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Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD "Cruise comfortably embodies an action hero who is superefficient but no superman... It's just a shame his comeback vehicle doesn't ride more smoothly over the narrative terrain." (Read the full review...) 1,225 words, 12/16/11 David Germain, Associated Press: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a bullet train of action and an arsenal of cool gadgets. Maybe making cartoons ['The Incredibles,' 'Ratatouille,' 'The Iron Giant'] has expanded director Brad Bird's conception of what's possible in a live film.... What Cruise does on screen is pretty much the same-old." (Read the full review...) 937 words, 12/15/11 Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD (cg) "You've gotta hand it to Tom Cruise: At 49, he single-handedly gives the fourth installment of his franchise its heart-racing pulse.... the movie peaks when the star taps his inner X Games athlete." (Read the full review...) 186 words, 12/15/11 Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...brims with scenes that are exciting and amazing at the same time... proves that in a Hollywood action-ride culture drenched in fake adrenaline, it's cathartic to encounter the real thing." (Read the full review...) 775 words, 12/30/11 Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING (cg) "If someone asks you what a true movie star is, point to Cruise. He has it all. And he's found an ideal collaborator in Bird. You leave 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' thinking that these guys can do anything." (Read the full review...) 526 words, 12/16/11 Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...the rare spy thriller/action film that employs a perfectly calibrated blend of high-voltage explosions, intricate gadgetry and dizzying chases without sacrificing compelling characters." (Read the full review...) 416 words, 12/16/11 Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...a terrific thriller with action sequences that function as a kind of action poetry.... it has been claimed that Cruise 'insisted on doing his stunts himself.' Say what?" (Read the full review...) 862 words, 12/16/11 Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: EXCELLENT (cg) "Director Brad Bird not only paces the story with substantial resourcefulness, but he stages multiple action scenes that are not only very effectively suspenseful and thrilling but also kind of new-fangled if not actually innovative.... it's pretty much state-of-the-art." (Read the full review...) 614 words, 12/14/11 James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD (cg) "...relentless in its pursuit of high octane thrills and suspense. The movie concentrates so hard on its set pieces that the storyline often feels insignificant and, at times, is easily forgotten." (Read the full review...) 955 words, 12/16/11
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Mr. Cruise's age and inescapable gravitas work for 'Ghost Protocol,' partly because they invest the outrageous stunts with a real sense of risk.... when he hangs off the even taller building, what you see isn't just a man doing a crazy stunt but also one poignantly denying his own mortality." (Read the full review...) 898 words, 12/16/11 Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...immaculately structured. It's built from massive explosions and high-risk car chases and mind-blowing stunts and awesome gadgets.The only thing that's missing, in fact, is a soul." (Read the full review...) 398 words, 12/16/11 Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Director Brad Bird has done a stylish and involving job here, turning in an entertaining production that's got considerable visual flair, especially in its action-heavy Imax sections.... He's also brought a touch of playfulness to the proceedings..." (Read the full review...) 742 words, 12/16/11 Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD (cg) "...at well over two hours, 'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol' overstays its welcome a bit, but delivers the goods where it really matters." (Read the full review...) 637 words, 12/16/11 Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...manages to be a pretty good time for much of its overgenerous 132 minutes [but director Brad] Bird errs, I think, by shoving the camera too close to the bodies in the frame, so that the momentum and spatial relationships become awfully hard to parse." (Read the full review...) 595 words, 12/16/11 Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "It's zippy and inventive, but almost kid-friendly in its discreet handling of violence and death.... 'Ghost Protocol' will leave you feeling like one of James Bond's mid-period martinis: shaken, but never really stirred." (Read the full review...) 326 words, 12/16/11 David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...wonderful, nonsensical fun.... There's a terrific comic conceit running all through the film.... The director has an organic understanding of how best-laid plans become worst-case scenarios..." (Read the full review...) 929 words, 12/19/11 Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...a terrific thriller with action sequences that function as a kind of action poetry.... it has been claimed that Cruise 'insisted on doing his stunts himself.' Say what?" (Read the full review...) 862 words, 12/16/11 Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "There is no denying that this can be exhilarating, though when 'Ghost Protocol' stoops to deal in emotional rather than physical expression the movie goes flaccid, as if trapeze artists had paused in mid-air to emote." (Read the full review...) 532 words, 12/21/11 Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...the impossible becomes hard to swallow at times, as well as completely ludicrous.... the film seems like 'Get Smart' at times. But watching Tom Cruise play Maxwell Smart is more fun than seeing him grimace for two hours." (Read the full review...) 479 words, 12/16/11 Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "Though Bird and his team have designed a series of hyper-slick action sequences, the overly long story (132 minutes) moves in fits and starts around a musty Cold War plot straight out of a vintage 'James Bond' movie." (Read the full review...) 615 words, 12/16/11 Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT (cg) "...reminds us that even though Cruise may be closing in on 50, he can still run and jump like the cool kids." (Read the full review...) 736 words, 12/16/11
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...has the requisite number of expertly choreographed how'd-they-do-that scenes... [By the end,] the frenetic action, gargantuan scale and furious scurryings to save the world will have begun to take their toll - on the audience if not the protagonists..." (Read the full review...) 736 words, 12/16/11 Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD (cg) "Though not quite as front-to-finish satisfying as J.J. Abrams' 'Mission: Impossible III,' Bird's installment nonetheless rocks. And if you see it in the giant Imax format, with the kazillion watts of digital surround sound, it literally does so." (Read the full review...) 587 words, 12/16/11 Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING (cg) "Director Brad Bird's fresh touch gives breathless energy, tremendous excitement and, above all, humor to what could have been a wearying genre exercise.... for jovial escapism, it's right on target." (Read the full review...) 226 words, 12/16/11 Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT (cg) "...it's big, it's loud and so relentless in its action that it reminds me of an old joke. Why do you hit yourself in the head with a hammer? Because it feels so good when you stop. In this case, the headache is worth it." (Read the full review...) 662 words, 12/16/11 Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD (cg) "Cruise knows we've come to see him accomplish the absurd. We've come to see him do the mission-impossible. We want to believe that that's him in that sandstorm... That's him leaping from the ledge of a building and onto a speeding delivery truck. Who else would it be?" (Read the full review...) 1,064 words, 12/16/11 Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...the eye-candy -- from high-tech gadgets to gorgeous people -- has only been ratcheted up. And so has the excitement.... pours on the glamour, from some snazzy sports cars to Paula Patton in a gravity-defying gown." (Read the full review...) 469 words, 12/16/11 Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg) "It's all about the chase - an enjoyably loopy race against time... If you widen your eyes and turn off your brain, it all adds up to cracking good fun." (Read the full review...) 383 words, 12/16/11 Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: MODERATE (cg) "The plotting is sloppy, the villain, played by Michael Nyqvist in a three-piece ice-cream suit that looks like it came from Tom Wolfe's closet, is a cipher, and the situations are nonsensical (they just waltz into the Kremlin)." (Read the full review...) 407 words, 12/16/11 Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD (cg) "As an actor, Cruise is out of practice, but as a bulletproof action hero, he's impressive on cruise control." (Read the full review...) 346 words, 12/16/11 Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "Mostly it's video game-style violence -- Ethan's mission message sounds delivered by a bland gaming narrator -- occasionally pausing for necessary exposition... Even on the IMAX screen, the ideas seem small." (Read the full review...) 461 words, 12/16/11 Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT (cg) "...top-notch popcorn entertainment, chock-full of dazzling stunts and heroic moments, played out at a near-hysterical pitch." (Read the full review...) 739 words, 12/16/11 Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...pure popcorn of the highest, most flavorful order, and it's good for you, too.... an expertly crafted piece of pop entertainment. Bring on 'Mission: Impossible V,' please." (Read the full review...) 621 words, 12/16/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "There is no denying that this can be exhilarating, though when 'Ghost Protocol' stoops to deal in emotional rather than physical expression the movie goes flaccid, as if trapeze artists had paused in mid-air to emote." (Read the full review...) 532 words, 12/21/11 Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...thrilling and awe-inspiring... as light on its feet as director Brad Bird's animated films and easily the best action film of the year." (Read the full review...) 737 words, 12/14/11 Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD (cg) "I'll be seeing it again on a four-story-high screen. You should too." (Read the full review...) 150 words, 12/22/11 Keith Phipps, AV Club: OUTSTANDING (cg) "As Cruise clings to the side of the building using malfunctioning equipment, and a sandstorm looms in the distance, the question shifts from whether Bird can direct an action film to whether there's anyone out there who can top him." (Read the full review...) 444 words, 12/15/11 Jen Yamato, Movieline: VERY GOOD (cg) "...marvel as Movie Star Tom Cruise grips the windows of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, doing his own insane stunts while clinging to the outside windows thousands of feet above the ground, and you get your money's worth." (Read the full review...) 1,405 words, 12/15/11 Jaime N. Christley, Slant: MODERATE (cg) "...there are moments when the movie comes teasingly close to attaining escape velocity... disappointingly, it often feels sluggish and secondhand, as if there were really nothing Hunt and his team could do that could truly wow anyone, anywhere, anymore." (Read the full review...) 959 words, 12/14/11 Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT (cg) "...reminds us that even though Cruise may be closing in on 50, he can still run and jump like the cool kids." (Read the full review...) 736 words, 12/16/11 Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT (cg) "...accomplishes its mission as an awesomeness delivery system." (Read the full review...) 603 words, 12/16/11 MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: EXCELLENT (cg) "...hooks us on all levels: the visual, the emotional, the thrilling. These aren't superheroes doing impossible things, they're real people doing a good, hard job. Hunt looks ragged, beat-up, and exhausted much of the time, as a man in his situation should..." (Read the full review...) 1,046 words, 12/16/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "Mr. Bird and his cinematographer, Robert Elswit, sustain a remarkable level of visual and dramatic energy in scenes that exult in exotic settings, edgy architecture and quirky behavior.... The result is hugely enjoyable." (Read the full review...) 740 words, 12/16/11 Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Mr. Cruise's age and inescapable gravitas work for 'Ghost Protocol,' partly because they invest the outrageous stunts with a real sense of risk.... when he hangs off the even taller building, what you see isn't just a man doing a crazy stunt but also one poignantly denying his own mortality." (Read the full review...) 898 words, 12/16/11 David Denby, New Yorker: VERY GOOD "...it's great silly fun.... the plot is trivial.... See the movie on an IMAX screen, if you can - the induced vertigo is exciting, though you may feel that you're holding your stomach in your hands." (Read the full review...) 196 words, 12/26/11 Ian Buckwalter, NPR: OUTSTANDING "...one of the most expertly constructed and choreographed pure-action films in recent memory.... may not be as smart as Bird's Pixar work, but that's not a deficiency here. This film exists purely to dazzle and thrill, and by that measure, it delivers expertly..." (Read the full review...) 697 words, 12/15/11 Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Director Brad Bird has done a stylish and involving job here, turning in an entertaining production that's got considerable visual flair, especially in its action-heavy Imax sections.... He's also brought a touch of playfulness to the proceedings..." (Read the full review...) 742 words, 12/16/11 Dan Kois, Slate: OUTSTANDING "...a primer on how to use IMAX technology to immerse an audience. The scenes on the Burj gave me more vertigo than 'Vertigo'.... exhibits a control of action imagery -- a mastery of bodies moving through space -- that rivals any non-animated film I've ever seen." (Read the full review...) 768 words, 12/15/11 Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...the most exciting action flick of the year, by a huge margin.... [a] slick secret-agent techno-fantasy.... This is pure escapist cinema at its best, without morality or apology or guilt." (Read the full review...) 1,097 words, 12/15/11
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD "...serves up sights and setpieces of often jaw-dropping ingenuity and visual flair, but it's a movie of dazzling individual parts that don't come together to fully satisfying effect in the final stretch.... still manages enough sheer fun to qualify as the series' strongest entry since Brian De Palma's stylish 1996 original." (Read the full review...) 1,210 words, 12/07/11 Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...there is some fairly incredible stuff to be found in 'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol'... a spectacular, if repetitive, fourth series entry.... Tom Cruise is in top form... Director Brad Bird's done a fine job..." (Read the full review...) 1,289 words, 12/07/11 Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Director Brad Bird has done a stylish and involving job here, turning in an entertaining production that's got considerable visual flair, especially in its action-heavy Imax sections.... He's also brought a touch of playfulness to the proceedings..." (Read the full review...) 742 words, 12/16/11 Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT (cg) "Fast moving, highly clever, and wonderfully entertaining... may just be the best installment of the series... succeeds [at upping the ante in the action department], even if the narrative is still too formulaic to generate excitement, and some of the set-pieces repetitive." (Read the full review...) 772 words, 12/09/11 Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Mr. Cruise's age and inescapable gravitas work for 'Ghost Protocol,' partly because they invest the outrageous stunts with a real sense of risk.... when he hangs off the even taller building, what you see isn't just a man doing a crazy stunt but also one poignantly denying his own mortality." (Read the full review...) 898 words, 12/16/11 Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "Mr. Bird and his cinematographer, Robert Elswit, sustain a remarkable level of visual and dramatic energy in scenes that exult in exotic settings, edgy architecture and quirky behavior.... The result is hugely enjoyable." (Read the full review...) 740 words, 12/16/11
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