Sequence (which is almost everyone's favorite scene in this film), I would say the film ending was quite good. Ethan says that however difficult the mission be, it is the team that makes it successful. I liked the fact that the scene stressed on the importance of a team and teamwork.
Verdict: This series never fails to impress me. I can't thank the makers enough for raising the stakes of the film in terms of action and storyline in each and every film a notch higher. Can't wait for ROGUE NATION.
I am going with a 9/10.