284 replies to this topic

[DamnCoffee]

Interesting that the first clip was the only thing that actually makes me want to see it. Wasn't impressed with any of the trailers. I'm not a fan of MI anyway. I find them all pretty boring, but you know what, I might give this one a chance.

[Matt_13]

My IMAX tickets are booked, though apparently the theater I'm seeing it at won't feature the Batman prologue (full list of those theaters here: http://collider.com/...129932/?_r=true) . Oh well, still excited.

[Jackanaples]

Bought my ticket! I'll be seeing this at a sneak preview screening Thursday night at 9 p.m. at the Arclight Hollywood. Anyone else going to be there?

[Chief of SIS]

I had an advanced ticket for an imax showing tomorrow night but gave it away because I told my best bud I'd go with him later. We ate mi:3 up like free candy. Paying, seeing it on a smaller screen, and after release will always be better with a good friend.

[Captain Tightpants]

Well, I'll be seeing it tomorrow. I had to book a ticket in advance, because a lot of people are under the impression that a trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES will be attached to GHOST PROTOCOL; as far as I know, one will only come with SHERLOCK HOLMES, which isn't released here until January.

[007jamesbond]

I hope people here are not watching Mission impossible: ghost protcool just to see TDKR prologue and then leave afterwards that would quite stupid......I hope we can have some fans review too because it all seems to be very positive right now

[Chief of SIS]

I lied. Seeing it tonight. I'll get a review up when I get back. It's at an IMAX so if there is TDKR stuff I'll let you guys know.

[Matt_13]

I lied. Seeing it tonight. I'll get a review up when I get back. It's at an IMAX so if there is TDKR stuff I'll let you guys know.

Nice

Post a spoiler free one if you can!

[Chief of SIS]

I lied. Seeing it tonight. I'll get a review up when I get back. It's at an IMAX so if there is TDKR stuff I'll let you guys know.

Nice

Post a spoiler free one if you can!

Of course!

[Captain Tightpants]

I hope people here are not watching Mission impossible: ghost protcool just to see TDKR prologue and then leave afterwards that would quite stupid.

Why not? Fans of STAR WARS did it for the teaser trailer of THE PHANTOM MENACE.

[Matt_13]

I hope people here are not watching Mission impossible: ghost protcool just to see TDKR prologue and then leave afterwards that would quite stupid.

Why not? Fans of STAR WARS did it for the teaser trailer of THE PHANTOM MENACE.

I know a few guys who're doing that. Don't know if they plan to walk out though, but the prologue is definitely the reason they're going. This is my most anticipated film of the year, so I'm just really excited.

[Captain Tightpants]

Well, we don't get the prologue at all down here. Sydney and Melbourne are probably the only cinemas that could handle it.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Can't believe my state capital's IMAX gets the prologue... smallest damn state in the Union, and we get it!

[Chief of SIS]

Review:

I'm a big fan of the M:I series for a variety of reasons. One thing that keeps drawing me back is the fact that you get something different every time another one film comes along. The first had a solid script with some memorable plot points, the second was an extreme (kung-fu) action flick with Michael Bay size explosions(not my favorite), and the third sacrificed amazing action for character exploration and emotional weight (which produced the most balanced M:I yet). As great as these pieces are, they've never really worked together as a whole. At least not in the way other movies have been able to such as the Bourne flicks, Die Hard (only the first one), or even CR. The fourth one can't balance them either and falters when it does. But all in all M:I4 realizes that is not what it's all about. It knows the film is about the mission, if you choose to accept it or not.

First things first, Brad Bird is the greatest thing to happen to the film. Everything feels like it's on steroids. I can imagine what the pitch meetings were like. "Hey, let's have this scene in a hotel. What do you think Brad?" Brad:"Ok. Make it the biggest hotel you can find." "Hey, let's have a car chase. How about that Brad?" Brad: "Great. Make it in a sandstorm." "We should have a scene in the Kremlin. Cool Brad?" Brad: "Not unless you blow it up." Every set piece works. I don't know if it was a directorial choice but Bird uses the space superbly. It's refreshing to have a director that is willing to pull the camera back a little and show the audience everything. And it may have been beaten to death, but his history in animation really is a plus. The camera isn't afraid to go in places where many others wouldn't put it. It makes for some stunning shots. The action is fluid and crisp. Second, the score is pretty great. The first half really has some nice bits, while the second half eases into a standard action score. Still, the first half score is definitely worth noting.

There was a part in the film where I was waiting for more expulsion on the main villain (let it be marked that I can't even remember his name right now. It's a telling fact.) It never came though. The threat isn't as menacing as it was in M:I3. Philip Seymour Hoffman was memorable. Michael Nyqvist, not so much. But that's ok because for the first time Mission Impossible succeeds as a team based movie. Simon Pegg is great in the field and provides often needed comic relief. Jeremy Renner as Brandt is a surprising success and actually has a little depth. Paula Patton as Jane didn't get me though. I'd rather have Maggie Q back. But the team is in constant motion. The movie really never gives the viewer a second to breathe. The best part is the team often screws up. Things have gone too perfectly in the Mission Impossible films. You never feel like it's impossible. Surprisingly, there are plenty of (and I can't believe I'm saying this about a 21st century action film) SURPRISING moments during some action scenes that I jumped in my seat in suspense a couple times. I haven't felt danger in an action movie in a long time. There has been a lot of promotion of the Dubai scenes for the movie. And it's well worth it. It's the greatest and most fun part of the film. The problem is, it's hard to get the adrenaline going again. The final act feels a little flat. While it is engaging, it never is able to reach that incredible peak it had 30 minutes prior.

A note to those who have seen the M:I movies, the third film and its addition to the franchise were not ignored. While I was relieved about this, I was unfortunately disappointed too. Without giving anything away, Julia Hunt does play a factor in Ethan's character but in the end, its resolution is not satisfying. I stirred in my seat a little and was unhappy that that character point was one of my final thoughts as the credits rolled. Especially since the rest of the movie was so fantastic. For the first time they got the mission right. It was fun and nail-biting. The only problem is Ethan Hunt. It's not that he's poorly acted, he's just poorly developed. You don't care about his trials and tribulations and when you're supposed to it leaves you confused and underwhelmed. The third movie got that right, this one didn't. Thankfully, it is a minuscule part of the film. I can honestly say, I haven't had that much fun at a film in a long time. Is it the best in the series? I don't know and I don't care. That's a stupid question. Is it a great and fun action movie? Yes. A simple yes.


(Final comment: see in Imax if you can, not for TDKR, but for the film itself. It was amazing.)


(Also, no TDKR before. Sorry)

EDIT: Sorry if there are typos, I had to write in on the fly. Got to go study for finals so more.

Edited by Chief of SIS, 14 December 2011 - 06:14 PM.

[Simon]

I have been pouring over some of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and they are uniformally great.

Those and the clips seen thus far seem cracking. Looking forward.

[Matt_13]

Awesome! I really cannot wait.

[DamnCoffee]

Wow, Total Film gave it 4 Stars. Didn't expect the reviews to be this good.

[Captain Tightpants]

I'm going to say this up-front: GHOST PROTOCOL consistently disappointed me.

Spoiler

Where do I start? For one, there is virtually no plot to it. What little plot there is is basically a retread THE SPY WHO LOVED ME ... just not done as well. Michael Nyqvist is completely wasted in this film; he has virtually no presence as the film instead prefers to concentrate on the dynamics of the team. And this would be okay, if it weren't for the fact that Hunt, Brandt and Carter are essentially dealing with the same personal problem. The only person who is his own character (and is therefore remotely interesting) is Benji. Everybody else is pretty much interchangable, and only really present because the assignment requires four people to carry it out. All of this is very disappointing, because the basic setup of the film is very good. It's a bit like EPISODE I - you want it to work, but it doesn't. Don't get me wrong; the first half of the film is very, very good. But the second half is rubbish.

There are also some remarkably silly moments throughout. For instance, Hunt survives the terrorist attack on Moscow with a "minor concussion" ... but a day later, he hits his head on the side of a skyscraper. Hard. And is then somehow able to convince a cold-blooded assassin that he is somebody else entirely. The finale in the server room is also ridiculous, mostly because it requires Jeremy Renner to be levitated into a server room that is otherwise impossible to access. Similarly, there are massive plot holes. I know there were problems with MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2, but at least that film tried to explain themselves. Somehow, Michael Nyqvist is 1) aware of the IMF's presence in Moscow, 2) able to transmit on their frequency and 3) do in five minutes what it takes the IMF team half an hour to do. And none of it is explained. Likewise, he has access to a facial mask, and this is never explained either.

It's a real shame, because there are some very talented people involved in making this film, and each and every one of them is let down by an incredibly weak script. It's one of the worst I've seen in years. In the end, it feels like an extended episode of the TV show, but with ten times the budget and all the original thought that was put into it unable to rescue an unoriginal concept.

My rankings:

1) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
2) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3
3) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2
4) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL

[Chief of SIS]

He does hit his head a lot....I mean a lot

[007jamesbond]

Is M:I:4:GP really bad....should I bother not watching this and watch the Sherlock holmes:A game of shadow instead?

Edited by 007jamesbond, 15 December 2011 - 10:55 PM.

[Simon]

Wow, Total Film gave it 4 Stars. Didn't expect the reviews to be this good.

And Empire, 3!

[Chief of SIS]

Is M:I:4:GP really bad....should I bother not watching this and watch the Sherlock holmes:A game of shadow instead?

Read my review! It's worth your money. It's fun. Just straight up fun. Sherlock was ok. Very ok.

[Captain Tightpants]

Is M:I:4:GP really bad.

Yes. It is. Go and watch THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. That's basically GHOST PROTOCOL, but with a personality.

[MattofSteel]

Tightpants, I couldn't disagree more.

Just saw MI4. It is the most intricately plotted (perhaps almost too much so!), cleverly woven, and rightfully complex of the four movies. It is so much more than 'just TSWLM', albeit with obvious similarities of the main scheme.

It's exciting, constantly fun, and...god, I just can't get over how impressed I was by the script. I've loved all the M:I movies, but this one may have easily been my favourite. Pure smart, escapist cinema at it's best. Some rather expected or even eye-rolling moments notwithstanding, 4 stars indeed!

[Captain Tightpants]

The individual sequences - Russia, Dubai and India - might be intricately plotted, but the over-arching plot binding everything together is ridiculously weak and Michael Nyqvist has virtually no presence. Aside from the exposition in the newscast on the train, I can't recall a single thing he said in the film.

Spoiler

The basic plot was old when THE SPY WHO LOVED ME did it thirty years ago.

I'll give you this: the stuff in Russia is a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film. It's clever and it's well-paced but once "Ghost Protocol" was actually activated, everything just became boring.

[MattofSteel]

That's why I don't so much care re: basic plot. There's only so many ways to tell a story about *that*. If we have a new one every twenty years and the flavour is different, it's just plain fun.

And the movie certainly doesn't go to crap after Ghost Protocol - Dubai was the highlight for me, just for the cleverness of the setup and the fact that all that stuff on the Burj was - in no way - overhyped. It's amazing.

[Matt_13]

Absolutely adored it. That movie did not need a plot to function, it was pure suspense driven fun, and stylish as all hell. Have to see it again.

[Double-0-7]

Absolutely adored it. That movie did not need a plot to function, it was pure suspense driven fun, and stylish as all hell. Have to see it again.

Mrs D07 and I saw MI-4 today and agree - it was the total action film that we expected. Very enjoyable, and the IMAX sound system rocks!

[Matt_13]

the IMAX sound system rocks!

DOESN'T IT!? It was SO loud! The gunshots had power, the Kremlin bombing had power, the music was pitch perfect...I loved every minute of it. Definitely need to see it again on a bigger IMAX screen.

Brad Bird better do the sequel if they green light one, he did entirely too well on this one to be discarded ala DePalma, Woo, and Abrams.

[Gobi-1]

I've been very critical of the Mission Impossible films, the handling of original characters from the tv series, ignoring the idea of a team working together, and making the films a Bond vehicle for Tom Cruise. However the first film does have it's moments and would actually be a good film save for one plot detail, the second film is absolutely horrible with entire scenes shamelessly ripped off from Bond, the third movie was a step in the right direction. I was optimistic about the fourth film considering Brad Bird's involvement and the IMAX sequences but I was surprisingly blown away by how much I loved the film.

For the first time in the film series it actually felt like an updated version of the tv show without violating it. While Cruise certainly is the star this was truly an ensemble film where the focus was on the team and the mission, not Cruise. The action scenes were brilliant and extremely well thought out and beautifully shot, the IMAX footage is jaw dropping at times. Brad Bird's animation background was key in this regard, the film moves like lightning. The climax may not be as big as the skyscraper set piece but it's certainly very inventive an imaginatively staged. The film was also very funny and well acted through out. Even Tom Cruise was quite good.

There also were quite a few references to the original series which were very welcomed, the old series hasn't been completely forgotten it seems. If M:I-5 continues the approach laid out in Ghost Protocol Mr. Crusie can make as many movies in the series as he wants.

***1/2 out of ****