Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Plot synopsis:
IMF agent Trevor Hanaway is killed in Budapest by assassin Sabine Moreau, taking Russian code he had stolen from an individual known only as "Cobalt".
Meanwhile, IMF agent Ethan Hunt has purposely become incarcerated into a Moscow prison to acquire Bogdan, a source of information on Cobalt. With help of Jane Carter, Hanaway's handler, and newly promoted field agent Benjamin Dunn, Hunt and Bogdan make their escape. IMF tasks Hunt to infiltrate the Kremlin to gain more information on Cobalt. During the mission, an unknown entity broadcasts on the IMF frequency ordering the detonation of a bomb. Hunt's team aborts the mission just as a bomb destroys much of the Kremlin. Carter and Dunn escape, but Hunt is captured by SVR agent Anatoly Sidorov and charged with the destruction of the Kremlin.
Hunt is able to escape and regroups with the IMF Secretary who is in Moscow on other business. The Secretary tells Hunt they have had to initiate "Ghost Protocol", disavowing IMF, but secretly orders Hunt to continue to pursue Cobalt. Sidorov's forces catch up to Hunt, and the Secretary is killed; Hunt escapes along with the Secretary's aide and intelligence analyst William Brandt. Regrouping with Carter and Dunn, Brandt is able to identify Cobalt as Kurt Hendricks, a Swedish-born Russian nuclear strategist, who seeks to start a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. Hendricks used the Kremlin bombing to cover up his theft of Russian nuclear launch-control device, and now is planning a trade with Moreau at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to gain the required launch codes.
The team travel to Dubai and create deceptions using their various gadgetry and disguises to make Moreau believe she is meeting with Hendricks, and vice versa, when in fact they are interacting with the IMF team. Moreau discovers the deception, and in the ensuing chaos, Hendricks manages to escape with the launch codes, losing Hunt's pursuit in the midst of a dust storm. Carter knocks Moreau out of a window when she tries to escape. Brandt accuses her of letting her love for Hanaway compromise the mission, but Hunt recognizes that Brandt has also been keeping secrets from them, having shown combat skills atypical of a mere analyst. Hunt leaves to meet with Bogdan to get more information on Hendricks, while Brandt tells the others that he had been assigned to protect Ethan and his wife Julia in Croatia. Julia had been killed by a hit squad and Brandt feels responsible for Ethan's loss, which is why he stopped being a field agent.
Bogdan directs Ethan towards Mumbai, where Hendricks is set to negotiate with Indian telecommunications entrepreneur Brij Nath to gain control of an obsolete Soviet military satellite. The IMF team splits up to stop Hendricks; Carter seduces Nath to get the satellite override code, while Hunt, Brandt and Dunn try to stop Hendricks from using Nath's broadcast station. They are too late as Hendricks has sent the launch codes to a Russian Delta III-class nuclear submarine to fire a single missile at San Francisco and disabled the station's computer systems. Brandt and Dunn race to get the systems back online to send the override code, while Hunt pursues Hendricks, eventually fighting him face to face in an automated car park. Hendricks, with the launch device, jumps to his death moments before the missile is to land. Hunt takes a dangerous fall to use the device to disable the missile before it strikes. Sidorov, who has followed IMF from Dubai to Mumbai, arrives and realizes that the IMF is innocent of the Kremlin bombing.
The team meets in Seattle after Ethan accepts a new mission from Luther Stickell. Brandt confesses to Ethan about his failure to protect Julia. Ethan, however, reveals that her "death" and the murder of the Serbians were part of a plot to give her a new identity and enable Ethan to infiltrate the prison. A relieved Brandt accepts his mission. Ethan and Julia gaze at each other from afar before Ethan departs for his next mission.

Tags: suspenseful, mystery, murder, dramatic, flashback, action, romantic, revenge

Review:
In fact, this might even be the best of the Mission Impossible films.It has a good mixture of interesting action scenes, suspense, drama, humor, great scenery of Venice, Italy, and fine acting.
"Mission Accomplished"...Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the forth film in the franchise (though first not to acknowledge its place in the title) and sees Tom Cruise reprising the leading role of the globe-trotting super spy Ethan Hunt.
Throughout the series Hunt has evolved from team player to lone wolf and now in Ghost Protocol he must become a true leader of a team that, for the first time, he didn't choose.The film blasts off into overdrive from the minute the gates open and rarely lets up, it's one hell of a ride and there's enough action and gadgets here to please any fan of the spy film genre.
Sure he's still a super spy and can do things most mortal men would never try in a million years but the added vulnerability and consequences of those actions gone wrong lifts the film to a new level and is one of the reasons it kept me on board all the way to the end.If there is anything about this film that let me down a little it was the absence of a true 'super villain' like we had in MI3.
It's not that Michael Nyqvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) didn't deliver a good performance in the few scenes where he interacts with Cruise, it's just that there are so few of these moments that he is, in many ways, almost like another one of his own henchmen and I mistook him for other characters on a few occasions.Personally I felt a greater presence and sense of danger from the female assassin, Sabine Moreau (Lea Seydoux – Robin Hood), a beautiful yet malicious woman with a cold heartless gaze, completely devoid of compassion.
In my opinion she'd have made a much better leading villain, especially as her actions do personally effect one of the team, but despite this little hiccup there is certainly more than enough obstacles to keep Hunt and his team busy and the audience well and truly entertained so this is really just nit-picking on my part.After the relative disappointment of the second Mission: Impossible film, first time feature director J.J. Abrams (of TV's ALIAS and Lost fame) injected some much needed heart and soul into the third installment, expertly balancing a romantic subplot with the high-octane action sequences all fans demand of such a film.
Although Brad Bird is not a first time feature helmer this is his first foray into the world of live action so he might not seem to be the most obvious choice but there was never any doubt from either Abrams or Cruise about his talent and potential to deliver a great film.
Like Abrams, Bird has also had great success on the small screen as an executive consultant on the Simpsons and I've been a fan of his work since chancing upon Family Dog (from Spielberg's 'Amazing Stories' series) in the early 90's.Simon Pegg (Paul) reprises his role as Benji Dunn from MI3, the computer whiz behind all the action.
Pegg's natural comedic timing and likable charm adds a much-needed element of lightheartedness to the franchise that could have easily backfired had this role been miscast.Rounding out the new team are IMF agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton – Deja Vu) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner –The Hurt Locker), and both actors deliver solid performances.
Carter is as sexy as she is deadly and Patton slips between these two persona's with ease while Brandt hides a secret past allowing Renner to show a vulnerability we're not used to seeing in the roles he normally plays.Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol delivers exactly the type of entertainment action fans crave and as a result it is perfect popcorn movie.
The cast is the best of the series: Jeremy Renner is a good addition, Lea Seydoux is a pretty cool villain and the female lead whose name escapes me is somebody I wish I would have seen in another movie?
Before the movie started, there was an introduction by Director Brad Bird, and by actor Simon Pegg where they shared how much they enjoyed making the film and shooting scenes in the IMAX format.I won't get into the story too much as I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but the basic plot is that the Kremlin in Russia is bombed by a terrorist group and IMF is framed for it.
Oh and the portrayal of Mumbai has been quite unique indeed.I won't spill the beans on the story but I am sure you know the gist of it from the trailers, a certain KABOOM'ing of the Kremlin puts Ethan Hunt in a tough spot and he is being chased down by Russians for something he hasn't done, so he needs to set it right and the only way he can do that is by starring in this awesome movie.All in all Ghost Protocol is hands down the best one yet from the Mission Impossible series mainly because it is different from its predecessors (thank GOD for that).
Tom Cruise's rejuvenated self is pretty much apparent in the latest installment of the MI franchise, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.Ghost Protocol takes the viewer on a roller coaster of a ride from Moscow to Dubai, all the way to Mumbai, never allowing a breathing space, keeping him on the edge of the seat throughout.
Ethan and his team, which includes the computer geek Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), despite their severe handicap are the only hope left at preventing the diabolical duo of Hendricks and his stalwart Wistrom from fulfilling their demonic mission of global destruction through a nuclear war.
Due to this, the IMF is shut down and "Operation Ghost Protocol" is launched with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Jane Carter (Paula Patton), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and William Brandt(Jeremy Renner), a group of 4 people being what is left of the IMF.
Final Verdict: With fast-paced directing by Brad Bird and exciting action sequences, yet with funny moments, this movie is a thrilling ride worth to experience.
Clearly JJ Abram's mission impossible, should he choose to accept it, is to lead a talented team to resurrect a declining franchise and re-ignite it with renewed vigour and a very high dosage of fun and entertainment.I'm glad to say, mission highly accomplished.Brad Bird's first time direction of real actors (must have been a shock when they talked back at him) exhibits the same zestful energy and fun that we got from his animated films such as The Incredibles.
Overall, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL offers lighter adventure - perhaps on a bigger scale than any of the previous films - and also features a stellar ensemble cast, and some of the best popcorn entertainment in a while.
Its also like M:I-2 in that it features an unrelenting amount of action/stunt work......and Tom Cruise with long hair again...It even echoes the TV Series, because it has some of the same musical cues, and really makes the mission a TEAM EFFORT.
The Best Film of the Franchise So Far. I've been watching all of the Tom Cruise "Mission Impossible" movies in preparation for "Rogue Nation", and I must say that "Ghost Protocol" is the best film of the franchise so far (having not seen "Rogue Nation" yet).I'll admit that I am a fan of these movies and always have been.
It also restores Tom Cruise's marquee value as an action star, and we dare attest that any naysayer to Cruise's ability to resurrect the franchise he almost drowned will be silenced once they see what he does on screen.Indeed, the last 'Mission: Impossible" from 'Alias' and 'Lost' creator J.J. Abrams was then easily the best of the series- though all that positive word about it couldn't quite triumph the bad press surrounding its star and producer Cruise's erratic behaviour.
Nothing else quite comes close to the sheer dizzying excitement of this sequence- not even the intensely gripping race- against-time climax with a good-old fistfight between Hunt and Hendricks in an automated parking garage.Yes, Cruise isn't one to rest on his laurels, and at the age of 49, the extent to which he commits to perform the stunts in this movie by himself is simply amazing.
John Woo failed as the director of M.I.2.M.I.3 was better mainly because of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman who made a great villain, but still...This one is by far the best (breaking the curse of sequels) and it's more than obvious that first timer director (with actors at least) Brad Bird had only one purpose in his mind: To please the audience.Tom Cruise is GREAT.
Interest was certainly high when it was announced that the animation director would be making his live- action directing debut, choosing to tackle the third sequel in the Mission: Impossible film series.
While certainly an immensely talented director (best known for The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, two films which would rank highly on any respectable list of greatest animated movies of all time), the ability to transfer his skills to live-action on the scale of M:I – GP with such flair sets him apart as a filmmaker with immeasurable gifts, and one of the most interesting directors working today.So what is it about M:I – GP that works so well?
A MI movie starring Cruise co-produced by Abrams and directed by (OMG!) Brad Bird should be a no-brainer.Literally.It should be one of the best films of all time and we the viewing public should be grateful it was made in the first place.But this reviewer begs to differ.
I Have No Words, But I'll Try. I really don't know where to start with my criticisms of this godawful movie.Let me start by saying that I want to suspend my disbelief when I watch something, try as I might I failed with this one.I think the main problem might be that I'm not 13 any more.It seemed to me like a big budget live action version of Gerry Anderson's "Stingray", minus the submarine but with all the crude racial stereotypes.
there's also the cold and calculating Swede (who appears to have a German name).The cast have zero on-screen chemistry, the set action pieces are nothing new, the plot is ridiculous, the script is retarded, the score is predictable, the editing is lazy and even the product placement fails.Simon Pegg is good though, essentially adding the same lightness to the movie that he did in Star Trek.Tom Cruise, even though he was at the center of most of the action seemed almost invisible.
However the fourth movie, Ghost Protocol was extremely well done.The action scenes were really well done, especially the scene where Tom Cruise was scaling the building, damn to I wish I saw that in Imax.
i am a big fan of tom Cruise but i just could not like this movie i cant help keep comparing this one to the first part of Mission Impossible which was amazing i think i love the music and everything about it i hated the 2nd part and loved the third one but this one is the worst it think.there is absolutely nothing new or original about thins one, i think the writers are pretty much broke here and couldn't offer anything clever and when you compare this part to the first one you cant help seeing that the first one was brilliant and very smart and this one is dull and stupid...also being from the middle east and having lived in the great city of Dubai i also did not like the way it was presented here...
While Anil Kapoor left no stone unturned to make a fool of himself in the short 5 minutes of his role, Tom Cruise left none in making this movie a masterpiece.The action begins right from the first scene and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
We both thought this was the best out off all off them by far, as well as being a great film in its own right."Mission impossible - Ghost protocol" didn't feel as over the top as the previous entries, and was relying on more old fashioned thrills.
Under Director Brad Bird's lead Cruise displays distinct gravitas and an unexpected sense of humor as intrepid Agent Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol".
Sure, its plot is straightforward (only one man can stop the end of the world!), but the stunts and the spectacular cinematography complement the story, rather than point to its threadbare nature.In Mission:Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is imprisoned in Serbia.
This is the third of four Mission: Impossible films starring Tom Cruise that I managed to watch (I only missed the second one directed by John Woo).
This MI production is well executed in every regard - A top cast of talented actors, direction and editing that earn a B+, and a plot and list of film locations that are as interesting as the best Bond films.The only thing preventing a 9 rating are a handful of scenes that could have been cut down for the sake of keeping the overall snappy pace intact...10 minutes shorter and this film would rate a 9 (A-).Great fun and edge of seat moments are spread throughout - if in need of a MI, Bond, or Jason Bourne fix, I highly recommend MI Ghost Protocol and a bowl of popcorn..
I just have to say that I really like Renner now and I look forward to seeing him in this type of role (but not taking over this franchise as was originally intended.) Simon Pegg as the computer and tech go-to guy gets the most of the best lines in the movie and is just absolutely brilliant.
These elements serve to put the audience into the heart of the action and give the impression that Bird cared about creating a great film not just a passable popcorn flick.The supporting cast around Cruise rounds into form nicely, coming together to make up Hunt's best team yet.
And, most interestingly, it is one of the better entries in the series, featuring some strong action set pieces that keep the audience on the edge of their seat at several key points in the proceedings.Ghost Protocol finds Ethan Hunt (Cruise) in prison in Russia at the opening under mysterious circumstances.
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol features the live-action debut of animation director Brad Bird, who helmed Pixar's hit The Incredibles, and he does a good job of assembling strong, involving set pieces that keep the audience on the edge of its seat.
Paula Patton is attractive in the role of Jane, who the script gives some more personal drive in the search for Hendricks and his cronies, Pegg delivers some welcome comic relief in the role of Benji and Renner, who has been rumored to be groomed for future Mission: Impossible films if Cruise steps down, holds his own in the action sequences, as well as providing the audience with a semi-outsider to empathize with as the circumstances consistently get higher and higher for the characters past what he is used to dealing with in his role as an analyst thrown into the action.For the most part, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol delivers a strong, fast, popcorn munching action film that provides thrills without turning into an over-edited explosion fest that you often get from a film directed by Michael Bay. If this is what the Mission: Impossible franchise can deliver on its fourth outing, then it may have plenty of entries for years to come..
The story is very linear with almost no diversions, as it is supposed to be in a mission:impossible movie,the script is well-written, the acting is also well-done (can you believe Tom Cruise is 50 years old?), the action is amazing, especially the scene in Dubai, which I think is one of the best action/operation scenes in film history.
Plot: After a terrorist blows up the Kremlin and winds up with nuclear launch codes, framing the IMF, it's up to Ethan Hunt and his team to not only clear their names, but save the world from potential nuclear war.Worth watching?: I always liked the Mission: Impossible movies before.
Then again, Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt; he can do whatever he wants and not die or sustain serious injury.Overall though, this is a great installment to Mission Impossible series.
The Plot: it's a bit above average...bad guy gets hands on nuke codes and the IMF team (Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner) has to stop the bad guy from destroying the world...but there are twists ans turns that keep you on the edge and overall gives you a thrilling ,exciting combined with good humor...a perfect winter break movie.The best part of the movie is the Burj Khalifa part...amazingly shot and hats off for tom cruise on his work...doing all those stunts sure takes some guts!
Ethan Hunt and his team travel to Dubai first and to Mumbai later trying to clear the name of IMF and avoid Hendricks from bombing USA and begin the war."Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" is an entertaining adventure with good doses of action, tension and humor.
In this installment of Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol Ethan Hunt is joined by fellow agents Jane Carte (Paula Patton) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), who previously appeared in the third film, and analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner).
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is Brad Birds first live action movie and it almost but not quite lives up to his great animated ones.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is the best in the MI series in as good as every way plot, character and action.