Picture it: a Russian prison. Meet Sergei...okay, really it's Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), but he's rotting in a Russian jail for murdering six Serbian assassins. It was a heart-felt revenge hit for taking out their target, Ethan's beloved wife. Of course, it was unsanctioned so the USA is offering no help. Therefore, Ethan sits. That is, until the USA needs his super spy services again. Enter Jane (Paula Paton) and Benji (Simon Pegg). They're sent in to bust out Ethan and for good cause. There is nuclear trouble brewing. It involves a guy who has stolen the Soviet launch codes and is positioning himself to wipe out much of the planet by starting a nuclear war. Ethan and team are joined by Intel Analyst, Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and yadayadayada plenty of blood, death defying stunts, explosions and gun powder later, the world is on the brink, baby!
Yeah, it's good. I'll go with 3.5 Stars on this one. Sure, maybe it's not MI-3, but you can't have that 1-2 punch of Cruise-Seymour Hoffman every flick, right!?! It is, however, far better than MI-2 and maybe a little better than the initial MI offering. It's 133 minutes of solid plot and action chalk full of those precise strikes and narrow misses that most action flicks, especially the Mission Impossible franchise, are known for providing. Okay, maybe it's not all plausible, but that's Hollywood, babe!
If action is your thing, you'll love this one. I'm not a huge action monger, but when the plot is as important, if not more so, than the bloody explosions, then I can deal...and actually enjoy. MI-4 falls squarely in that niche.
Plus, you've got a little 'funny' to throw into the mix with Benji's newly upgraded role into the agent field, which plays well through Pegg. Cruise nails Agent Hunt, as usual and P2 (P-Squared...aka Paula Paton) is a fun Jane. The real new main addition is Renner. This guy is solid in about anything that I've seen him in and he doesn't disappoint in MI-4. There is little doubt that we'll see a return performance from Brandt when MI-5 rolls around. The cinematography was great, too. This was especially true in Dubai, which has always been a fascinating place. And, that hotel showcased in the Dubai sequences...wow...amazing.
All in all, if you're looking for an action flick to take the edge off the holiday mush...check it out and go BIG. It's a fun, nicely put together movie that flows fairly well, with little-to-no dead spots, but plenty of dead peeps. Enjoy and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all...regardless of how you observe the season, or if you don't recognize it all! Best wishes...
True...OUT!
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