The "Mission Impossible" film franchise began in 1996 with the first "M:I". Ethan Hunt, a member of the "Impossible Missions Force" or IMF, is suspected of disloyalty and disavowed from the IMF after being set-up. He assembles of team of other disavowed agents and they set out to find the party that set him up. Different variations of this basic plot are seen in "M:I-2", "M:I-3", and (surprise, surprise) "M:I Ghost Protocol." This time Ethan Hunt is broken out of a Russian prison and enlisted to infiltrate the Kremlin to retrieve files that will identify an evil mastermind who has just obtained Russia's nuclear launch codes. To avoid spoilers, I won't go into much more detail, but Ethan is set-up again and must fight to save the world.
No, this film's plot is not completely or maybe even mostly original, but that doesn't mean it's not a great movie. The gadgets and stunts in this movie are incredible and creative. All of the actors were great, and Simon Pegg added just the right touch of comedic talent to the film. Even though you pretty much know where the film is headed, it's action packed from beginning to end and keeps you on the edge of your seat. For me, this movie is right up there with "Thor", "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", and "Deathly Hallows Part 2" for best action movies of 2011. If you're just looking for a good popcorn flick this will more than suffice.
This movie gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.
