Tom Cruise Redeems Himself

Movie: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

My Rating: 4 stars

I have to admit it.  I enjoyed this movie way more that I was expecting to.  I was kinda boycotting Tom Cruise’s crazy for a while there, but I think he must have hired a new PR person, because we haven’t seen the worst of it for a while now.  So, when I heard overwhelmingly positive reviews of this movie, I decided that maybe it was time to loosen up my embargo.  This is a pretty exciting movie.  It has all the action, intrigue, and flashy technology you’ve come to expect from the Mission Impossible franchise—and all the ridiculously tight deadlines and plunging décolletages, too.  But, this installment also serves up a little humor with all the excitement as well.  That’s because they decided to feature Simon Pegg a little more heavily in this episode.  I do love Simon Pegg.  That guy is pretty hilarious, and I’ll watch just about everything he appears in.

However, I did a few die-hard fans grumbling about how Mission Impossible isn’t supposed to be a comedy.  But, you know what?  Adding comedy to a previously serious franchise doesn’t bother me too much.  I think it’s necessary for an ongoing series to adapt with the times if it wants to remain successful.  And, we are in a more light-hearted, self-referential era now.  Plus, I don’t think the comedy in this film cheapens the thrills or suspense at all.  You kinda need a break from all the non-stop, nail-biting tension, you know?  Plus, I think the movie-going public is done with taking Tom Cruise too seriously.  This was the perfect way to keep Tom as the top-billed star of these films, while acknowledging his changed status in the public’s opinion.  Although, this movie did remind me how impressive of an actor Tom Cruise really is.  Maybe he should stick to his work, and stop focusing on being a “celebrity” so much.

I’m not really a big fan of action thrillers.  That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy them.  I just don’t make a point of keeping up to date on the newest releases, or going out and seeing them in the theaters all that often.  But, I had just heard too many good things about this one to ignore it.  And, I can affirm that the movie is legitimately pretty cool.  There are definitely plenty of scenes that will get your heart pounding and the adrenaline flowing.  The large format and surround sound of the movie theater definitely adds to the experience, so I’d highly recommend seeing it that way if you get the chance.