In case you missed it, my wife and I recently sat down and watched the Mission: Impossible series from start to finish. I introduced her to Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his wild adventures as an agent for MI6. I bragged about how much I loved Ghost Protocol and said I only needed reviews for movies I, II, and III and I’d be all caught up. I was wrong and never got around to writing one for this film, my favourite until recently.
I open up the debate floor for those of you who hate Ghost Protocol. I fell in love with this movie the first day I saw it on the big screen and again when I bought it for home media. I can safely say that I have seen the first Mission: Impossible movie the most, but this one is a close second.
Why do I love this film, you may ask? It’s simple. The stunts are ridiculous, and the comedy is the absolute best. Giving Simon Pegg a more prominent role and introducing Jeremy Renner to the franchise were great additions to the team. Fans may miss Ving Rhines in this one, but he does make an appearance at the end, so his streak is still alive at all four films.
Cruise has become famous for doing all his own stunts, and no matter how crazy he gets in MI 7 or MI 8, I will always be on the edge of my seat as he dangles off the facade of the world’s tallest building in Dubai. Whether he hangs from a plane or a cliff, nothing in my mind will ever top his performance with one hand a few hundred feet above the ground.
Most people would be surprised that I didn’t give this film a perfect score. It is not perfect, it’s just so enjoyable. Despite all the stunts and comedy, I got to give a shout out to Mikael Nyquist, who played the bad guy in this movie. I have always enjoyed his performances and was sad to hear about his passing. If you are confused about who he was, you may think back to the first John Wick. He ended up being the bad guy in that one too.
Ghost Protocol is one of the best entries into the Mission: Impossible franchise. Remembered for a variety of reasons, it gave a significant boost to the franchise and launched it into the stratosphere of iconic movie franchises. 8/10
Ten Stars or Less 