Self-destructing in 5 seconds...

This is your mission...should you choose to accept it.



Mission Impossible it is, what with escaping from a Russian prison, breaking into Kremlin (of all places for an American to break into), jumping about outside the glass walls of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world and chasing cars in the Dubai sandstorm, and finally driving at break-neck speed supposedly on the roads of Mumbai. A collage of some really fast-paced action sequences with not too much of a plot to speak of, Mission Impossible's latest franchise impresses as an all-out entertainer.

Brad Bird brings a fresh perspective to the MI series and instead of following the established formula of a mixture of intrigue and action, he tilts this edition towards a very tight, action-packed succession of sequences that leave the viewer with hardly any time to breathe or think about the plot or the supposed lack of intrigue in it. Making excellent use of the image created by Tom Cruise over the three editions of the MI franchise, Bird deviates from the one-man-army heroism that Ethan Hunt is known for and in the process, adds some more central characters and subsequently, some more jazz to the proceedings.

The plot is simple enough with a former Russian nuclear strategist turning rogue and managing to get away with Russian nuclear launch device and codes. His objective is to start a nuclear war between Russia and America by ensuring the first strike and the mission of Tom "Ethan Hunt" Cruise and his team is to stop him. A pretty linear plot is embellished with twists and turns, if not to the story, then at least to the sequences with even a simple entry into the safe house (in the form of a rail wagon) being made quite interesting with the treatment it is given. Urgency is palpable and the turn of events fraught with a sense of daredevilry that is bound to appeal to audiences worldwide, cutting across cultures and sensitivities.

The acting department is managed effectively by Tom Cruise who breezes through playing the character of Ethan Hunt that has probably added more to his career than any other franchise (notwithstanding even Top Gun). The support cast is starred by the irrepressible Benji Dunn (played by Simon Pegg) who provides much of the comic relief to the movie. Paula Patton playing Agent Jane Carter and Jeremy Renner playing Analyst William Brandt seem a little awkward in their roles and get overshadowed by Tom Cruise's portrayal of Ethan Hunt. The sheer charisma of Ehtan Hunt, or the chutzpah of Benji Dunn does not appear to be matched by the other two characters.

And oh...Anil Kapoor has a blink-and-you-miss-him role in the movie; criticized by many for the sheer foolishness of the character he plays (Brij Nath, an Indian billionaire and owner of a telecom company in Mumbai that has access to the satellite which is to be used by the Russian villain to launch the nuclear missile). Remember however, that this is Mission Impossible and not Ram Lakhan and the person we normally think of as a hero is but a fringe player in the much larger scheme of things...the huge franchise that Mission Impossible is. His mere presence (and not a completely inconsequential role at that) in such a franchise is indicative of the fact that India is too big a market now for even Hollywood to ignore.

The direction is top notch with the editing although, despite the movie being so fast paced, ever so slightly slipping in the process to try and establish some emotional connect with the audiences. The rest of the sequences are so fast that even a couple of minutes of dialogue (whenever Hunt starts talking to Carter about her loss or to Brandt on the latter's insecurities) seem a waste of time and almost sleep-inducing. Action sequences, on the other hand, are wonderfully shot and form the high point for the movie, something that you wouldn't mind watching twice for the sheer beauty of it all. Executed to the tee by Cruise and company, the movie's action comes across as probably the best for quite some time.

The use of gadgets and gizmos is impressive to a fault. Whether it is the master key computing and figuring out the number pass codes from a huge array of possibilities, or the slightly funny and incredulous hoodwinking of the Kremlin security guard using a screen and a projector, all of them add to the fun and frolic. The background score (with the imitable Mission Impossible signature tune) is extremely effective in highlighting all the action and drama, keeping audiences at the edge of their seats for most of the time.

The Ghost Protocol having been enforced with the American President directing that Cruise and his agency, the IMF is disavowed, the stakes are high. Despite the risk of being branded a terrorist in case of failure (or death), Ethan Hunt and his team break through the plans of the Russian anarchist and save the world yet again. As Hunt hands over the next missions to his team and goes about accessing his own, one can't help but wonder as to what is next for this 50 year old (yes, that is how old he actually is, never mind what he looks like in the movie) and for the MI franchise itself.