GOOGTOON: Ghost Protocol

Four of my all time favorite movies are Ratatouille, The Incredibles and Up. What do these films have in common with the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise? All were directed by two-time Academy Award-winner Brad Bird - now director of Ghost Protocol.

Bird and producers J.J. Abrams (director of Super 8, as well as M.I. III), and Tom Cruise, were presented with their own mission impossible: how to eclipse the fast-paced thriller of Mission Impossible III? It got hold of us for 120-minutes and never let us go. Did Bird have what it takes to surpass a legacy of adrenaline rush blockbusters? If the opening weekend and an average "A" rating by the public have anything to say about it, it would seem safe to proclaim MI 4 "Mission Accomplished."

The Plot: IMF (Impossible Mission Force) is shut down when they are blamed for a global terrorist bombing of the Kremlin. With operative Ethan Hunt and his rogue team are "disavowed," a "Ghost Protocol" is launched by the President. Operative, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), stripped of agency resources and support, is off the grid and short on time. He and his fellow IMF agents, now reduced to fugitive status, are forced to embark on an undercover mission to clear their organization's name - more importantly, they're impossible mission, should they choose to accept, is to save the world! Fortunately for thriller junkies like myself, and theater goers who just purchased a ticket, Ethan and his team took on the mission.

Tom Cruise is joined by an exceptional international cast that includes Heremy Renner (The Hurt Locker; 28 Weeks Later) Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Paul, Run Fatboy Run ), Paula Patton (Deja Vu; Precious; Hitch), Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapoor (Slumdog Millionaire) and Lea Seydoux - just to name a few. Together, they take an exciting yet improbable script and make into a nonstop, action packed spy adventure that will grab you from start to finish. I was so engaged I forgot to touch a kernel of my popcorn... I've NEVER seen a mission more daring and powerful than this.

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol earns my highest rating, 5 Lens Review!

I've attached a few Mission Impossible photos, which will give you a feel for Brad Bird's direction and the storyline. First a trailer:

Simon Pegg at the hub of yet another mission.

A lovely morning at the Kremlin belies the inauspicious machinations just moments before detonation.

The ground rumbles and suddenly the Kremlin is no more.

With IMF shut down and agents disavowed, Cruise and Renner run for deep cover.

The IMF team of fugitives all aboard, planning their next impossible mission.

Just outside Dubai, on the way to the Burj Khalifia - the tallest building in the world - and an opportunity for Cruise to show off his talents and dedication.

Cruise questioning the sanity of donning a sticky glove to climb the exterior of the Burj Khalifia - the ONLY option to access control of the buildings electronics.