Midweek movie review: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Exotic locations. Mind blowing stunts. Cool, futuristic gadgetry. And “World at Stake” villainy to thwart. The Mission: Impossible films have always come across like an American, team-centric response to Britain’s James Bond spy thriller series. It’s business as usual then with Ghost Protocol, the fourth Mission: Impossible film, which ticks off all the franchise’s requisite ingredients to emerge as a satisfying if obviously flawed action movie.


Helping audience accessibility, the Mission: Impossible films have always tended to be standalone tales, with typically just Tom Cruise returning as top Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt. Ghost Protocol retains narrative links to Mission: Impossible III – III’s director and writer J. J. Abrams is still on board as producer, for the record – and Simon Pegg is back as well to provide comic relief as Hunt’s tech support man, but newcomers to the franchise still shouldn’t feel lost.

One of the big positives of Ghost Protocol in fact is that it keeps its plot simple, avoiding the convoluted twists that can often make this type of movie a headache. So Hunt and his new squad – including the sleek and credibly imposing Paula Patton – are on the trail of a Swedish physicist (Michael Nyqvist), who is intent on triggering a nuclear Armageddon. The “Impossible Mission” part of proceedings kicks in when Hunt and co. are accused of a deadly terrorist bombing and must operate without agency support to complete their objective – now contending with villains and international law enforcement alike.


Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is directed by animator Brad Bird and he brings a lot of creativity and energy to the film’s action scenes, much like he did with The Incredibles. The appreciably clear and comprehensible set pieces are by far the strongest thing about Ghost Protocol. Particular standouts include the entire Dubai sequence, and Kremlin infiltration. Bird has an excellent grasp of mounting tension.

At the same time, Ghost Protocol refreshingly doesn’t take itself too seriously. There is a lot of humour in the film, and the disbelieving attitudes of seasoned agents like Hunt and Jeremy Renner’s Brandt to their often ridiculous tasks is a good deal more amusing, and likeable, than Pegg’s forced goofiness a lot of the time.

Honestly, if Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was simply a string of action scenes back-to-back, with no break in-between, it would have made for a more consistently entertaining (if unapologetically superficial) movie. The problem is that in the brief breaths between Ghost Protocol’s explosions, fights, chases and sandstorms, the audience has to endure a very weak attempt at character development. Between action scenes we have to watch morose agents bemoaning their failings and desire for redemption… and it’s eye-rolling painful. If Ghost Protocol were a sports car these scenes shift the film from breezy fifth gear to first, and the pacing and tonal change is horribly grating.


I’m hesitant to suggest that Ghost Protocol should have scrapped all its quieter moments of character interaction – that’s the last thing we should be recommending to Hollywood! – but the balance between action and character development/motivations feels off in this film. The latter is as clunkily handled as the former is energised and freshened up.

It’s probably worth noting at this point as well that you really shouldn’t think too hard while watching Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Any deeper contemplation immediately highlights the silliness, and there’s a lot of it, in the film. One example of the questions likely to start clawing at your brain: if Ethan Hunt is such a deadly combatant, why does he struggle so much in a fist fight with a paunchy middle-aged science nerd?

Anyway, if you’re looking for a popcorn flick these holidays that delivers thrills with slick confidence, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol should be at the top of your list. The film has its failing, and at the end of the day it’s pretty mindless but it’s still fun. And that’s probably the most important thing. I just haven’t been able to decide yet whether Ghost Protocol is on par with, or better than, its entertaining 2006 predecessor (my mini review).