Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) - 4K UHD Review

Review:

*Originally written November 3rd, 2011*

For many people (Including myself) Ghost Protocol is the first film in the Mission: Impossible franchise that found a formula that launched the franchise from good to great. The first three films all had their own unique style and voice, for better or worse (MI2 is appalling), but they were lacking something. Thankfully Brad Bird came along and gave us an action film that rides the right line between action thriller and cartoony set-pieces.

It's so great to see that Tom Cruise still hasn't changed in 7 years. The set-piece on the tallest building in the world is just outrageous and exciting, the best the series got until this years Fallout. It's always just a treat to see Tom Cruise performance these stunts himself. He really gives it his all while delivering a charismatic and easy to root for Ethan Hunt.

This is also the first one that introduces Simon Pegg as the one of the main team members. He was in the third, but only as a tiny part, so it's much more interesting to see him in the field this time and bouncing off Hunt so well. It's strange to see Paula Patton leave such an impact in this film, but then never appear in another, there was a lot more chance to explore her character and whatever reason they didn't.

The only real weak spot of the team here is Jeremy Renner, who amounts to absolutely nothing. There's an intriguing backstory for his character that we learn throughout the run-time, making way for a very unearned and weird twist at the end. It's pretty easy to see why wasn't in Fallout and no one really noticed, because I nearly forgot he was in this one. It's weird just seeing a team work so well together, then Renner in the middle just having absolutely no chemistry at all with them.

The plot is what you'd come to expect at this point, it doesn't twist the formula massively, but it does what it tries to do so well. Ethan's team have to stop terrorist with nuclear codes while going country to country. It's fine. All absolutely fine. It's just a shame that the villains are very under-cooked and wasted. The only one that leaves a lasting impression is Lea Seydoux as an assassin responsible for starting the chain of events that kicks off the plot, so it's a shame she's written out pretty quickly to make way for a far less intimidating bad guy. 

There was a point where Ghost Protocol was my favourite Mission: Impossible film, but maybe due to the laws of diminishing returns or just preferring the slightly darker tone they went for in the next two films, I still really like Ghost Protocol, but don't quite love it. Watching it on 4K was at least a treat, an extremely impressive transfer that really showed off those yellows and Tom Cruise's gorgeous face. This is also the first time I'd notice just how poor some of the CGI in this was. The Kremlin explosion and nuke launching look utterly atrocious. 


Ghost Protocol starts the formula that has made the next few Mission: Impossibles so great. It's not perfect, but Brad Bird does a great job delivering us an extremely entertaining spy-thriller with a familiar plot, but insanely exciting set-pieces made even better with Tom Cruise's total commitment. 

8/10 Dans

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
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Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written July 26th, 2018*

Dear, God. Where do I begin with this? It's rare that a sixth film in a franchise manages to easily be the best, but Mission: Impossible - Fallout not only manages that, but somehow also becomes one of the greatest action films ever made. I know it's just come out, but I was just in awe at the cinematic display of artistry here. 

I came out of this with the same feeling I got when leaving Blade Runner 2049, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Dark Knight, that feeling that cinema is still alive. Which is so damn rare considering that 80% of what is released in cinemas these days is complete garbage. Fallout is a film so dedicated from everyone involved to giving the audience a good time, and it goes above and beyond that and more.

Fallout does so much other films wouldn't dare to do, or they'd just do it with computer effects. Here, every stunt looks and feels real, because it is. Tom Cruise fully commits himself to every outrageous and insane stunt presented to him, all while still being an absolute charisma magnet. He just oozes star material and I genuinely believe he could lead any film handed to him. From the HALO jump, to the helicopter chase, he must be an insurance nightmare for the studio.

Every set-piece is loaded with excitement and tension, and there are a lot of them. Even at 147 minutes, Fallout never drags or loses steam, it is relentless. It's one of those rare feats where the progression of the story and of the characters manages to feel organic with the action on display. 

While being action heavy, Fallout still manages to tell an engaging story that is always going in interesting places. For the first time, a Mission Impossible film leads on from the events of the previous one. Everything here is a direct result of the IMF capturing anarchist terrorist Solomon Lane, leading them on a mission to essentially find 3 nuclear warheads before what's left of Lane's organisation can put them to use. 

While the story sounds very surface level and basic, they did a lot with character to change things up. Cruise's Ethan Hunt is much more humanised this time around, we actually explore his motivations on why he continually puts his life at risk over and over again to save the world. Fallout avoids the trope of the lead character who feels like a superhero, able to withstand any incident with out a scratch, Hunt may not end up in the same state as say John McClane, but he feels very similar to Bond in Casino Royale, where he takes a lot of damage by the end of it.

I was surprised by the brutality on display too, it really pushes that 12A rating to edge. The fistfights in this are absolutely brutal, the sound design really helps you feel every punch landing, particularly from Henry Cavill, who is an absolute tank here, even to the point where he as to "Reload" his arms in the middle of a fight. Cavill is an actor who gets a lot of flack for being wooden and cardboard and for "Ruining Superman", but he's actually damn good here, delivering a pretty menacing role that shows him off as a complete specimen of a man.

The series seems to know it's formula now, they have their team together (Aside from Jeremy Renner, who I didn't even notice wasn't in the film). Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Rebecca Ferguson all return. Ferguson given the most to and easily the most compelling arc of the supporting team. Pegg is still great as the comic relief, even if he is given more action to work with this time around. And Ving Rhames is just Ving Rhames. Bless him.

My biggest fear is how they'll top this instalment, but I've said that for the past two films and have been proved wrong. I have faith Cruise and co have something utterly batshit up their sleeve for the inevitable seventh entry, but I just hope they have a good story to go with it too, the door is left open for plenty of places to go, I just want them not to feel formulaic. Which is the last thing Fallout feels.


I'll finish by saying Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a landmark achievement in action cinema. It's pure cinema, a beautifully shot, relentless work of art that joins the ranks of Die Hard, Terminator 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road. By far the best of the franchise and one of the best action films ever made, and also my film of the year so far. Never stop, Tom Cruise. You're a maniac and my daddy. I love you.

10/10 Dans

Mission: Impossible - Fallout is out now in cinemas in the UK, with a HMV exclusive 4K steelbook also available to pre-order.

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Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 7th, 2015*

"Cruising"


Ditching the cartoony fun that Brad Bird bought to the franchise with Ghost Protocol for a more darker and sinister take, Rogue Nation is another excellent edition to the long running series. It's amazing that the Mission Impossible films have gone on since 1996 and have only had one dud (M.I.2) out the lot.

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt once again with outstanding charisma and dedication to the role. While the stunts don't come to the height that Ghost Protocol brought, there are still an amazing array of scenes to be in awe at. People were worried that they spoiled the plane set-piece with the trailer, and in all honesty, they didn't. The scene is still spectacular and jaw-dropping, especially when you know that it is actually Tom Cruise hanging on the side of a plane for real. There seems to be some strong prejudice against Cruise because of his behaviour and personal beliefs, but I say do what you want when you constantly deliver such incredibly fun films with 100% effort put in.

The story is much darker this time around. It's a pretty personal story for the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) team as they try and take down a society of agents who do what they do, but evil. While it lacks the end of the world stakes of the previous film, I personally preferred this darker story and it found it to be the most compelling film of the whole franchise.

This is also the first time in the series that the members of the team are all returning members from previous films. The comic relief Simon Pegg returns as Benji in a much more expanded role and steals all the scenes he is in, there was a strange but funny scene of product placement where he is playing Halo 5 on Xbox One at the CIA rather than working. Jeremy Renner came back with a much smaller role and didn't really do much. Ving Rhames was excellent as series veteran Luther. 

The only two new cast members are Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin. Ferguson was awesome, where has this women been? She handled action fantastically and had great chemistry with Cruise, her character was even interesting on top of this. Baldwin was forgettable as the new head of IMF, although he did have the strangest and most wonderful line in the whole film "Hunt is the living manifestation of destiny", I don't know what it meant, but it was just a beautiful moment.

On the villain side of things, Sean Harris was very sinister and chilling as Solomon, this series isn't very well known for its villains, but they did a pretty good job here. I just felt they could have developed him a bit more and gave us better motivation for his actions.


Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is another slice of insanely entertaining spy action with great set-pieces, a game performance from Cruise and the best story the series has had yet.

8/10 Dans

Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

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