Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol – Opening December 16, 2011



It can be very exciting to see a trailer for a sequel that you didn’t even know was being made. That’s true only if the series has yet to exhaust itself and the new story looks cool, and fortunately both of those things are doubly correct here. The third film sort of came and went without much fanfare despite being directed by J.J. Abrams, but it was definitely action-packed and fun. Even the second film was highly enjoyable and full of pulse-pounding thrills and explosions, so this series isn’t too capable of outright disappointing. Installment number four, however, looks awesome. Tom Cruise has on more than one occasion proven himself to be a terrifically energetic runner, and he appears to be doing a whole lot of running in this film, which is great. It’s not just about him, but rather about a whole team, to be portrayed by an interesting and eclectic group. Perhaps most notable is Jeremy Renner, who, after “The Hurt Locker,” “The Town,” and his already-begun Avengers role as Hawkeye, has exactly the type of role he should, as a featured player in this sleek thriller with a secret past and some nifty skills with a gun. Also along for the ride are Josh Holloway, best known as Sawyer from “Lost,” Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Tom Wilkinson, and two foreign imports, Anil Kapoor from “Slumdog Millionaire” and Michael Nyqvist from “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Most intriguingly, the film will be directed by Brad Bird, who to this point has made three features films: “Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles,” and “The Iron Giant,” which means that this live-action PG-13-rated blockbuster is quite a departure for him. The team being out of the lam and considered terrorists is nothing too unusual, but should definitely serve to amp up the excitement level. Some of the action scenes look to be rather intense and fast-paced, and the rap music pounding in the background of the trailer makes this seem like a very modern thriller. The takeaway: I’m set and ready to see this one.