Film Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)

Director: Brad Bird
Writers: Josh Appelbaum (written by), André Nemec (written by), Bruce Geller (television series “Mission: Impossible”)
Running time: 133 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Thriller
UK Release date: 26^th December 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 23^rd December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

The Mission Impossible films have had a few highs and lows over the years and I’m very pleased to report that this one is a bit of a high! We have all the usual elements, an impossible mission; great stunts, make-up, costumes, locations etc and the obligatory totally implausible plotline. And despite all this we have a film that, for the most part, works (with a little suspension of belief of course). Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

When terrorist, and all round bad guy, Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) blows up the Kremlin the finger of suspicion points at the IMF team in the locality led by Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). The IMF Secretary has no choice but to enforce the ‘Ghost Protocol’ which means the team is effectively disavowed by their own government and are to the tried as criminals. Of course this doesn’t happen and Hunt, along with his team; Jane Carter (Paula Patton), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Set out to track down Hendricks who has stolen the launch codes to some Russian nuclear missiles. Of course, a Russian agent, Anatoly Sidorov (Vladimir Mashkov) is also after the codes, and Hunt for good measure. I’ll leave it there or I may give too much away and the IMF team will be after me!

A film that takes the audience from Budapest to Moscow to Dubai to India and maybe a few other international destinations in-between! There is some spectacular looking stunt work and some cracking effects; hats off to those guys! All the performances were very good with Tom Cruise playing Ethan Hunt with his usual aplomb. It was nice to see a little comic relief provided by the inclusion of Simon Pegg; the comedic two-and-fro between him and Jeremy Renner was particularly amusing. Maybe the plot might have been a little over-complicated, but over all I found it a pretty enjoyable watch.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.5/10

IMDb Score: 7.4/10 (based on 181,886 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1229238/

MetaScore: 73/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 94/100 (based on 207 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 85/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 102,135 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_ghost_protocol/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Ethan Hunt: Light the fuse.

IMF Secretary: The President has initiated Ghost Protocol. The entire IMF has been disavowed.
Ethan Hunt: So what happens now?
IMF Secretary: Now, I've been ordered to take you back to Washington, where the DOD will label you as a rogue extremist and hang the Kremlin bombing on you and your team. Unless, you were to escape somewhere between here and the airport, having assaulted Mr. Brandt and me.
Brandt: Sir?
IMF Secretary: You would then illegally scrounge whatever material you could from a backup supply cache that I've overlooked. The same cache where your team are waiting for further orders.
Brandt: Sir, you may want to...
IMF Secretary: You will then disappear, and this conversation never having taken place, your intentions would be unclear. But if any one of your team is caught or killed, they will be branded terrorists, out to incite global nuclear war.
[handing Ethan a USB drive]
IMF Secretary: Your mission, should you choose to accept it.

Benji Dunn: [explaining Ethan's gloves] Easy way to remember: blue is glue.
Ethan Hunt: And when it's red?
Benji Dunn: Dead.

[repeated line]
Benji Dunn: [to Brandt] And I catch you.

[last lines]
Recorded Voice: Good evening, Mr. Hunt. 36 hours ago, there was a breach in our military's communication network. Now, an emerging terror organization known as The Syndicate has control of our entire drone fleet. Their targets unknown. Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.missionimpossible.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE TOWN (2010)

Director: Ben Affleck
Writers (Screenplay): Peter Craig, Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard
Writer (Novel ‘Prince of Thieves’): Chuck Hogan
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 24^th September 2010

Watched on DVD Sunday 18^th March 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is one of those movies that have been kicking around in my collection for some time now. It was looking a bit neglected and so I thought I’d give it a viewing today. I had heard some good things about it when it was released and so I was hopeful of a good experience. I wasn’t disappointed, the film delivered on several fronts and I think Mr. Affleck is developing into a pretty good director. I will tell you more after this brief summary.

After a daring bank robbery in which the manager, Claire Keesey, is terrorised; the gang, lead by Doug MacRay discover she lives near another gang member, James Coughlin. They had all been wearing disguises and left no DNA at the scene, but they couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t recognise them. MacRay decides to see if he can discover just what (if anything) she knows. In doing this he becomes involved with her and they begin a relationship. Meanwhile the FBI are on the trail of the robbers and also they are commissioned for another job by a character known as ‘The Florist’, Fergus ‘Fergie’ Colm. As things progress with Claire, MacRay feels the urge to get out of Charlestown and make a fresh start with her. The FBI, however, and ‘The Florist’ may have other ideas about that. I will leave it there or the Spoiler Police (Heist Movies Division) will be locking me up on trumped-up charges (again).

Made in a very realistic style which, as with his directorial debut, ‘Gone Baby Gone’ (2007), matches the mood of the piece really well. All the performances were excellent, but I particularly liked Rebecca Hall as Claire Keesey, Jeremy Renner as James Coughlin and Blake Lively as his sister, Krista Coughlin; all three put in sterling performances. Of course, Ben Affleck proved once again what a fine actor he is as Doug MacRay. Also worthy of note were; Jon Hamm as FBI S.A. Adam Frawley, Slaine as Albert ‘Gloansy’ Magloan, Owen Burke as Desmond Elden, Titus Welliver as Dino Ciampa and finally a mention for Pete Postlethwaite as ‘The Florist’, Fergus ‘Fergie’ Colm in one of his last roles.

A complicated plot that’s quite heavy on dialogue in places, but there are some very nicely put together action scenes in there too. There are several threads to the story that all tie up in the end, although the poignant ending does leave the audience guessing to some extent. I must say I did enjoy this film with its multi-layered plot and, at times, edgy style. It’s certainly one I would give another viewing to at some point in the future… Recommended.

My score: 8.3/10.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 118,712 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 94/100 (based on 210 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 83/100 (based on 110,251 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_town/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: SOME STRONG LANGUAGE
Doug MacRay: [narrating] Driver's name is Arthur Shea. Former Metro Police officer, fifty-seven years old. Soon as his partner leaves with the coal bag, Artie cracks a Herald, and he don't look up 'til the guy gets back. Marty Maguire. Cummins Armored courier. Five-ten, two-twenty, fifty-two years old. Picks up every Wednesday and Friday at exactly 8:12, makes a hundred and ten dollars a day, carries a Sig nine. And he's about to get robbed.
[cuts to Doug and Jem briefing their comrades, Gloansy and Dez, in a dark room]
Doug MacRay: We're fucked if we see a helicopter; we're fucked if we see SWAT. We see a cruiser, stop, take out the engine blocks, keep movin'. No one needs to get hurt.
James Coughlin: Yeah, these guards like to test you, though. They wanna get hurt for ten dollars an hour, don't get in the way.

Claire Keesey: So what do you do for work?
Doug MacRay: Boston Sanding Gravel, I break rocks. Punch the ticket at the end of the day, slide down the back of a brontosaurus like Fred Flintstone, call it a night.

FBI S.A. Adam Frawley: Now, we're a long way away from a grand jury here... and we'll never get 24 hour surveillance unless one of these idiots converts to Islam. So, we build the case. Alright, let's get to work.

[last lines]
Doug MacRay: No matter how much you change, you still have to pay the price for the things you've done. So I got a long road. But I know I'll see you again - this side or the other.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://thetownmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE HURT LOCKER (2008)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Running time: 125 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 28th August 2009

Watched on DVD Tuesday 30th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film won 6 Oscars, including Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow and Best Film. It has also picked up a further 72 Awards around the world and had 46 nominations. Given that kind of attention, there must be something really good about it, either that, or everything else was really bad. I decided it must be the first option, so I decided to get the DVD and give it a spin. I wasn’t disappointed; it’s a really good, well made film about the Iraq war. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a short summary.

The leader of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit with the U.S. Army’s Bravo Company, Staff Sergeant Thompson is killed in the line of duty. With just over a month of their tour to go, the Sergeant is replaced by Sergeant First Class William James. The rest of the team, Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge are not put at ease by their new CO’s cavalier attitude to his work. It seems that James, although a very talented explosives expert, is also addicted to the danger. This puts his team on edge and arguments inevitably ensue. Things calm down when they come across a group of men from British private military company in the desert. They have just captured two wanted Iraqis but their vehicle has broken down. Just as the EOD team offer to help they come under fire from insurgents. Three of the British team are killed before the EOD team get it together and manage to neutralise the threat. This brings them closer and back at base they celebrate before the reality of the war hits them again the next day. I won’t say any more, don’t want to give too much away.

I found it a really compelling film to watch. Some great cinematography, the explosions, in particular, looked really impressive. Some great performances too, in particular, Jeremy Renner as Staff Sergeant William James, Anthony Mackie as Sergeant JT Sanborn and Brian Geraghty as Specialist Owen Eldridge. Honourable mentions go to the supporting cast, including, Guy Pearce as Sergeant Matt Thompson, Ralph Fiennes as Contractor Team Leader, David Morse as Colonel Reed and Evangeline Lilly as Connie James.

I’m quite surprised this film didn’t do as well at the box office as its critical acclaim might suggest, however I do remember it coming to a local multiplex and only being on show for a week. But over all I really enjoyed this film, it kept you guessing where it was going next but also allowed you to engage with the characters. The, kind of, documentary style put you right in the centre of the action which made it a more exciting experience. Definitely one of the films of 2009 and I recommend it very highly.

My score: 8.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/
Official Site: http://www.thehurtlocker-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2755855129/