Recollection Reflection Review: 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'

As of writing this, I've just seen Mission: Impossible - Fallout. I came in right under the wire for my series rewatch as I finished them all the morning of my Fallout screening. The implications being that I'm reviewing the final three films in order of release (Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, then Fallout). Expect to see all these reviews online within the next few days. I've also promised a review of Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, and that will come in due time, but I'm prioritizing Mission: Impossible content for the time being. Additionally, I will be likely be sharing my thoughts on You Were Never Really Here and Love, Simon sometime before my post disclosing my best and worst films of the year so far. I've also decided to push that post back one last time to give my other reviews some breathing room.

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Review

Recollection- Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Review

Reflection- Believe it or not, but Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol was actually the first Mission: Impossible I saw in theaters. When it came out in December of 2011, I had never seen one. Therefore, I wound up marathoning them all at home with family before heading out to see Ghost Protocol. From that day on, I've been a huge fan of the franchise...

Review- Blamed for a terrorist attack on the Kremlin, Ethan Hunt and the entire IMF agency are disavowed by the U.S. government while the president initiates the Ghost Protocol. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol then accompanies Hunt and his team as they're forced to go off the grid and clear the agency's name by preventing another attack.

As the fourth franchise installment, Ghost Protocol carried on the series' trend of enlisting fresh blood to direct. In this scenario, Brad Bird was brought up to the blockbuster big leagues having previously only directed animated films (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille). For his live action debut, Bird made one hell of an impression though... It's been seven years and many still consider Ghost Protocol to be their favorite in the franchise for good reason. This isn't all too surprising when you consider the exceptional work already under his belt at the time, but it goes to show that it's possible to stick the landing while making the leap to live action from an extensive background in animation.

Like those who came before him, Bird understands the inner workings of this franchise, so he amplifies those elements while offering his own unique style and sensibility as a filmmaker. Working with a screenplay penned by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, Bird ensures the action is propulsive with a never-ending sense of urgency. It moves at a quick pace, but that's totally in the film's favor because the two hours and twelve minutes fly by in the blink of an eye. 

The action's always on the move in conjunction with the plot. It does so without feeling rushed because you're entirely invested in the outcome as an extension of caring for the characters. You can feel the weight of the world on their shoulders because Bird and his crew do an exceptional job at communicating the dire circumstances facing this team. 

This installment also has some of the franchise's niftiest gadgets and gizmos, but there's a recurring bit where their devices malfunction mid-mission. In turn, the set pieces are all the more enthralling due to the uncertain reliability of the team's gear. On occasion, action flicks can be bogged down by mundane exposition on rewatch, but even the exposition in Ghost Protocol is quite exciting after all this time! The demonstrations of the tech are handled in such a way that they're interesting to watch as well as being informative. You're simultaneously wowed by the tools at the team's disposal and intrigued at discovering exactly how they function. It's a tricky balance, but Bird pulls it off.

For Cruise's ludicrous stunt, this time around he decided to actually scale the world's tallest structure (2,717 feet tall). The Burj Khalifa sequence still ranks among the series' strongest set pieces because Bird and his crew film it in such a way that it feels like you're hanging onto the skyscraper with Cruise. While Cruise himself may have been suspended by some cables while filming, Hunt is free climbing the hotel with defective adhesive gloves. There's an impending sense of dread that he could fall at any moment, and he actually does a few times only to get a hold moments before a fatal plummet... By then, your heart's leapt out of your chest and the hairs on your arm are firmly at attention. 

And I haven't even properly recognized the wonderful work from cinematographer Robert Elswit, editor Paul Hirsch, composer Michael Giacchino, the sound designers, production designers, visual effects artists, and stunt coordinators. It still perplexes me that no entry in this franchise has at least been recognized with an Oscar nomination in the technical categories because the crew does such exceptional work here, proving to be among the best in their respective fields. I suppose it could be the blockbuster stigma, but Transformers: Dark of the Moon was nominated over this for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects... While I'll admit to enjoying that film more than most, that's undeniably one of the Academy's worst cardinal sins... Right next to La La Land losing out Best Picture after mistakenly being announced as the winner a year and a half ago. You can bet I'm still bitter about it too.

Another interesting aspect of Ghost Protocol is that it's much more of an ensemble piece than previous efforts. It's certainly still lead by Tom Cruise, but it fleshes out the supporting cast like no prior entry in the series and the mission requires an all-around team effort this time. Cruise is charming and cool in the role of Ethan Hunt as per usual, but he pushes himself even harder in regards to the physicality of his performance. He infamously does his own stunts and really put himself through the wringer on this one. By his side, Simon Pegg's Benji has a more prominent role than he did in Mission: Impossible III (providing most of the comedic relief) while Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner are the new recruits. Both Patton and Renner leave a favorable impression in regards to playing interesting allies, but only Renner has reprised his role in a later film thus far. Meanwhile, Michael Nyqvist's Hendricks is an antagonist with a strong screen presence, but ultimately lacks enough characterization or screentime to leave much of an impression.

It's a testament to the quality of Ghost Protocol that it still stands out in an action franchise that's as consistently entertaining as Mission: Impossible. Seven years later, and it's still clinging on as one of the series' best. 

Film Assessment: A

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Mission: Impossible III'

Sorry for the slight delay, but this week I'm continuing my reflection on the Mission: Impossible series with my thoughts on Mission: Impossible 3 as the release of Mission: Impossible - Fallout quickly approaches. I suspect my post recapping my best and worst films of the year so far will be ready by the end of the weekend, but it depends on whether I finish watching films I missed out on. For the rest of July, look forward to Throwback Thursday Reviews of The Equalizer and Mamma Mia!, Triple-R Reviews for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and reviews of new releases Sorry to Bother You, Skyscraper, The Equalizer 2, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.

'Mission: Impossible III' Review

Just as Mission: Impossible III finds IMF Agent Ethan Hunt retired from field work and preparing to settle down with his fiancée Julia, Hunt is forced back into the field when an operative whom he trained is kidnapped and he's brought into conflict with an infamous black market weapons dealer named Owen Davian. However, the odds are soon stacked against Hunt as his fiancée and livelihood are put in harms way. It's then up to Hunt to go rogue and retrieve the elusive, enigmatic "Rabbit's Foot" for Davian in exchange for Julia's life within a forty-eight hour window. 

For the third spy installment, Cruise and Paramount recruited J.J. Abrams to direct with hopes that he could reinvigorate interest in the franchise after a lackluster response from critics and audiences to Mission: Impossible II. Unbeknownst to most audience members, Mission: Impossible III was actually Abrams' feature film directorial debut, so Paramount was taking a huge risk by giving Abrams a shot at helming a blockbuster. Prior to M:I III, Abrams was most well-known for writing, directing, and producing in the realm of television (Felicity, Lost, and Alias were particularly prominent pop-culture hits of his). In the twelve years since 2006, Abrams has been responsible for successfully revitalizing interest in both Star Trek and Star Wars through Star Trek (2009) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I'd like to think that its because of his work on M:I III that he got those gigs in the first place...

In M:I III, Abrams demonstrated that he could bring his own style and sensibilities into a pre-existing franchise without deviating from the series' identity. Abrams understood the basic cornerstones of what made a Mission: Impossible movie, but also acknowledged areas in which the formula was lacking. Therefore, he decided to up the ante by allowing M:I III to actually concern itself with Ethan Hunt's personal life. By extension, the stakes are raised, character motivations are strengthened, and the spectacle actually matters this time around. It's a more personal mission now, and what better way to improve the action than by further fleshing out the characters? Without a foundation in story and an audience investment in the characters, action sequences are a meaningless distraction.

Nine times out of ten, character-driven action sequences will be more likely to have you on the edge of your seat because you actually care about the characters, and the outcome by proxy. While the execution of it all is certainly important, the basis for it lies firmly rooted in the script. In addition to directing, Abrams also contributed to the screenplay alongside Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci (who both wound up later collaborating with Abrams on his Star Trek films). Together, the three crafted a story that was riveting, subversive, and tested Ethan Hunt like neither of the prior Mission: Impossible films had. Beyond raising the personal stakes, Ethan’s at his most vulnerable here. Due to the time crunch, the lack of support from the IMF, and the intense emotions fueling his actions, Hunt genuinely feels helpless for the first time in the series and is pushed to point of absolute desperation. 

Meanwhile, the technical precision across the board is absolutely spectacular. Everything from the cinematography to the editing to Michael Giachinno's score is coursing with energy from start-to-finish. Watching M:I III is equivalent to injecting yourself with an adrenaline boost which lasts a little longer than two hours. The only way to subdue that feeling is to make it to the end because you're not going to want to take your eyes off the screen once the film takes off.

For those who have been following my Mission: Impossible reviews, you may be wondering what some of the practical stunt centerpieces were for this film. Well, the gif above showcases one of Tom Cruise's tougher stunts. The missile itself was not real of course, but Cruise being propelled straight into that car by an explosion totally is, and the actor wound up cracking a couple ribs in the process. Additionally, Cruise fell off the Vatican wall suspended by a thin cable, performed a stunt in which he fell 30-40 feet in studio against a green screen, and laid underneath a careening truck while it skidded over him. I'm continually amazed at the lengths Cruise goes to for our amusement.

Aside from his extraordinary physical commitment to the role, Cruise turns in another outstanding performance. Bolstered by a stronger script this time around, Cruise delves deeper into Hunt's psyche and lets loose some unhinged emotional outbursts. Opposite Cruise, Michelle Monaghan makes for an ideal love interest. The sparks flying between the two are discernible, and she exudes enough charm for the viewer to understand why Hunt would risk it all. While I'm sure many are quick to call Julia a damsel in distress, the character actually proves herself to be quite capable.

Meanwhile, M:I III was one of the first installments to at least attempt to flesh out the team working alongside Hunt. Ving Rhames' Luther Stickell certainly is given more to work with compared to the previous entires, but newcomers Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q still have restrained roles with a focus on their skillset rather than personalities. To their credit though, Meyers and Q made the most of everything the script provided them.

Also, I could hardly forget to mention Simon Pegg's Benji. Though the best of his character comes once he figures into the franchise more prominently, Pegg was a wonderful addition to the cast and welcome source of comedic relief nonetheless. Other noteworthy series recruitments include Keri Russell, Billy Crudup, and Laurence Fishburne who all do an excellent job leaving an impression in their allotted screen time as you'd expect. 

Last, but certainly not least, the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman is an absolutely unrelenting antagonist. Owen Davian is still one of the series' most memorable villains, and for good reason. Hoffman portrays the character as a calloused individual willing to go to great lengths to obtain what he desires. His screen presence alone is quite intimidating, but he's nearly unstoppable in regards to commanding your attention when coupled with some menacing monologues.

After all this time, Mission: Impossible III remains one of the finest films in the franchise as well as Abrams' filmography. In true spy fashion, it's another adventurous outing for Ethan Hunt that moves at a breakneck pace with several intense sequences of sensational spectacle and no signs of slowing down. Ultimately though, the tactic of grounding Mission: Impossible III in Hunt's humanity is what most elevates it above its predecessors. 

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Mission: Impossible II'

Sorry for the delay on this review, but I had my wisdom teeth removed last Wednesday and wound up rewatching Mission: Impossible II a little later than I anticipated. Since we've passed the midway point of 2018, I'l be recapping my favorite and least favorite films of the year fairly soon in addition to providing an updated ranking of the Marvel films once I've seen Ant-Man and the Wasp. I also recently posted something very different from my usual content called Jurassic World vs. Westworld: Escaping The Park if you're interested in checking that out. In the meantime, you can look forward to Throwback Thursday Reviews of Mission: Impossible III, and Mamma Mia!, Triple-R Reviews for Sicario, Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and reviews of new releases Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Skyscraper, The Equalizer 2, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.

'Mission: Impossible II' Review

In Mission: Impossible II, Ethan Hunt must recruit a team to help him find and destroy a genetically modified virus called "Chimera" before its unleashed on the populous city of Sydney, Australia by a former IMF agent-turned-terrorist.

Mission: Impossible II is the second installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise and set the precedent of bringing in a new director for each successive entry (a tradition which will be broken by Mission: Impossible - Fallout later this month). John Woo, a Chinese director best known for his elaborate action sequences, filled in for Brian De Palma while Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga wrote the spy sequel's story and Robert Towne stuck around as the sole screenwriter from the original. The changes behind the scenes apparently were quite noticeable though, since M:I 2 had a very mixed critical reception. However, in spite of being the lowest rated film in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDB, it's still the highest grossing Mission: Impossible domestically.

Mission: Impossible II is often looked down upon as the worst in the series, but I feel it only holds title by default. It's not "bad" so much as it's simply not as good as the rest. The beauty of Mission: Impossible as an action franchise though is that new directors are continually brought in so each film has its own flair while conforming to the franchise's formula. This keeps things feeling fresh, and Woo's stylistic tenancies make for an exciting addition to the franchise. M:I 2 is actually the epitome of an early 2000's action film, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing...

The plot is simple and the action is packed full of slo-mo, explosions, Limp Biszit's music, and Tom Cruise's luscious, flowing locks. Woo definitely overdoes it in regards to employing these elements, but it doesn't make the whole affair any less enjoyable. In fact, M:I 2 actually has plenty of the series' most iconic moments such as the infamous knife in the eye scene or Cruise dangling off a cliff 2,000 feet off the ground. This film is pretty much the point where Tom Cruise decided he'd attempt as many death-defying stunts as he possibly could for our amusement. Sick and twisted? I know it is, but I can't help but respect and admire the man's willingness to go to these extremes...

In all seriousness, someone should probably check on Cruise because this knife was actually a quarter of an inch away from his eyeball thanks to a precisely measured cable... The fact Cruise agreed to this stunt at Woo's dismay and then requested the stuntman to apply as much force as possible when thrusting the knife to make it look legitimate is deeply concerning. The craziest thing is that this stunt looks fairly tame in comparison to many of the things he's done in the time since. Let's just hope he doesn't takes it too far and kill himself for the sake of a stunt in Mission: Impossible 39.

The action across the board is actually quite exhilarating though with high-speed chases galore, numerous instances of hand-to-hand combat, and a stealthy infiltration sequence well worth mentioning. Woo's knack for capturing frenetic action keeps things moving at a breakneck-pace and the simple plot ensures everything's easy to keep track of. Compared to Mission: Impossible, Woo's grip on the tension is short-lived but the sheer audacity of the set-pieces make up for it. It also probably doesn't hurt that it's all accompanied by a Hans Zimmer score. 

At the center of this star vehicle, Tom Cruise's demonstrates that he's committed to more than just the insane stunt work as his charming demeanor dominates the screen. Everything he does just oozes coolness and Cruise pulls it all off effortlessly. Opposite Cruise, Thandie Newton makes for a fitting femme fatale, has palpable chemistry with Cruise and Scott, and is quite convincing as the center of such an intricate love triangle. I wish Newton was more than simply a damsel-in-distress, but I suppose it's just indicative of the time in which this film was made.

Unfortunately, since this franchise started on Cruise-control, the ensemble's scarcely given an opportunity to shine. Even though another IMF team is assembled to pull off a second impossible mission, Ving Rhames' hacker Luther Stickell and John Polson's helicopter pilot Billy Baird don't have much to do aside from help Ethan in their respective team roles. Anthony Hopkins and Brendan Gleeson also each have brief appearances worth mentioning. Their roles aren't very substantive, but they both leave an impression thanks to their experienced screen presence. 

In the antagonistic camp, Dougray Scott chews the scenery as Sean Ambrose and ultimately serves as a sufficient villain in the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile, his stooges played by Richard Roxburgh, Dominic Purcell, and William Mapother are reasonably threatening whenever they engage in combat. Roxburgh's Hugh Stamp is easily the most memorable one on account of a particularly noteworthy unmasking sequence though.

Stuffed full of show-stopping set pieces, Mission: Impossible II is literally the most explosive entry in the franchise. It's up to you whether that means you'll accept this mission or not, but I'll say it has my full endorsement as a good time. 

Film Assessment: B-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Mission: Impossible'

Recently, I've taken a break from my Throwback Thursday Review series, but I'm returning to the format in order to review Mission: Impossible before the release of Mission: Impossible - Fallout next month. I realize it's not yet Thursday, but there are a lot of films I'd like to review this summer and not enough Thursdays to do so. For the time being, I plan to share Throwback Thursday Reviews of Ocean's Eleven (2001), The Incredibles, Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Mission: Impossible II along with new reviews for Upgrade, Hereditary, Ocean's Eight, Hotel Artemis, Incredibles 2, Tag (2018), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado this June.

'Mission: Impossible' Review

Mission: Impossible accompanies American IMF agent Ethan Hunt as he's disavowed when a mission goes awry and Hunt is framed for killing his team of fellow spies and selling government intel. Determined to prove his innocence, Hunt recruits fellow renegades to help him track down the traitor responsible and retrieve the missing intel.

Mission: Impossible was directed by Brian De Palma, featured a screenplay written collectively by David Koepp, Robert Town, and Steven Zaillian, and served as the first film adaptation of a television series from the late '60s (which was rebooted in the '80s). At the time, no other spy franchise was quite like it. The Mission: Impossible series' claim to fame has always been the elaborate, outrageous stunts performed by the star himself. Over the years, they've grown gradually in regards to ambition and scale as Tom Cruise has gone from simply being suspended in a room and blown back by a 140mph wind machine to scaling the Burj Khalifa and hanging outside an actual airplane during take off. 

As director, De Palma leans into the intensity of the stunts and ensures the audience is able to understand the stakes and consequences associated with failing the feat. Before the Langley computer disc heist, De Palma quickly demonstrates the vault's extreme security measures, so every drop of Ethan Hunt's sweat feels like it could potentially be the end of it all. Even with the foresight of the film's ending, I still find the sequence to be quite riveting. 

Another thing that De Palma did extraordinarily well was establishing the blueprints for the franchise going forward. Every Mission: Impossible film since the first has featured an intro with a fuse accompanied by the trademark theme, Hunt assembling a team of agents, and memorable set pieces intended to one-up the previous film's show stoppers. Suffice to say, the franchise's barebones formula has been fairly effective considering a sixth installment is coming just next month. On top of the aforementioned qualities, Mission: Impossible shines in regards to the inventive camera movement from cinematographer Stephen H. Burum and an exciting score composed by Danny Elfman. 

Now twenty two years old, Mission: Impossible can't help but feel dated in comparison to today's blockbusters. While the practical stunts are still stellar, the visual effects are hit and miss in regards to authenticity. Of course I'm not holding this against Mission: Impossible too much, but I felt it was worth mentioning nevertheless. Where the plot of Mission: Impossible is relatively straight-forward and easy to follow, the twists and turns along the way either don't add up or require a slight suspension of disbelief because of their inherent cheesiness. Either way, it all felt indicative of the '90s.

Beyond launching a film franchise that's still ongoing, Mission: Impossible helped Tom Cruise's career skyrocket into the movie star stratosphere (although you could make an argument that Top Gun played a big role in the initial takeoff). Pushing semantics aside, Cruise's crazy commitment to stunt-work started here, and Cruise's formidable, magnetic charisma shines through it all tremendously. It's really no wonder that Ethan Hunt is one of Cruise's most popular roles to date. However, seeing as the first Mission: Impossible was largely a star-vehicle for Cruise, the surrounding ensemble wasn't given nearly as much to work with. Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Emmanuelle Bėart, Jean Reno, and Ving Rhames make the most of their screentime, but are ultimately impaired by lacking characterization and are unable to define themselves much beyond the simple genre stereotypes spelled out in the script.

In spite of its age, Mission: Impossible holds up exceptionally well as an action-thriller. Should you choose to watch it, you'll discover that Mission: Impossible is an exciting, occasionally over-the-top spy flick full of spirit and spectacle. 

Film Assessment: B

'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' Review

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is a blast! This film has the best elements taken from each of the previous installments with an incredible motorcycle chase sequence, insane stunts, suspense, and great performances. 

The director, Christopher McQuarrie, does a terrific job behind the camera and brings freshness to the franchise. The motorcycle chase is probably one of the best motorcycle chase sequences I have seen in any movie because of the inventive use of great camera angles including one that makes you feel as though you are riding the motorcycle. 

Probably one of my favorite scenes in the film is the opera house scene which is very suspenseful and contains a little humor to balance the tone. There are two insane stunts featured in the film. One where Tom Cruise must hold on to a plane as it takes off that kicks the film off with a bang. The other being one where Tom Cruise must hold his breath for 3 minutes to help ensure the success of a mission that is filled to the brim with tension aided by the film's score. 

The film's cast is incredibly well rounded once again exploring a team dynamic introduced in Ghost Protocol. Tom Cruise is phenomenal as usual once again performing insane stunts in addition to a great performance. 

Rebecca Ferguson shines as the female lead yet doesn't outshine the ensemble cast around her and does quite well in action sequences specifically the hand to hand combat sequences where she kicks butt and takes names. Her character's intentions and alliance are unknown so she adds an element of mystery to the film.

 Simon Pegg is enjoyable as always adding quite a bit of humor to the film as he did in Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol and has a slightly bigger role this time around. 

Jeremy Renner returns with more comedic beats, and he does quite well in terms of performance. Ving Rhames reprises his role as Luther as the only actor to have been in all of the film's aside from Tom Cruise, and is enjoyable when onscreen. He and Renner are given a B-story line in the middle of the film and they worked quite well together. 

The film's villain is one of the best the franchise has seen since the third installment. The villain is portrayed by Sean Harris and is a compelling and intimidating villain much better than the usual villains for these films. 

Overall I highly recommend you go see Rogue Nation if you enjoy action flicks or are a fan of the franchise and would go as far as to say that it's probably one of the best action movies to come out all summer if not the entire year. By far my favorite of the franchise narrowly beating out Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.

Film Assessment: A

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'

This week's new release is Pixels but I had trouble finding a film relates to Pixels that I wanted to review and since next week I will be out of town with no cell reception, Internet, etc. I decided to go ahead and review a film that is the predecessor to Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which is next week's new big release. This also with no doubt so far my favorite installment in the franchise but that could always change when I see Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. 

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Review

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is my favorite installment in the franchise for a number of reasons. It's probably the only Mission: Impossible film to contain humor as well as some large scale crazy action sequences and another insane stunt that Tom Cruise actually performs, given that he does his own stunts.

One highlight of the film that I particularly enjoy is to see the spy tech utilized in the film which is quite interesting and somewhat realistic given modern technology. An aspect about the spy tech that is quite interesting regarding how it comes into play in this film is that the technology is constantly breaking and messing up, making the mission that much more "impossible"and also adding an element of humor to the film.

This film was also Brad Bird's first foray into live-action, and he did a splendid job re-imagining the franchise to differ from previous installments. All of the actors do an incredible job in this film, but the team of IMF agents stand out in particular. Tom Cruise once again portrays Ethan Hunt and is given much more to explore for his character. He is really quite enjoyable to watch in the action sequences that put you in the edge of your seat.

Another aspect that adds to the suspense is knowing that he performs his own stunts, especially when he is climbing the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Cruise appears to be solo climbing, but in actuality is attached to multiple cables. It is also quite interesting to see Tom Cruise run, which he seems to be quite the pro at it, and there are several jokes about Cruise's running even though he runs in a manner that is entertaining to watch.

Simon Pegg's character is very enjoyable and injects humor into the film with numerous one-liners. He manages to steal numerous scenes that he is included in and I can't wait to see him in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation!

Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner both deliver great performances as their respective characters and were enjoyable in numerous action sequences. I really enjoyed Renner's performance as he makes his character quite compelling with what he is given and brings some great acting chops in some dramatic scenes.

Michael Nyqvist portrays a compelling, quite evil villain, but can be regarded as a typical villainous caricature who's merely out to incite nuclear warfare for no apparent reason aside from destruction. The plot of the film is very intricate and kept me engaged the entire running time despite having seen the film numerous times.

If you haven't seen any of the Mission: Impossible films I highly recommend you watch them all in preparation for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and give Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation a chance next weekend!

Film Assessment: A