In this go-round, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) gets caught up in a bungled Russian mission that compels the Impossible Mission Force to disavow its agents in a continual heart pounding adrenaline rush of non-stop action.
With his remaining three teammates – tech guy Benji (Simon Pegg, a holdover from IM3), undercover agent Jane (Paula Patton) and analyst Brandt (Jeremy Renner) he runs around the globe in pursuit of stolen nuclear launch codes.
There are many things done for laugh, such as each time the members use some kind of futuristic technology, it malfunctions and forces them to rely on brains or their personal physical skills.
In one very important scene to the picture Benji shows Ethan how to use a pair of gloves that allow him to electronically grip surfaces for that climb outside the 130th floor of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world.
The scene, already famous, where producer-star Tom Cruise, playing the Mission Impossible series’ head hero, Ethan Hunt, has to sneak from one room to another in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Doing it the hard way for the sake of it, Ethan knocks out a window in the Mission Impossible crew’s apartment, which is, about 130 stories up. In IMAX the effect of being up there is astonishing, but you do know if it hadn’t have been done safely Cruise would never have been allowed to do it.
As could be expected, tech equipment starts to show some bugs. Specifically, one of the suction gloves starts to peel off the wall, and Ethan has to throw it away. He finishes the climb on pure skill and one glove. Won’t tell you how it all ended because when this was being written the film was out only in limited release, but will say the next mission is set up. This scene alone is worth the cost of seeing the film and we’re still awestruck in remembering.
Cruise returns to classic Tom Cruise, the Mission Impossible action star fans love with his million dollar smile. Pegg’s comedic timing lightens the mood and will keep you laughing. Renner skills were a surprise and looks like he may be launched into a prominent role in action movies. Patton will break your images of revenge fueled catfights with French actress Léa Seydoux.
This is not a film that will win any awards for best acting nor best screen play but will probably be in there as best picture if it is remembered at voting time next year. Would we pay to see the film? Yes that’s how we got to see it. Would we watch it if it was on television, since we paid to see it and loved it that answer is also a definite yes. We’re planning a return visit to the theatre to see it in a standard theatre to compare it to IMAX and are anticipating the DVD release.