Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

The most compelling evidence for why we should adore Abrams. This Scientology production tinsel may have inherited most of its predecessor's hallmarks, such as adrenaline-pumping action and plenty of teasing of past films, but it neglected to add at least a drop of itself to it. Neither the BMW prototype nor the protagonist's breasts stay in your head longer than the legendary opening countdown lasts; there’s zero work with the villain, the plot isn’t very catchy, and the premature climax of everything that was already done in Dubai is Bird's sole responsibility. (2011-12-21)

After an excellent part 3, Ghost Protocol falls a little short, but what it loses in violence and fatefulness, it gains in humor, elegance and a greater team spirit. The layering between action and story is most similar to part one, but this one lacks suspense and fear for the hero (the entire threat of nuclear war just doesn’t come across at all threateningly). The only exception is the middle part in Dubai which delivers the requisite genre entertainment to the letter, innovates and drives deep. Technical gadgets (although still faulty) play a much greater role than before and are (along with Pegg) the source of the best jokes. Jerry Renner with his snappy lines is also excellent, in a very different role than we are used to. And just a shame that Josh Holloway didn’t get much of a chance to warm up in this movie. (2011-12-16)

One could say that Ethan Hunt for the fourth time is a bet on a very sick horse. However, such a thing could be said at a time when the second part infected the cinemas, which was just as far from a good action movie as fries are from a classic French onion soup. Currently, "M:I" is once again a highly sought-after brand and we can apparently look forward to the fifth installment. The success of the last notch lies in several points. These points are Tom Cruise, the team, a well-crafted story, and locations. Tom Cruise, although a fresh fifty-year-old, is absolutely perfect in action scenes, and also funny. He doesn't wear as many masks anymore, which is another point for him. However, the others support him brilliantly. Events from the third part are present in this one as well, with Ethan's story unfolding, and his partners remaining by his side. Ving Rhames only appears briefly at the very end, but Simon Pegg managed to rise to the level of a lead actor of supporting characters, whom you will love. His antics in American brawls are simply excellent. The new member of the team is Jeremy "Hawkeye and the new Bourne" Renner and Paula Patton, who are definitely pleasant additions because together they create a great team. The story is a bit of a classic spy one, where it's about nothing less than the destruction of the world, and the main villain is none other than a Russian portrayed by Michael Nyqvist, who fit better in the "Millennium" series. And finally, the locations. "M:I" has returned to the Czech Republic, pleasing the presence of Pavel Kříž. There are many locations here, including a sandstorm. In this regard, the film remains very interesting and keeps the viewer on the edge, providing a spectacular spectacle to cheer for the good guys. Brad Bird ("The Incredibles" or "Ratatouille") directed a sequel that he definitely doesn't have to be ashamed of. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/08/parmeni-krysy-z-temnot-mi-4-blazniva.html (2013-02-26)

Everything I could ask for from an action movie. Well-written dialogues, detailed scenes that wait calmly for half an hour before engaging some of the indicated elements, a polished visual, and a soundtrack that reflects the subtle irony and exaggeration of the whole spectacle. Two hours of dynamism, invention and infiltration, each with more ideas than any previous MI as a whole. Finally, it doesn't take itself too seriously and it bets on only one big currency - spy entertainment. The best MI and overall one of the best and most unique blockbusters of recent years. Thumbs up for Brad Bird - he sees action differently. Where others would bet on monumetality and quantity, the director plays with the perfect execution of de facto relatively tight scenes, the spectacularity of which does not lie in the number of explosions, but rather in the intelligent use of scale and utilization of the environment. Bird just sees better. (2013-05-09)

How peculiar that a director who had previously worked in the field of animation brought a necessary breath of fresh air to the action genre, which had become dependent on the post-Bourne chaos cinema style. Bird’s Pixar movies abound with astonishing action sequences built on the clarity of the scene, long shots and the interconnection of the action with the setting and its elements. Bird brings the same qualities to Ghost Protocol. Replacing animation with live action enhances the strengths of the medium, thus bringing back the attraction of physical action. At a time when blockbusters are rather cartoonish CGI mess with the deepfaked faces of live actors, Bird had Tom Cruise climb the façade of the world’s tallest building. Similarly, the brilliantly designed and always spatially uncluttered chase through a sandstorm is an expressive counterpoint to the cluttered mess of scenes composed of tremendously brief shaky-cam shots that have inundated big-budget action productions in recent years. In comparison with the dark, tense and sophisticated nature of the competition, particularly movies based on comic books, Ghost Protocol also offers a big, longed-for dose of exaggeration and light-heartedness. In addition to that, Bird manages to combine all of the aforementioned elements into brilliant sequences abounding with inventiveness, charming humour, physical action, playful interactions between the actors and a surreal upgrade of the technological gadgets. If what remained of the third Mission: Impossible in the audience’s memory was the playing with expectations and building of suspense with no action sequences, the fourth instalment does not rely on its twists and turns, as its action passages (not only the Burj Dubai and the robotic parking lot, but also the sequences in the prison and the corridor in the Kremlin) rank among the absolute best of the genre. (2015-08-26)