Tom Cruise is getting a little older, but he is back to risk his life for a fourth time as Ethan Hunt.  This time, though, he brings a fun new crew with him and takes them to great new places.

  This is a film that gives you exactly what you expect and desire:  mindless action that continually cranks up the intensity and keeps your heart pounding.  It’s a good thing that it over-does the action, because it is a bit lacking in the character department.  However, it still makes for a fun rental from your local Redbox!

The writing team of Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (both reasonably prolific TV writers) take the advice of every screenwriting book and constantly complicate situations for the characters.  This adds drama.  When you think the characters are out of the bad situation, something else goes wrong.  Another good way to amp up the drama, is to add a time limit on the operation (which almost every scene in this film has).  I actually think “Ghost Protocol” may have set the world record for most brushes with death in 133 minutes of film ever.  It gets to the point where it is just about ridiculous… but that’s what we lovingly call “escapist entertainment”. 

No review of this film would be complete without mentioning the highly talked about scene at the Burj Khalifa (that really tall, cool looking building that Ethan Hunt climbs in the trailer).  That scene can be described in one word:  epic.  The one thing that I find troubling about the scene, though, is the “why” behind it.  The reason that their mission takes them to this building is non-existent.  So the “why” is that it would be a cool location for this type of scene.  That’s an acceptable reason, but it would be that much better if the plot actually called for that location.  Either way, it’s a great scene (or really a great series of scenes).

If you are looking for a fun film that you don’t have to think about too much, rent “Ghost Protocol.”  But get it on blu-ray because the action and effects are awesome and would be that much better in full HD.