Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

As usual, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol peppers superficial drama into a stew of convoluted and cliche plot. However, these issues are softened by mild doses of setup/payoff, personal motivations, clever espionage, and concise stakes. Nevertheless, this script remains void of anything particularly thoughtful or emotional. It's still a wholly derivative story with heavy exposition, flat characters, and overstuffed plot points. This dictates the acting, which provides only shallow personalities beyond the physicality of the stunts. It may be a passable excuse for entertainment, yet Ghost Protocol's writing does nothing more than mediocrely manufacture spectacle.

Technically, Ghost Protocol sets a fun adventure tone. The cinematography maintains a fairly sleek aesthetic while capturing immersive set pieces. Though it can get repetitive and peaks early, its editing brings consistent action without feeling exhausting. Combat is supplemented with brief subjectivity inside the soundscape. Incorporating its iconic theme song, its music reinforces the entertaining mood through jazzy scoring. The production design solidifies globe-trotting by establishing senses of place. Its cast has solid supporters around Cruise. As the franchise's calling card, its stunts are truly exceptional. Overall, Ghost Protocol is meaningless but enjoyable.

Writing: 3/10

Direction: 7/10

Cinematography: 8/10

Acting: 6/10

Editing: 7/10

Sound: 8/10

Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Production Design: 8/10

Casting: 8/10

Effects: 10/10

Overall Score: 7.3/10

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