There is nothing quite like a good action movie. The explosions, the gunfights, the hand to hand combat; just about every guy loves them. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (Mi4), the fourth movie in the Mission: Impossible series, is an excellent addition to the long line of shoot-’em-up films. The film was released, Dec. 16.

Blockbuster movie star Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, a member of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF), an unofficial CIA branch designed to complete missions that would be illegal for the government to carry out.

The movie begins with IMF agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) breaking Hunt out of a Russian prison. Upon escaping, the three learn of a terrorist plot to steal the launch codes to Russian nuclear missiles to jumpstart what the terrorist believe is a “natural process;” the extinction of a dominant species to make way for another.

The head of this organization is known only as “Cobalt” and is determined to accomplish his goal, despite any obstacles that get in the way.

Agents Hunt and Dunn infiltrate the Russian Kremlin to obtain the launch codes before Cobalt can. However, Cobalt is in the building with them and after stealing the codes, sets off an enormous explosion. Russian officials — notably Agent Sidirov (Vladimir Mashkov) — peg the attack on Hunt, and after receiving medical treatment in a public hospital, Ethan escapes from Agent Sidirov.

He is extracted by the IMF, but after the Russian president declares the Kremlin attack an act of war, the US president initiates Ghost Protocol which disavows the entire IMF. “Analyst” William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) joins up with the group and the four remaining agents to go rouge in an attempt to stop World War III.

Their first course of action is to intercept nuclear launch codes being exchanged between a French mercenary named Sabine Moreau (Lea Seydoux) and Cobalt’s right hand man, known only as Wistrom (Samuli Edelmann). Disguising themselves as members of the meeting, they trick the two parties into handing over vital information, until Moreau discovers the true identity of Brandt. She tries to escape, but is caught by Carter. When Wistrom leaves, Hunt pursues him right into a sandstorm, where a chase scene ensues.

My overall perception of the movie was fantastic. I love action movies, and Mi4 does not disappoint in that category. The element that surprised me about this movie is that there is no down time. There is just one battle after another after another. Being a guy, I enjoyed this because let’s be honest, that’s what most guys like. This is not to say that girls wouldn’t like it — I’m sure that many would.

My absolute favorite scene was the one at the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, which is the tallest building in the world. If you’ve seen a commercial for this movie, you’ve probably seen this clip. It’s pretty awesome to see Cruise straight up scaling the exterior. That, combined with the interception of a nuclear launch code drop-off, provides an awesome mix of suspense, stunts, action and intensity that will not let the viewer down.

I was pleasantly surprised by the acting, in my opinion the only sub-par character was Agent Carter who just seemed bored. Although I am not much of a Tom Cruise fan, I still thought he did a quality job as the gritty hero, minus one disgustingly cliche line at the end — “Mission accomplished!”

Agent Dunn, who provided the comic relief, was very likable and at ease whereas Brandt acted more tense and stressed; these two different personalities complemented each other well as teammates.

Mi4 received sponsorship from BMW, who provided most of the vehicles. During the last scene, Hunt and Carter drive a BMW Vision EfficientDynamics electric concept car, whipping through turns and showcasing BMW’s ConnectedDrive technology.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is an excellent movie, jam-packed full of excitement and battles, never missing a beat. I would definitely recommend this movie to anybody who enjoys a good action film.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol runs for 133 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence. For tickets and showtimes visit Fandango.

For more movie reviews, read the Jan. 10 article, Zoo flick radiates positive tone (VIDEO).