Exactly what it says on the tin

Review of latest in the Mission Impossible film franchise – Ghost Protocol

Brad Bird, whose previous projects include The Incredibles and Ratatouille, makes his first venture into live-action directing with the latest instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise.

In many ways it's an odd choice for such a debut: a film series that has delivered more than the occasional howler, and whose male lead, Tom Cruise, has generated more than his fair share of negative publicity in the last few years. It's nothing short of remarkable, therefore, that Bird is able to take these unpromising source materials and transform them into a fun and entertaining action romp.

The key to this success is Bird's firm grasp of plotting, and his unerring skill for depicting action and movement in a way that is visually fresh and arresting. Whereas the previous Mission: Impossible films foundered on plots that were labyrinthine without being interesting, Bird is canny enough to realise that an action movie's plot is its least important feature, merely a series of narrative hooks upon which to hang your action scenes. This is where Bird's second great talent comes into play, with a sequence of action set-pieces that provide the driving force for the film. With locations as diverse as the Kremlin and the Burj Dubai, Bird is able to introduce a modicum of kinetic excitement into the otherwise flimsy premise.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is no great think-piece then, but who, in all honesty, stands at the ticket booth expecting Tom Cruise to deliver Chekhovian subtlety in a movie that contains not one, but several pyrotechnic displays. Like many a Ronseal product, Mission: Impossible does exactly what it says on the tin, and constitutes a considerable improvement on the previous instalments in the series.

If I do have one gripe, it's the needless compulsion on the part of successive directors to muck about with Schifrin's legendary theme tune. It's a great piece of cinema music, and yet each instalment sees a fresh (and equally redundant) reinterpretation. If I have one request for the next instalment (and I feel sure there will be one), it is to resist the temptation to re-mix, soup up, strip down, or otherwise tinker about with what is already a perfect soundtrack.

In all other respects, this is a competent and exciting action film, one which hopefully represents a renaissance for this long-standing series.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (12a)

Rating: ***