The Ultimate Action Film of 2011 -- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, GHOST PROTOCOL Movie Review

POTATO ON THE GO (Movie):

When I was a kid and watching the TV hits then (oh my another generation revelation hehe) like The A Team, McGayver, Knight Rider, my dad shared with me that there's another series that he liked in the 70s, which he would also love me to see.  And that show is Mission Impossible.  Unfortunately though, at that time (80s okay? hehe), Mission Impossible was not being run or rerun anymore.  All I saw were clips (and the fab theme music) when it's being mentioned in interviews / segments.  So when the Mission Impossible franchise starring Tom Cruise hit the big screen a few years back, that's it, I just got hooked up up to this time.  And now, the said movie is now on its fourth entitled Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

Directed by Brad Bird, the movie stars Tom Cruise (who is also the producer), Ving Rhames, Vladimir Mashkov, Jeremy Renner, Josh Holloway, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Anil Kapoor and Samuli Edelmann.  MISSION IMPOSSIBLE GHOST PROTOCOL still tells the story of IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team of extra ordinary agents who is up to stop a nuclear warfare between countries.  'But it was not an easy task.  As they carry out their mission, they were suspected to be part of a terrorist plot.  And with no plan, no back-up and no choice they ought to carry out their mission facing a lot of twists, complications, secrets and danger.

From start to finish, all I can say is MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL is one awesome movie!!!  It's solid, it's magnanimous, it rocks big time!    We were in awe in many of the scenes, I won't name them one by one to avoid spoiler but let me just cite one example, okay two examples hehe -- the scene at the building in Dubai and at the mansion in India!  They are spectacular!  We hold our breath and keep still on our seats as suspense intensifies, stunts go wild and view pulls us away!  It's just the ultimate action film of 2011!  Pardon me with the superlatives, that's just how I liked the movie. 

Stunts are amazing just like the previous MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movies, special visual effects is stunning (I even ask myself how they did such scenes) and production design is grand. Handsome props spice up the entertainment like the awesome cars, gadgets and graphics.  And of course, the cool wardrobes are something to look out for as well. 

Musical score and sound of course are spectacular.  The original MI theme music spiced up with new beats made the movie more than exciting.  Sound is very real, it completed our movie experience.  Cinematography was not left behind as it captured difficult to shoot scenes with excellent framing and lighting.  Again, the Dubai tower is magnanimous, the journey to the dessert is a virtual travel and the panoramic shots in Hungary, India, Russia and UAE are breath taking. 

Story wise, it sticks to the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE framework -- upbeat, full of suspense and action packed but this time it was even made bigger.  I just wished though that the Dubai scene would have let Tom Cruise used more than two gloves as tools (or magnets) to crawl on the building as I couldn't imagine how Ethan  would sustain the gravity with one hand.  Oh well, perhaps Ethan is just that extraordinary, like the rest of his team mates, they really make the impossible possible.  And of course being able to penetrate secured places with ease will make you think twice.  'But then, yeah, some scenes that may not look like humanly possible, but what the heck, let's just assume pre-work has been done by the characters and there are many exceptions to the rule and deviant to the norm, hence making Ethan's team exceptional that's why they are all called in by IMF to do the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.  :)   Agree with me?  Hehe.  As one line in the movie said, Ethan is lucky to survive.  Well, he is on his 4th, he's really one lucky guy!

I also like how the movie is concluded, it's different, not melodramatic for an ending, it's sad but wise. 

From a scale of 1 to 10 claps, I'm giving MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL a big 8!  :)  From United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment, the movie is showing in Philippine theaters starting December 15 to 24.  As the Metro Manila Film Festival opens on December 25, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL can only be seen on IMAX SM Theaters from December 25 to January 7, 2012. By January 8, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL resumes exhibition in regular screens.