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Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

December 20, 2011 by · Comments Off on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol 

Mission: Impossible - Ghost ProtocolMission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Brad Bird probably had a very good weekend. And a pretty busy one at that. The director, up until now best known for Academy Award winning films “Ratatouille” and “The Incredibles” and dubbed by some as a modern day Walt Disney, is enjoying the spoils of a new pursuit: directing his first ever live action feature film.

“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol opened throughout much of the world this weekend and as the director behind the fourth film in the colossal spy franchise, he has his plate pretty full.

“It’s like when the big color ball pops up on the computer screen. Hopefully in a few weeks I’ll be able to process it all. Right now, sometimes it’s three cities in one day, but I’m enjoying it,” Bird said in an interview last week talking about the whirlwind media frenzy surrounding the Paramount film that many are calling the best of the franchise so far.

He said he’s relieved it has all worked out and fans are responding to his spin on the lucrative series. “It was a tall order, shooting out in the Pacific Ocean, knowing land was somewhere off in the distance. It was physically very challenging and it was a huge production on a very tight budget.”

Some of that budget has been recouped, no doubt, after its opening weekend take. “Ghost Protocol” commanded the international box office, debuting at just under $70 million in more than 35 countries. Asian markets responded particularly well, accounting for about a third of global ticket sales. The film also opened on IMAX screens in the U.S. before going nationwide this week. The newest offering significantly trumped it’s predecessor’s opening weekend figures.

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

December 19, 2011 by · Comments Off on Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol 

Mission Impossible Ghost ProtocolMission Impossible Ghost Protocol, All that’s missing is the emaciated model wearing a couture trash bag, a half-n*ked man draped over a vintage motorbike and a python, because everything else about Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol feels like a Eurotrash fashion spread.

Standing super-coiffed, but not too precious, at the centre of this glossy frame is aging action hero and one-time boy wonder, Tom Cruise – a man with a mission of his very own.

Circling the scrap heap of outdated stars seeking one last shot at greatness, Cruise needed to reignite the afterburners of his career after the stalled performance of Knight and Day. He also needed to put the couch-jumping episode behind him once and for all.

This fourth Mission: Impossible movie goes some distance in helping Cruise get his action mojo back, but for all the crafty gadgets and gorgeous locales, there’s something off in this Vancouver-shot spectacle – and it’s more than the fake Seattle street signs.

In the film, Cruise takes on the role of super-spy Ethan Hunt one more time in this action thriller based on the old TV series. Pulling together a group of disavowed agents to stop a nuclear terrorist, Cruise’s Hunt does everything an action hero is supposed to do – and he does it without a single hair out of place.

There’s an undeniable feeling that Cruise has lorded over every single shot to make sure he looks good. Whether it’s the right light to accentuate his azure-blue irises or the casual toss of his perfectly treated hair, Cruise’s appearance is so manicured, it’s distracting.

Unfortunately, the surrounding talent gets short shrift.

Tom Wilkinson appears for about 30 seconds of brilliance, and Academy-Award nominee Jeremy Renner takes on the potentially recurring role of a field agent turned analyst. These two stars have so much heft on screen, they make Cruise’s limits more obvious, because they deliver their dialogue without the faux gravitas that plagues Cruise’s more emotional work.

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