Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

Directed by: Brad Bird | 133 minutes | action | Actors: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Léa Seydoux, Michael Nyqvist, Darren Shahlavi, Anil Kapoor, Vladimir Mashkov, Samuli Edelmann, Miraj Grbic, Ivan Shvedoff, Pavel Kris, Miraj Grbic, Ilia Volok, Goran Navojec, Pavel Bezdek, Ladislav Beran, Jan Pavel Filipensky, Jiri Kraus, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Tom Wilkinson

A lot has changed since 1996, the year the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie came out. Politically, the shifts have been enormous: from the seemingly carefree time with Bill Clinton as US president and peaceful post-Cold War euphoria, we have moved through 9/11, the Bush period, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and finally the financial crisis in a completely different era. There have also been several changes in the film world. While in 1996 Tom Cruise, the driver of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series and permanent protagonist as Ethan Hunt, was still the untouchable Sun King of Hollywood, over the years his star has become a lot less radiant, after strange acts in the media, his Scientology membership and strange marriages. There were fewer and fewer really big films; especially after the previous ‘M: I’ from 2006 his output was negligible. In 2011, Cruise is still recognized everywhere, but increasingly as a pretty weird guy. The fourth part, ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’, should the tide turn?

The ‘Mission: Impossible’ spy films, however, have always been a success to well-filled box offices and fairly satisfied audiences – although part two was a significant dip. It’s easy to understand why though: with its 60s atmosphere, overwhelming gadgets and the exotic locations and women, it was very reminiscent of James Bond, but one simply can never get enough of Bond films, so these films were a welcome addition to the infrequent and erratic oeuvre surrounding Ian Fleming’s creation. As usual in the series, ‘Ghost Protocol’ is again chosen for a new director, Brad Bird, who previously directed the great Pixar films ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Ratatouille’, delivering his first non-animated feature film.

Nothing has been left to chance: the exotic places (Budapest, Dubai, Mumbai) and flashy, just as credible gadgets abound. The supporting roles are also well done, with Simon Pegg (‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’) returning to provide comic relief once again and Jeremy Renner (‘The Hurt Locker’) being introduced into the series. As a villain, Michael Nyqvist (the ‘Millennium’ series) is roped in, who gets little to do but delivers an adequate performance. The Mission team, which also consists of the voluptuous Jane Carter (Paula Patton), does everything they can to prevent such a nuclear war, especially striking that they actually make a huge mess of it throughout the film. . Each time their bright ideas fail and the members are gripped by a self-doubt that wouldn’t have been out of place in ‘The Wizard of Oz’. For example, Carter is afraid to flirt with strange men and Renner’s character must overcome terror and a dark past. This vulnerability and clumsiness gives the whole film something refreshing.

Everything that producer JJ Abrams (himself also director of ‘Super 8’, ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Mission: Impossible 3’) does has a retro character, in addition to the intrinsic classic look of a film series that is on a TV series from the 60’s based. So the plot, about a Swedish scientist who wants to unleash a nuclear war between the US and Russia with the help of a French, blond femme fatale, is very 90s; it’s like ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’. The whole atmosphere evoked, especially due to the music and well-known spy tricks, has not changed since the original television series from the 60s, and the action scenes also have a very classic feel: well-organized, few computer-generated effects (at least apparently), with occasional classic, calmly built suspense.

That is also the greatest strength of the film: as an action spectacle it is excellent. In addition to the expensive cars and buildings, this is also largely driven by Cruise. He still has the charisma to carry a film of this size with a leading role, but with the connotation of Tom Cruise as a weirdo that has arisen in recent years, Ethan Hunt, the master spy, takes on a completely different meaning. A load of an eccentric, manic adrenaline junkie who lives for his work for people and country. He also pulls out the most breakneck stunts – not only character Hunt, but it is also clearly Cruise who performs them and not an anonymous stuntman. In the climax of the film (literally and figuratively), Cruise climbs with almost bare hands on the outside of the Burj Khalifa tower, the tallest building in the world standing in Dubai, hundreds of meters high. You almost fall out of your chair from the dizzying height alone. It is shot relatively calmly, knowing that the images speak for themselves in such a way that they are also breathtaking. Of course there is some kind of computer trick involved, but the scene is realistic enough to enrapture you. That is often missing in recent action films.

After a year in which the fan of the better action film has had to make do with the very mediocre work of Michael Bay (‘Transformers 3’) and a number of semi-successful cartoon adaptations, it is a relief to see a film in the genre that appeals to everyone. moment entertained and captivated. Even though the plot is barely noteworthy and the running time of 133 minutes is quite long, it hardly disturbs when watching. There’s just no time for a movie that drags you from start to finish. Advances in cinema are also welcome at this commercial blockbuster level, but Hollywood needs to realize that this type of good old-fashioned action movies with cinematic ingenuity can still be worth watching.