Best MI movie by far!

Rating: 8/10 (8 February 2012)

Yes! like my title of this review states this is the best movie in the Mission Impossible series so far. So far because by the success of this I can imagine the producers are eager to make a fifth one. And the success this has been at the box office is well deserved. I can't really say I was a big fan of Mission Impossible until recently, I have never seen the TV show and the first movie has a more classic reputation than it actually deserves. Still the first one was an interesting somewhat different kind of thriller. The first two sequels were far weaker, MI2 was complete crap with almost no story and ridiculously over the top action, number three was a step forward and a pretty entertaining mindless action movie. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is Brad Birds first live action movie and it almost but not quite lives up to his great animated ones. One thing that this movie managed better than any of the previous ones is the story. The plot of the first one has become known for being complicated while the second has a plot so stupid a retard would be insulted, finally the third film had a clearly flawed but worked acceptable for a mindless popcorn flick. With MI4 they have found the right balance, the plot is understandable without going so far as becoming so simple it's silly, it is serious and interesting without going to the incomprehensible. The story is not Oscar worthy material but it's perfectly considered for this kind of film. The actor's performances are great. I might actually go so far as claiming this has the best of the series. It was great that they expanded Simon Pegg's role. According to me he is better that series recurring Ving Rhames. He supplies some humour without just being a simple comical relief. Tom Cruise is at his best here. He might be a weird guy in real life but as an action actor he is great. Ethan Hunt has grown to this hero one actually cares and wants to follow, his own character not just a James Bond wannabe. Jeremy Renner is a rising star and good here as well. Still his role was smaller than I had thought, it is important but doesn't take any focus away from Hunt. OK the character development might not be chokingly deep for an action movie, definitely not but more than necessary. Mikael Nyqvist as the villain is great. Having seen him in many Swedish movies it fun to see him going international. With this villain I feel they went for the more is less approach and it works brilliant. You don't see a lot of him and when you do short clips. Makes him feel mysterious unlike the over the top Dougray Scott in MI2. I enjoyed the bad guy in the third movie but I must say MI4 had the most memorable in a not easily achieved way. But this is an action flick and that is also where MI4 really succeeds and more than one might have expected. Of course you knew the effects would be top notch but they blow you away not just in that way. Not only are they great visually but it is also very well thought out. There are several scenes that are really clever. Again I must praise the director making this the most well made film in the Mission Impossible series. When I saw the trailer featuring Eminem I got somewhat uneasy. But not to worry this always feels like the MI movie that it is. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is the best in the MI series in as good as every way plot, character and action. An outstanding action blockbuster!