Yes, it starts off a little hammy with some pretty boilerplate dialogue — “We’re live.” “Abort!” “It was a set up..” — and an unnecessary plug for the iPhone, but it’s not long before the new trailer for “Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol” settles right in and delivers the big, badass set pieces you expect when you plunk down your $12 at the multiplex.
Marking the live action debut of “The Incredibles” director Brad Bird, he is clearly going big or going home. Like the “Contagion” trailer earlier this year, we get a character death in this one too as — **spoiler alert** — Tom Wilkinson eats it in a rather spectacular fashion after uttering the famous line, “Your mission, should you decide to accept it.” From there, this thing goes full throttle and white knuckle with an endless array of dazzling set pieces and action sequences. Clearly, no amount of money has been spared and this thing is gonna blow out your eye sockets. And despite the presence of all kinds of digital gadgets and tomfoolery, ‘Ghost Protocol’ — at least in trailer form — avoids the trap of becoming obsessed with its toys and keeps things physical and visceral, because Bird wisely knows that’s the stuff that gets pulses pounding.
Yeah, this thing won’t be up for Best Picture, but we’d be lying if we didn’t say that “Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol” was near the top of our list of films to see in December. Could Brad Bird have delivered the best installment yet? We’re betting on it. Join Ethan and company on December 16th in IMAX or on December 21st at a theater near you. Turn up your speakers and watch below.
