'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' - High-Def Digest review

[thejnc]

I hate MI1. Just the facts that they made Phelps a villain and it was not a team based movie. It was just the Ethan Hunt show. He had a little back up but it was all a Cruise vehicle, it should of been much more an ensemble movie. Same with 2, adding all style (which was pretty lame) over substance. This is why I really dig MI3 and 4. It was still Cruise's movie, but his teams had much more to do. My biggest complaint about 4 is how little Ving Rhames is in it. Sure I love Simon Pegg, but Ving is the only other dude to be in all the flicks. A shitty little cameo in the end was kind of insulting.
MI3 is the best.
MI4 is a close 2nd.
MI1 was pretty bad IMO.
MI2 was just horrible.
Just my opinion.

[ZebraMajor]

Name another action movie from the last ten years that has anything as visually ingenius as the false-perspective hallway sequence in the Kremlin -also directed almost entirely without dialogue. Or the dizzying car park action scene at the end.

If it's a Ghost Protocal visual ass kicking you want we can probably limit the test sample down to Brad Bird's Pixar output and achieve that goal. Or is animated fare out of bounds?

[Tnecniv]

Enjoyed it a lot. Villian was weak but most everything else about the film was quite strong. Paula Patton's hotness in particular.

Technically flawless, great PQ and very amazing AQ.

[Josh Z]

If it's a Ghost Protocal visual ass kicking you want we can probably limit the test sample down to Brad Bird's Pixar output and achieve that goal. Or is animated fare out of bounds?

We're talking about live action movies, obviously.

[cooltobeyou]

Opinions are opinions, but I just don't understand this at all.

Rewatch the prison break-out sequence again. The whole thing is basically a Buster Keaton silent comedy. There's barely any dialogue, and Cruise himself doesn't speak a single word on screen until something like ten minutes after his introduction. The choreography is brilliantly orchestrated, with lots of drama, suspense and humor, all conveyed visually. And there's not a damn bit of shaky-cam in the whole movie.

Name another action movie from the last ten years that has anything as visually ingenius as the false-perspective hallway sequence in the Kremlin -also directed almost entirely without dialogue. Or the dizzying car park action scene at the end.

What was so visually interesting about M:I-3?

You make some good points. I thought the prison break out sequence and the false-perspective hallway were two of the best sequences in the movie. I also enjoyed the somewhat cartoony way, in which the opening credits unfolded. That was pretty cool stuff.

Gotta admit that the car park sequence did absolutely nothing for me though. By that point of the movie though, I think the plot had already lost its forward momentum and I just didn't care that much.

And YES, thank God there was no shaky cam in this movie. There is nothing that irritates me more than shaky cam.

I think, maybe, the directing had the same problem as the other parts of the movie. For every visually stunning scene in the movie there were scenes that were equally uninspiring.

I'm looking forward to re-watching MI:4 though (I did blind buy it after all) and I feel the movie might grow on me after repeat viewings.

As far as MI:3 goes, I honestly can't pinpoint what made the movie visually appealing because I haven't seen it in a while. I just know, that every time I watch MI:3, everything about the movie just clicks for me. I can say with certainty though, that the appeal of MI:3, for me, lies more in the story line, Ethan Hunt's character arc, and the villain...more so than for the way the movie looks, or for one action sequence in particular.

[Palmer]

Thanks to RBrar for an Easter Egg tip...

On the special features disc, under "Impossible
Missions", scroll down to "Art Department," and click to the right on your remote. An IMF symbol appears that, once clicked, reveals why Brad Bird is retiring from animation to pursue a career in live action filmmaking only.

[Super-VHS]

Thanks to RBrar for an Easter Egg tip...

On the special features disc, under "Impossible
Missions", scroll down to "Art Department," and click to the right on your remote. An IMF symbol appears that, once clicked, reveals why Brad Bird is retiring from animation to pursue a career in live action filmmaking only.

Spoiler:

Such notions are absurd. And anyone who thinks that is an idiot AND a communist.

[mike71]

I saw this in theaters & was surprised, because i didn't expect much (though i'm a fan of the film series) Had a blast watching this . Looking forward to buying the Blu - Paula Patton is insanely Hot !

[Favelle]

Had the subs on full for this one......the Kremlin exploding? Yeah, that was foundation-rattling. Epic.