The best sequel since the original...

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2012)

And as much as I did like the original 1996 movie, despite some convolutions in the story, I found this sequel even better and better than the better-than-reputation-but-flawed sequels. Perhaps it is little too long, but there are so many impressive things about it. The plot may have a sense of familiarity about it, but what Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocool does is make the film as inventive and as relentless as possible knowing this.
The visual spectacle is faultless I have to say. The gadgets are suitably outlandish, anyone here love the retina-based video-screen, the film is shot and edited in a stylish fashions, the stunts such as Cruise dangling off the Burj Khalifa tower are amazing and the special effects dazzling. Brad Bird(director also of the wonderful Iron Giant and the excellent Pixar films Ratatouille and The Incredibles) does a very capable job directing, making everything as gripping as possible.
I very much liked the music too which helps to enhance the action and what not. The dialogue is tension-filled and the humour doesn't jar too much, the film is much better paced than the third film(which I found rather sluggish at times) with some scenes going at an exhilarating rate and the characters while not the most compelling ever are much less cardboard than the previous two outings in my opinion. The story as I've said may be familiar, but again much is done to make us not think too much of this, and if there was one thing that it improved over the original it was that it was less convoluted.
The acting was fine, with Tom Cruise giving perhaps his most comfortable performance of the series, Jeremy Renner is a great new addition and Simon Pegg gives some well-timed comic relief. The villain was good as well and solidly played by Michael Nyqvist, if not as well-written or as well-performed as Owen Davian superbly played by Phillip Seymour Hoffmann.
All in all, I loved it and consider it the best sequel since the original film and even surpasses it. 9/10 Bethany Cox