Grade: B

“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” follows Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) on a mission to save the world from nuclear war.

When the Kremlin in Russia is bombed, Soviet nuclear launch codes are stolen and Ethan Hunt is captured at the scene. The Russians assume that the Americans were behind the attack. However, a man by the name of Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) was actually behind the entire thing.

With the Kremlin destroyed and tensions between the U.S. and Russia at their highest since the Cuban Missile Crisis the President initiates Ghost Protocol on all IMF agents. The entire IMF has been disavowed but Hunt won’t let Hendricks get away with the stolen nuclear launch codes with the intent of starting war. Hunt and his team (Simon Pegg, Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner), knowing that if they’re caught they’ll be branded as terrorists, must do everything they can to stop Hendricks.

“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” definitely lives up to the Mission: Impossible name with big set pieces, non-stop action and big name stars.

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect going into this movie. I was excited when I saw the trailer but the last time I watched a Mission: Impossible movie was back in 2006 with “Mission: Impossible III” and I wasn’t that impressed.

But seeing it in all of its IMAX glory – it’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year.

While the always exciting Tom Cruise plays well, Tom Cruise of course, it’s the work of the always funny Simon Pegg, the beautiful Paula Patton and the would be action star himself Jeremy Renner that really steals the show. Each of them in some way play an intricate part in the story. Pegg is the analyst gone field agent looking to prove himself to Hunt and the team. Patton is the agent looking to kill the assassin that killed one of her teammates. And Renner, well I won’t tell you his part because it’ll ruin what I thought was a very surprising spin in the film.

I’ve got to admit for Brad Bird’s first live action production, he directed “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille” animated films, “Ghost Protocol” was as successful as any director could hope for.

If I had to pick one aspect of the film I did not enjoy it would have to be the computer generated imagery work, which I thought was a bit subpar, other than that I enjoyed every minute.

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to go see this movie and I highly recommend you do.