Perdogg's review of "MI4:Ghost Protocols"

[Perdogg]

I had the opportunity to see the new Mission impossible movie since it opened 5 days earlier here in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Growing up, I remember when Mission Impossible was in syndication and would be shown in the afternoon after school. Even as an adult I have three seasons (1, 3, and 5) on DVD.

For those who never saw the original, the series revolved around a mythical agency called the IMF, or Impossible Mission Force. The team would be disavowed by “The Secretary” if caught led me to believe that this agency probably was part of the Department of State. The team consisted of specialists Barney Collier (Greg Norris) the Electrical-mechanical expert, Rollin Hand (Martin Landau) the Actor and Master of Disguise, Willy Armitage (Peter Lupus) the Muscleman, and Cinnamon Carter (Barbara Bain) the Honey trap. After season one, the team’s lead was James Phelps (Peter Graves) who replaced Daniel Briggs (Steven Hill of Law and Order fame). The show lasted for seven seasons, and eventually had a change of direction, crew, and even networks. After the spy genre die, the show started to reflect the current rise in crime in the US and focused on battling organized crime.

Mission impossible IV is the current sequel to the film series that started in 1996 with Hollywood mainstay Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. The pre-title sequence starts out with an assassination in Hungary then switching to two members of IM Force (Simon Pegg and Paula Patton) trying to bust Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out of a Moscow prison. It turns out that Ethan Hunt was ordered to be broken out of prison to prevent Russian nuclear codes from falling into the hands of a super smart Swede Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) who wants to blow up the world. This requires the team to go back to the Kremlin and get the matching codes before Hendricks can. Hendricks manages to steal the codes and cover his tracks by blowing up the Kremlin. Then the Secretary, who happens to be in Russia at the time, is ordered to invoked the “Ghost protocols” that dissolves the team during a limo meeting. In the process the Secretary is killed, leaving his executive William Brandt (Jeremy Remmer) to flee with Hunt and to join the team. From here the team, like the Fantastic Four, vow to stop Hendricks.

They concoct a plan to steal the codes in Dubai in the Burji Dubai, which leaves the audience with the only real suspense scene in the movie. The team then ends up at a swank party in Mumbai for the final showdown where at least we get to see very attractive Paula Patton in a gorgeous green dress. The Indian telecommunications executive is played by “Slumdog Millionaire’s” Anil Kappor. Who gives a comical performance not unlike Wayne Newton’s performance in the 1989 James Bond movie “License to Kill”. This all leads up to the final ending action sequence, which is so laughable and unbelievable and at no time will you ever feel “the mission” will fail. The problem this movie suffers for trying to do too much of the wrong thing. Simon Pegg is miscast and we don’t get any development of Hendrick. The movie lacks any quality that made “Mission: Impossible” good. It should not have had anything to do with “Mission: impossible”. If the writers really wanted a good movie based on the series they should have come up with something on the line “The Mind of Stefan Miklos” which was one of the best episodes of the series. One of things that made the original series so good was that you knew the team would succeed, but at least you had to sit on the edge of your seat and allow for the possibility of failure or see how amazed, not matter how realistic.

The movie as a brainless action movie is not all bad. All you see are explosions and gadgets, which are fine if that is all you, want to see. The refreshing thing about this movie is that there is no politics in this movie whatsoever. No Jumbos of Obama no digs at the Iraq war, and no digs at Vice President Cheney. Overall, if you want to relax your brain and just enjoy it for a ride, then go see this movie. If you are looking for a movie related to the original series, then decline the mission.

[Perdogg]

ping

[GOPsterinMA]

Thanks P-Dogg.

[trisham]

It sounds much like a James Bond movie starring Roger Moore. Awful.

[Pharmboy]

Well, we're in the DC area too and saw it over the weekend in an IMAX theatre. Perhaps I was expecting less than you were, because I liked it more than you did. The action scenes were great, Paula Patton is terrific, and I always have enjoyed watching Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner on the screen. I do agree that Pegg might have been miscast (he does play the geek, though) but the producers might have wanted a Brit in the movie for the UK box office.

I enjoyed it as a Christmas season popcorn movie. The sound in the IMAX theatre was the best I've ever heard. Finally, I always enjoy your reviews, so please keep 'em coming.

[Safetgiver]

What is a movie?

[evets]

This review will self destruct in 5 seconds...

[Bender2]

I shall not accept the mission to view MI4 and if I can get this damn Cinergy Ticket safe open... I shall instead go see the Sherlock Holmes sequel but I don't expect it to be much better!

[Sonny M]

It should be noted, that this film series, is NOT a reboot of the original TV show, but is in fact a sequel to it.....

In the first one, the character of James Phelps (the leader of the team in the TV show) is a main character. The actor who played James Phelps on the show, refused the part in the movie, on the grounds, he despised how his character was now a traitor. Jim Voight was cast instead.

The movie series is simply picking up where the TV left off, but decided to destroy the main character from the TV show....

[Nachum]

I have nothing bad to say about Tom Cruise. He delivers a movie for entertainment. As a movie my teenagers will like, it passes muster.

Hope it makes a profit and I hope he makes more.

[PapaBear3625]

Naturally, the villain is a Swede. In these movies, the terrorist determined to blow people up must be a Swede, or a Serb, or a white South African, or an American business man.

The villain may never be a Muslim, or a radical Leftist. Whenever adapting a book (like a Tom Clancy novel) if the book villain is in a disallowed class, the villain must be changed to a member of a permitted class for the movie version.

[Tax-chick]

This sounds like something my teenage boys will like. Steven Greydanus at DecentFilms.com said the action scenes are extremely well done.

[newheart]

The refreshing thing about this movie is that there is no politics in this movie whatsoever.

And that is why I liked it. Besides, if I want a movie with politics in it, Tom Cruise is one of the last people I would want to get that from. But he makes a good Bond-lite character.

MI4 has a classic, cartoon superhero (or near super-hero) theme. Evil madman with the capacity to destroy the world stopped through a series of completely improbable and plausible stunts by the heroes of the film.

It has everything it needs for the genre. Good looking and gifted, if vapid, male lead. Glamourous, smart and athletic spy-babe female lead (Patton). A humorous but extremely competent geek side-kick (Pegg), and a little secret pathos — the loss of Hunt's wife— involving another team member (Remmer). Exotic location shots. Just the right amount of good explosions and chase scenes. A huge sandstorm. A heart stopping scene on the side of the world's tallest building (My acrophobia kicked in early.) A car to die for. And enough gadgets to make Q very envious.

Really, what's not to like? I love movies like this for the thrill ride. I'm not looking for anything else.

For a serious movie, with enough to keep you thinking for weeks, try "Taking Shelter." And I am seriously looking forward to a certain girl with a dragon tattoo.

[pabianice]

Feh. Rent Flight of the Phoenix (1965) or The Sand Pebbles, two of the great action movies that also have plots.

[newheart]

This sounds like something my teenage boys will like.

They will. I took three of my four sons (13-21). Thumbs up all around. A great thrill ride. And very mild on the language and sexual situations.

[dangus]

Not the International Monetary Fund?

[Tax-chick]

My oldest daughter (20) is home on leave from the Coast Guard, too. Maybe I can get her to drive the brothers to the theater. She likes action movies, although not Tom Cruise ...

[hosepipe]

[ The villain may never be a Muslim, or a radical Leftist. Whenever adapting a book (like a Tom Clancy novel) if the book villain is in a disallowed class, the villain must be changed to a member of a permitted class for the movie version. ]

NOW.. there would be a movie...
LEFTISTs trying to over throw the United States government..
They would not have to invent a plot even.. reality would do..

Call the movie what, lets see?...
I know...... The Cloward-Piven Experiment... with a brief history of the Federal Reserve, dumbing down the schools and such.. maybe Teddy Kennedys magical escape from prosecution.. and Joseph McCarthy perp walking all those douche bags...

Liberal heads would explode.. they would go see it just so they could suck their teeth.. and Conservative would be applauding and cheering for the good guys..

Who knows maybe fights would break out in the theaters..

[SilvieWaldorfMD]

FANTASTIC!

Even though I can’t stand the Cruise-man, I’ll go check it out.

[moviefan8]

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol is a must see motion picture in IMAX. I cannot imagine watching it on a smaller screen. The movie is a fun filled action adventure.