MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY: Brawn vs. brains

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol is a franchise blockbuster that has made more than $170 million in four weeks; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy a British art house film that’s earned a mere $10 in six weeks. Yet they’re both about iconic secret agents caught up in perilous times. Read these Reel Answers to see if either of these thrillers are for you.

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
Directed by Brad Bird
Starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton

Just how good is Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol?

If you still haven’t seen the #1 movie in the U.S. (rated so by both audiences and critics) you’re probably wondering at this point if it’s worth taking the plunge. After 15 years of this series, why watch Tom Cruise run around yet again wearing disguises and operating high-tech gadgets? The answer is that this fourth outing of Cruise’s M.I. series is a blast from start to finish, with one amazing action set piece after another: sweaty palms, open mouths, and rapid heartbeats guaranteed. The plot centers on the Mission Impossible team’s desperate attempts to stop a Russian genius from starting a nuclear war—not the most original plot but still a ticking-time-bomb thriller at its finest. Director Brad Bird proved he has wit, imagination, and style with such animated hits as The Incredibles and Ratatouille, but who knew he was also a master of techno-fantasy?

How are the actors?

Given that the plot is nothing super-special, the actors are one of the highlights of the movie. Tom Cruise is intense as usual, but actually kind of likable this time around and definitely a heroic character (apparently he did a lot of his own stunts which, considering these particular stunts, is impressive). Brit Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), playing a tech-genius agent, serves up the comic relief, little-known actress Paula Patton gives good action and turns into a knockout in an emerald-green dress halfway through, and Jeremy Renner is great (as usual) as an analyst drafted into the group against his will. Like in the old M.I. TV show, they become a real team and are entertaining to watch.

Do you have to love action and gadgets to like this film?

This film is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence. For the most part the action is so extreme and quick that it’s almost cartoonish, but if you have a low tolerance for big guns, head clobberin’, and car chases, this movie isn’t for you. Also, fair warning to acrophobes: there are more than a few scenes where standing above great heights looking down is the key focus. But even if you aren’t into gadgets per se—which in this film range from magnetic gloves and computerized briefcases to race cars and nuclear warheads—you will chortle in delight over the way they’re used cinematically here.

Is paying the extra fare for IMAX worth it?

Turns out the movie only has 27 minutes of pure-Imax footage in it but when it kicks in, boy, does it pay off. I won’t go into too much detail about which is the main scene that uses IMAX to its full advantage, but you’ll definitely know it when you see it. (Note that M.I. Ghost Protocol is not available in 3D, but you won’t miss that special effect.) IMAX also brings you top-notch digital surround-sound, which can be a little too much when the sound is fists crunching into jaws, but amazing for the powerful music soundtrack (which manages to transform Lalo Schifrin’s famous M.I. theme into many ethnic flavors, depending on where the globetrotting M.I .cast is that moment).

Is this movie something I should see in the theaters?

Unless you have an Imax screen at home, yes.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Starring Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds

How complex is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy?

The screenplay by Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan is a model of economy, condensing a 400+ page book (first dramatized in the famous 1979 BBC 7-hour miniseries) to 2 hours. Unfortunately, it’s a complicated story line, concerning the sniffing out of a Russian mole at the top echelons of British spydom, with many male characters walking on and off, so you really have to pay attention to the veiled dialogue and often enigmatic actions of the characters. But if you like classic espionage stories with cryptic plots, this’ll be your cup of tea.

What is the tone of the movie?

In a word, grim. It’s 1970s London, with the Cold War still in full swing. Though the movie starts out with some gunplay, Director Tomas Alfredson (known for the stylish Swedish vampire thriller Let the Right One In) keeps the atmosphere mostly at “hushed paranoia” level, with touches of dark humor thrown in.

How are the actors?

I mentioned there are many male characters, but each one is quite distinct—both in look and manner, and considering that these actors are the cream of contemporary British thespians it’s a real pleasure spending a few hours with this terse ensemble. Gary Oldman as George Smiley, of course, is the star. Even though for much of the movie he seems to simply observe his fellow spies behind his owlish glasses you get a clear sense of a keen mind with a conscience. For me, two of the younger Brits in small but pivotal parts were standouts: Tom Hardy as an anguished young field operative and Benedict Cumberbatch as a loyal helpmate to Smiley, with a secret.

Do I need to see Tinker, Tailor in a movie theater?

It’s actually fun to sit in tense silence with fellow spyophiles for two hours in a theater watching this cerebral story to play out. That said, you don’t need IMAX for this one. It could be viewed on a home screen without losing much and gaining the ability to rewind when the quiet, swift-moving British dialogue goes by a little too quickly.

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My Reel Answers column aims to boil down film reviewing to its essence: answering questions (without divulging key plot points) you might have about a popular movie before plunking down your hard-earned money to see it.

Please visit http://reelanswers.net to see past movies and DVDs I’ve reviewed, and let me know what questions you have about upcoming movies that I can answer.

When not watching and reviewing movies, I run a consulting business helping successful creatives ramp up their online presence via websites, ebooks, and social media at http://laura-e-kelly.com.         —Laura