Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol

It's less complex than the first film. Now, I know complexity is not always a requirement for action films, nevertheless after the first installment I do expect a certain level of suspense and tension in this franchise.
It's action is not at par with Mission Impossible 2. Let's face it people, Brad Bird might have made some pretty amazing animations, but when it comes to action, John Woo is considered a legend and thus the action in the second installment of the franchise is simply outstanding.
It lacks a villain that can stand at parity with the hero of the film, Tom Cruise, something that we saw and appreciated in the third installment of the franchise with Philip Seymour Hoffman. True, Philip Seymour was so good in the movie that he pretty much overshadowed Tom Cruise and maybe, just maybe, that's why we have a villain who despite have plans of world domination is pretty lackluster and simply not as effective.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a pretty average fair for a movie. It has some great locations, although I don't believe most of the scenes of India were actually shot in India. The story is pretty slim with no real emotion, characterization, or even suspense and mystery.
I have to confess and say that the inclusion of Anil Kapoor in the cast was something I was really happy about and I was looking forward to his performance. What I saw was the complete opposite of what I wanted to see. His rather small cameo was how to put this gently...stupid! I can see the charm for any Indian actor to be part of the western film industry, and especially in a franchise like this, but at the cost of a role that brings nothing to the movie, or the character, or to the actors popularity beats the purpose altogether.
On the plus side, the action in the film is quite good. It might not be the best, nevertheless the action scenes set in Dubai was truly exhilarating and at some places even reminiscent of the rock climbing opening scene from Mission Impossible II.
The supporting cast of the film, which comprised of Simon Pegg and Paula Patton, is just that, a support for Tom Cruise. The only exception being Jeremy Renner who seems to be able to shine in any role he is given off late.
After the somewhat surprisingly good Mission Impossible III, Ghost Protocol comes as a disappointment. Its lack of a strong story and specifically strong characters makes it probably the worst film of the franchise so far. What the producers need to desperately do now is give the franchise a makeover that does not necessarily mean replacing Tom Cruise, but one which will hopefully take the story into a little bit darker territory.
Rating 2/5 Stars