Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

The Mission: Impossible franchise is a weird one - in that it got to the fourth entry and it surpassed every movie that came before it. Ghost Protocol is an endlessly entertaining film that takes everything to the next level. From a sequence set in a Moscow prison; to one in the Kremlin; to the famous scene in which Tom Cruise climbs and then runs down the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world - this blockbuster will constantly have you on the edge of your seat. Tom Cruise shows that charisma that made him the biggest movie star on the planet in his performance as Ethan Hunt. His team are fun as well - Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt and Paula Patton’s Jane Carter have chemistry with Cruise and are easy to watch. Simon Pegg, however, steals the show as newly promoted field agent Benji Dunn. He’s pretty hilarious and good comic relief. Brad Bird was also a great choice as director. Despite it being only his first live action feature (he also directed The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille), he still shows off his signature comic sensibilities to great effect, whilst thrillingly putting together the action scenes. Unfortunately, like a lot of films recently, the villain is very weak. Michael Nyqvist’s character is completely forgettable and very underdeveloped which is unfortunate. Another issue is that it slows down quite a lot towards the end, so the pacing feels a little inconsistent. Verdict: Overall, Misson: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a highly entertaining film – brilliantly directed by Brad Bird with a great lead performance from Tom Cruise. It does slow down though and the villain is a bit rubbish, but that scene on the Burj Khalifa will have you sweating and you will be thinking about it long after the film ends!