In director Brian De Palma's MI1, IMF agent Ethan Hunt's hair was short and business-like, and the corresponding movie was a slick and clever techno-thriller that gave us one of the most memorable scenes in modern cinema history. In John Woo's MI2 though, the hair approached Billy Ray Cyrus lengths, and the movie went on to shatter the achy-breaky hearts of many fans - myself included - with its cheesy slow-mo's and throwaway script. Lost and Alias helmer JJ Abrams' MI3, saw the hair return to normal levels and we got a veritable action thrill ride, that despite being a bit more serious in tone, still made for some great popcorn-munching fare.
Now it's time for acclaimed animation director Brad Bird (he of The Incredibles, Iron Giant and Ratatouille fame) to take a crack at the series' latest instalment, in this, his first live-action feature. Judging by the length of Cruise's hair in the trailers, and applying the abovementioned theorem, I expected to be a bit disappointed by this maiden effort.
Well, it would seem that I should learn to stop believing everything I read on the internet.
Eagle-eyed filmgoers should notice that this is the first Mission Impossible to not have a number suffixed onto the title. This is an apt omission, as despite this being a full-fledged sequel that ties into its predecessor quite a bit, it is also the start of something new and different.
And that difference becomes apparent the moment the opening credits roll. It would seem that Mr. Bird has taken the bulk of his influence for the look and feel of the movie - despite the over-abundance of futuristic tech on display - from the original 1960's and 1970's TV show that the films were based on. The most easily recognisable of these changes is composer Michael Giacchino's musical score, which eschews the current action blockbuster trend of just recording fog horns over what appears to be robot fart noises. Instead it has a heavy reliance on retro sounding guitar riffs, flutes and jingles, instantly evoking nostalgia for the heydays of the super-spy genre.
And "super-spy" is definitely what this movie brings to the table. This is not a small-scale, gritty and grounded in reality opinion piece. This is agent Ethan Hunt and his very hi-tech team - after being framed for the bombing of the Kremlin and subsequently disavowed by their government - out to accomplish nothing less than the saving of the entire world from a certified madman with a really big bomb.
It's a bombastic story reminiscent of old spy serials, the slightly over the top tone of which perfectly matches the film's exquisitely choreographed action sequences, which are simply massive in scope, mind-bendingly clever (that rear projection screen trick is sheer genius), filled with crazy futuristic technology (Dear Santa, can I please have that BMW. I've been a good(ish) boy all year) and absolutely thrilling to witness. The vertigo inducing set-piece based in, around and on the outside of Dubai's Burj Khalifa tower is easily the highlight of them all, but every globetrotting scene is pulse pounding in its own right.
Adding an extra layer of tension to these sequences, is the fact that these spies, as skilled as they are, are not perfect. Plans go awry, equipment fail in the most inopportune moments and plain simple human nature sometimes rears its head.
The latter of which is mainly as a result of the shady past of series debutante, Jeremy Renner's agent William Brandt, causing trust issues in the hastily assembled team, as well as a personal vendetta by the team's femme fatal Jane Carter, played by sultry Paula Patton. The team is rounded out by Simon Pegg, reprising his role from MI3 as the local tech wizard, Benji Dunn. Pegg's natural comical abilities help him to steal a few scenes from his co-stars, as he brings just enough levity to the film without it sliding into slapstick territory.
The only casting stumble is Michael Nyquist (famously from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as the main antagonist, Kurt Hendricks. He simply doesn't have much to work with, as his character is relegated to the role of human Macguffin. Compared to the charismatic menace that Phillip Seymour Hoffman brought to the role of villain in MI3, this was a disappointment.
What had also helped add a further layer of malice to Hoffman's character in that movie, was the personal rapport he had with Ethan Hunt. That personal connection may be lacking here, but that would be due to Bird's driving of this more as a team vehicle, much like the original TV series, instead of just being the Tom Cruise Show (couches beware!) for 120 minutes. This team-centric approach means that everybody gets their time to shine, although it's Hunt's borderline psychopathic stunts (God bless airbags, is all I am going to say) that are the highlights. He handles these stunts cooler than an arctic Walrus and judging by the crazy level of some of them, Ethan Hunt is apparently just as well-endowed.**
This is not deep, thought-provoking cinema, but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun. What makes it different from other so-called "popcorn flicks" *cough* Transformers *cough* is that it doesn't just rely on flashy graphics for its thrills. The fun factor is driven by deft directing, clever action sequences and memorable character moments. In short, popcorn entertainment at it's very best.
**Fun fact for the day: the Walrus possesses the largest baculum (penis bone) of any land dwelling mammal. Well except for Ethan Hunt, of course.
