Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
2011 · Directed by Brad Bird
Original language: English
- action
- thriller
- adventure
The story
Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.
What it’s like
Bright, glossy digital photography with sweeping wide shots of skylines and desert, then tight handheld corridors where the frame shakes with urgency. Much of it plays out under hard daylight, sodium-orange streetlight and the cold blue glow of screens, with a sandstorm turning the palette to dusty ochre. The score swells with bold brass and a driving ticking pulse during set pieces, while quieter scenes sit in near silence and thin wind. Pacing is brisk and propulsive, built on escalating set pieces punctuated by playful banter that keeps the mood from tipping into grimness. Its tone is high-gloss, wry and exhilarating, a crowd-pleasing caper with genuine suspense at the edges. Violence is frequent but stylised: fistfights, gunfire and a few tense, bloodless moments, with a fall or explosion here and there and nothing gory. Emotional stakes come from a team of loyal, sardonic people who trust each other under pressure and slowly reckon with what they've lost. Suited to a Friday night with friends or a long-haul flight, for viewers who want spectacle, momentum and a bit of levity.
More films like Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocoland we’ll explain which ones fit you.
