Episode 126 - M:I Series 4 - Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011) Review

Flick Flops

When your entire agency is shut down, protocol says you go dark. But Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol goes big instead. With glitching gadgets, soaring skyscrapers, and Tom Cruise going full Spider-Man, this fourth entry reinvigorated the franchise. Is this the Fast Five of M:I, or just a ghost in the machine?

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🎥 Synopsis

After the Kremlin is bombed and the IMF is blamed, the entire agency is disavowed under “Ghost Protocol.” Ethan Hunt and a small crew—including a new analyst with a secret—must operate off-grid to stop a nuclear extremist from starting World War III. Their mission takes them from Moscow to Dubai to Mumbai, with no backup, no resources, and no time for failure.

🧑‍💼 Main Cast & Crew

• Director: Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) – his first live-action film

• Writers: Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec

• Producers: Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk

• Music: Michael Giacchino

• Cinematography: Robert Elswit

Starring:

• Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt

• Jeremy Renner as William Brandt

• Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn

• Paula Patton as Jane Carter

• Michael Nyqvist as Kurt Hendricks

• Léa Seydoux as Sabine Moreau

• Anil Kapoor as Brij Nath

• Tom Wilkinson as IMF Secretary (uncredited)

💣 Interesting Details

1. Burj Khalifa Stunt Is Real: Yes, that’s really Tom Cruise hanging 1,700 feet above Dubai—no CGI trickery.

2. Brad Bird’s Live-Action Debut: Known for animated classics, Bird brought sharp visual storytelling and inventive action set pieces.

3. No Opening Theme: The movie skips the traditional theme intro, opting for a cold open before the dun-dun-dun-dun kicks in.

4. IMAX Shot: Several scenes (especially Burj Khalifa) were shot in full IMAX format, taking advantage of the massive scale.

5. Ghost Protocol Is Fictional**: The phrase doesn’t exist in real-world espionage but sounds too cool not to use.

6. Jeremy Renner’s Role Was a “Maybe”: He was initially considered to take over the franchise—until Cruise proved he wasn’t done yet.

🧨 The Heist

The signature infiltration is the Dubai Burj Khalifa sequence, where Ethan must climb the outside of the world’s tallest building to access a server room and reroute elevator access. It involves climbing gloves (that stop working), inverted room scaling, and last-second acrobatics—all in a sandstorm's approach.

💥 Main Action Sequences

• Kremlin infiltration and explosion, ending with Ethan waking up cuffed in a Russian hospital.

• Burj Khalifa climb and subsequent chase through a blinding sandstorm.

• Multi-party hotel suite deal gone wrong, involving mirrored rooms and mistaken identities.

• Mumbai auto-parking tower fight, with Ethan chasing the launch codes as a car nearly crushes him.

• Train car gadget vault finale reveal.

🧗‍♂️ Tom Cruise’s Stunts

• Scaled the Burj Khalifa himself (with wires removed in post), running, leaping, and hanging from glass windows nearly 2,000 feet up.

• Did the sandstorm chase in actual desert conditions, sprinting at full speed with limited visibility.

• Performed the car park sequence stunts, including being slammed by a car on a retracting platform.

• Fought on a moving platform inside the car storage facility during the film’s climax.

🎭 Unmasking

1. Sabine Moreau is tricked by a fake Brij Nath, created with a mask to steal launch codes.

2. Benji uses a mask rig that malfunctions, leading to a failed attempt.

3. Brandt is nearly masked, but the machine breaks before it happens (a rare fake-out).

Total film unmaskings: 1 (plus 1 failed attempt and 1 fake-out)

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