Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Only in Hollywood would I ever believe that Tom Cruise could fight his way through a whole mess of Russian prisoners during a jail break. And if you can't buy that scene then the rest of this movie will hurt. These movies work on the ability the star has to suspend my disbelief and entertain me.

Since before the FIRST Mission Impossible film I have seen too many movies starting Cruise. I get to the point where I look at the screen and say, "That's Tom Cruise in that explosion. That's Tom Cruise fighting thirty guys." Just can't go there.

I also think Cruise is the last guy I want disobeying orders to save the world.

Some of the gadgets and gizmos (the climbing gloves!) are slick as are the clockwork precision of the 'impossible' missions that this team takes on. Of course in real life such missions would take months to plan. NO ONE just infiltrates the KREMLIN at a moment's notice. No plan ever goes EXACTLY like a screenwriter planned. And if you want your agent to impersonate a Soviet General, it would help if he got a MILITARY haircut and didn't just brush the long hair behind his ear. GAH!

I was thinking I was going to hate this movie.

But then something happened. Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) pulls out one fantastic action scene after another as the team is forced to run for their lives. There are great escapes and last minutes saves and SMART spy work. It's really quite thrilling to watch.

Simon Pegg is a nice comic addition to a film that desperately needs a sense of humor.

Jeremy Renner is quite good as the intelligence analyst who finds he is out of his element when he gets 'drafted' for the 'ghost protocol' mission.

They travel all over the world and each place comes with it's own dangers and it's own spectacular scenery.

I couldn't help but come out of this one thinking that I would like to see a James Bond movie directed by Brad Bird or maybe he and Pegg could team up to do a kick ass ANT MAN movie. The idea has been on Pegg's radar for many years and I have every faith that he can pull off a more serious heroic character.

I guess Tom Cruise CAN make a good movie - who knew. For the rest of his life he has no excuses to ever make a crappy film again.

8/10