There is absolutely no doubt that Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is the loudest, most action-packed film I have seen this year. It is overflowing with over the top stunts, fight scenes, gadgets, and, well, Tom Cruise. I am actually a fan of the franchise from it’s very intriguing first film, which introduced us to agent Ethan Hunt. M.I. 4 is also noteworthy as the first live action film of another person who I am a fan of: director Brad Bird (of The Incredibles and Ratatouille, both done by Bird with Pixar).
Tom Cruise’s newest installment of the franchise is definitely the biggest of the films so far, with the action ramping up from the very start of the film. The scenes are set-piece after set-piece, with very little breaks in between. Which is my problem with it. It brings the viewer to a high from the get-go and never lets go, which is exciting… for a while, then it becomes tiring. Literally. There were moments where I felt the need to get up and just get air, just to take a break from the sensory bombardment. The other problem that this approach has is that the story basically becomes a rack from which to hang all these set-piece action sequences from, which is fun if you’re looking for a ride, not as much if you’re in it for a movie.
Which is actually too bad, because there are the bones of an interesting story there (well, except for the villain, who’s just plain silly). I would have loved to see more development of Ethan’s team, composed of Simon Pegg (as the stereotypical, but effective, funny techie), Paula Patton (as the femme fatale, but this time with her own demons to deal with,), and Jeremy Renner (as the analyst with his own secrets). Each character was potentially very interesting, but they remained mostly potential and the film really could have taken more time just to build the relationships and rapport between the team, which felt very stilted. Even the conflicts between them felt forced.
I don’t blame Bird for this, however, I blame a weak script. The dialogue was, and I hate using this word, corny. The attempts at Bond-ish spyspeak was annoying and some one-liners fell really flat. M.I. never really needed those and I didn’t see why this time they had to resort to it this time. Also, why resurrect the whole Russia/US nuclear war scenario? The conflict, while supposedly suspenseful, also felt old, which was in odd contradiction to the cutting edge image being pushed by the film. What I did like, however, was the fact that here, the tech consistently failed the agents, forcing them to improvise and use their skills, rather than rely on gadgetry. It was also at these moments where the interaction between the characters felt smoother, such as the argument between Ethan and his team about climbing the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai.
There was also a clearer attempt at humor in this film, which was absent in the previous one. It was a welcome adjustment and was nice, when it worked. I just wish they were able to use the characters better than they did.
One thing I did like was the inclusion of Jeremy Renner to the cast. He brings and edginess that, sadly, Tom Cruise just has problems mustering, no matter what his hair style is. Renner can bring a darker personality to the franchise, which has made numerous attempts at being dark in the past, with results being, well, mixed at best. Also, he’s a good replacement for Cruise, if Cruise ever decides to take a break from the series, since he’s able to be physical while also being a really good actor.
One thing that let me down in the film was the ending, which tied up a loose end, but in a way that left me really unhappy about it. It reminded me of what annoyed me about the third film, and, while it’s an attempt to give Ethan Hunt some pathos, for me all it did was water down an edge that seemed to be there at the start of the film. (I’m sorry that’s so cryptic, but I’m trying to avoid spoiling things.)
What I did find, when I left the theater, was I felt jacked, like my adrenaline was up, but I also didn’t feel excited, which was very strange. It reflects my experience of the movie: really thrilling, but not as satisfying. Is it a watch? Sure it is. Is it a great movie? Well, let me put it this way: between M.I.4 and The Incredibles? The Incredibles wins.
