Not impossible to like

THE fourth instalment in the Mission Impossible franchise, and the big Christmas film this season, is exactly what you’d expect.
Tom Cruise again saddles up as Impossible Mission Force (IMF) super-agent Ethan Hunt, this time joined by Jeremy Renner and the striking Paula Patton.
Renner plays against type as a nerdy, analyst agent, while Patton is the femme fatale.
Framed with attacking the Kremlin, the IMF has been disbanded and its few remaining agents disavowed – hence the cool “Ghost Protocol” subtitle.
Strangely, the free agents still have access to a pretty impressive array of secret spy gear (not to mention their own jet aircraft) so, despite being impossible, the mission outcome is never in doubt.
There are some spectacular action set pieces, and Cruise takes great pleasure in playing with heights in particular.
The scene in which he plays on the outside of the world’s tallest building in Dubai, for example, is very well done.
For this reviewer, though, it was a little slow in parts and didn’t reach the mark set by the third instalment of the franchise.
I have intentionally omitted mentioning the annoying role played by Simon Pegg. He remains annoying.
It’s a half-hearted endorsement but, in what looks like being a dry Christmas season, MI4 is worth your $18. – Jason Beck