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This is the blog where I talk about the latest movies I've seen. These are my two Schnauzers, Rufus (left) and Marley (right, RIP). As of now, the Double Hollywood Strikes are officially over. May the next strikes not last as long as these ones did.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

As of now, Tom Cruise and his spy alter-ego Ethan Hunt will have fought evil for four films of the Mission Impossible franchise over fifteen years. This fourquel, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, is the type of film that makes each entry worth the long waits.

This time, Ethan Hunt and his fellow spies Benji (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton) are sent to stop a heist in the Kremlin. The evil mastermind Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) plots to steal some nuclear codes in order to get World War III started. Our heroes fail to stop the heist, which Hendricks caps off by blowing up the Kremlin itself.

The end result is that our heroes have been framed for the attack and disavowed. But fortunately, the government, under the titular Ghost Protocol, will let them go on the run so they can find the real bad guys. With new guy Brandt (Jeremy Renner) joining them, our heroes only have themselves to rely on for this mission.

For this mission, Pixar alumnus Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) has taken over the director's spot. What this means for the audience is purely the biggest and best winter blockbuster.

Eschewing 3D in favor of IMAX, Bird gives this franchise some of its biggest scenes ever. Of course, there's Ethan scaling Dubai's Burj Khalifa and later outrunning a giant sandstorm. But it's the holographic screen used to infiltrate the Kremlin that wins the award for novelty. Together with an incredible soundmix, these action scenes keep on amazing its audience until the end.

Together, the actors portraying our heroes form a good acting ensemble. Alone, it's Pegg who provides the best moments. However, Nyqvist, as Hendricks, was a bit too underutilized as a villain. Still, that was one small flaw that didn't bother me that much.

Overall, its director's cinematic transition is a mission accomplished. If they keep this up, perhaps the next mission'll be even more awesome.

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