Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” is where the whole series really levels up. The action gets bigger, the stakes feel higher, and it just kicks the franchise into a completely new gear. The pacing is nonstop. Unlike the earlier films, where each act usually wrapped up with one big set piece, this one just keeps delivering, over and over.

Out of the whole series, “Ghost Protocol” is easily my favorite. It doesn’t just breathe new life into the franchise—it perfects what I already loved about it. It takes the best parts from the first three movies and dials them all up. Ethan’s once again on the run from his own government, scrambling with limited resources and relying on pure wit and skill to pull things off. That idea—that he’s always having to improvise and outsmart the system—really becomes a core theme in the films that follow.

It opens with a wild Russian prison break, then jumps straight into some slick espionage at the Kremlin. And from there, it builds to the showstopping scene—Ethan Hunt climbing the outside of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Honestly, one of the most iconic moments in any action movie. Then there’s an intense sandstorm chase and a solid final showdown in Mumbai.

The villain this time around isn’t super memorable—Michael Nyqvist does a decent job, but he’s not the standout. It’s the supporting cast that really shines. Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton come in as the new team members, and they’re great. Simon Pegg brings the humor as always, and Ving Rhames (even in a smaller role) is classic. And Léa Seydoux absolutely kills it as a deadly assassin.

And funnily enough, “Ghost Protocol” came out the same year as “Fast Five,” which was the turning point for the “Fast & Furious” series too. Both franchises just flipped the switch that year and went full-on global spectacle. It was kind of the moment they both solidified themselves as two of the biggest, most reliably action franchises in Hollywood.

[Updated May 24, 2025]
My 8-year-old daughter asked to watch “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” and honestly, I wasn’t sure what she’d think—but she loved it. She’s all about the crazy stunts Tom Cruise does (especially anything involving jumping off buildings), and she really liked that the women in the movie got to be spies too—fighting, outsmarting the men, and looking glamorous doing it. The chase scenes totally grabbed her attention, and she was fascinated by all the exotic places they visit.

VIEWED ON
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Vudu