Review: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Tom Cruise takes on the role of super-spy Ethan Hunt one more time in this action thriller based on the old TV series. Pulling together a group of disavowed agents to stop a nuclear terrorist, Cruise's Hunt does everything an action hero is supposed to do -- and he does it without a single hair out of place. More of a Eurotrash fashion spread, at times, than an action picture, Cruise looks good, even when the movie feels entirely mediocre.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Paul Patton, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg

Rating: Three stars out of five

All that's missing is the emaciated model wearing a couture trash bag, a half-naked man draped over a vintage motorbike and a python, because everything else about Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol feels like a Eurotrash fashion spread.

Standing super-coiffed, but not too precious, at the centre of this glossy frame is aging action hero and one-time boy wonder, Tom Cruise -- a man with a mission of his very own.

Circling the scrap heap of outdated stars seeking one last shot at greatness, Cruise needed to reignite the afterburners of his career after the stalled performance of Knight and Day. He also needed to put the couch-jumping episode behind him once and for all.

This fourth Mission: Impossible movie goes some distance in helping Cruise get his action mojo back, but for all the crafty gadgets and gorgeous locales, there's something off in this Vancouver-shot spectacle -- and it's more than the fake Seattle street signs.

It's the undeniable feeling that Tom Cruise has lorded over every single shot to make sure he looks good. Whether it's the right eye light to accentuate his azure blue irises or the casual toss of his perfectly treated hair, Cruise's appearance is so manicured it's distracting.

At one point, it's even laughable, as we watch Cruise and co-star Jeremy Renner check into the Burj Khalifa hotel in Dubai wearing tailored silk suits and sunglasses. We're used t! o seeing super-spies in fine apparel with deluxe accessories, but Cruise kicks it up a notch, ensuring all the surrounding decor, including his co-stars, set off his look.

The good news is that Cruise does look rather handsome, in that big-toothed, self-conscious, control-freak way of his.

As producer and star of this latest Mission: Impossible effort, he clearly recognized the need to stay relevant with the kids, as well as appeal to the established fans. So the character of Ethan Hunt is loyal and courageous, but he's also got a slightly dry sense of humour.

This movie never transcends its star, because it's handcuffed to his whole image. As a result, the predictable plot about a stolen nuclear warhead and the start of a U.S.-Russia showdown feels a little half-hearted.

Everything in the frame plays to Cruise, and that means the surrounding talent gets short shrift.

Tom Wilkinson appears for about 30 seconds of brilliance, and Academy-Award nominee Jeremy Renner takes on the potentially recurring role of a field agent turned analyst. These two stars have so much heft on screen, they make Cruise's limits more obvious, because they deliver their dialogue without the faux gravitas that plagues Cruise's more emotional work.

They also appear comfortable with the idea of not looking groomed. Cruise just can't do it. He's entirely contrived, but because he seems to believe in his own mythology, it works a weird magic and we fall under his mechanical spell.

Besides, there's a lot to sink your eyeballs into in this IMAX-first release. The visuals are spectacular, even when Vancouver plays India, and the supporting performances bring eye candy (Patton), as well as comic relief (Simon Pegg).

On the whole, it's a pretty decent package -- as long as you can handle Cruise gift-wrapped in a blue silk bow.

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