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. (12/21/2011)

Mission Impossible is and always has been a great series of great action shots. I’ve always been more interested in them than the story itself, which was never exactly perfect but it managed to captivate my interest. In this instalment, I was more interested in the huge list of interesting actors. Cool Tom Cruise is a classic, but Simon Pegg also amused me a lot. On the other hand, it is a pity that Michael Nyqvist did not have a more remarkable part and that you can’t even tell that some scenes were shot in the Czech Republic. The important thing is that the director of animated movies was able to make one of the best action films that I have seen in the last few years. And I think that when I give it a go again, I might increase my rating to five stars, because some scenes here were really at the level of an action orgasm and I couldn’t get enough of them. Tom Cruise is really a champ, considering what I heard about how well he treated ordinary people on the set in Mladá Boleslav, and especially the fact that he shot all the action scenes himself. I bow down before him. (01/09/2013)

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 (02/26/2013)

In the last third, Ghost Protocol loses not only its breath, but everything else that made what came before so great – the comedic and intelligent sense of detachment, the likable cohesion of the IMF team composed of Cruise, Patton, Renner and Pegg, the way the screenplay inventively plays with clichés, the imaginative hi-tech secret-agent gadgets, the eye-candy action and the suspense. Dubai should have been the last setting, not the central one. And the main bad guy, played by the charismatic Michael Nyqvist should have been given more room to work. Ghost Protocol is enjoyable in its details, but as a whole, it’s only the third best film of the franchise after the first one and M:I III. (12/12/2011)

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. (12/16/2011)