Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2011

Someone blows up the Kremlin and frames the IMF, resulting in the activation of the title protocol, shutting down the entire organization and leaving Ethan (Tom Cruise) and co. (Paula Patton, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner) to save the world and clear the group’s name, all without support. It’s the best M:I flick of the four so far and a pretty fair action flick overall, though perhaps a notch below the recent Bourne and Bond entries. It keeps that cop-out latex-mask device to a minimum, resurrects the TV show’s emphasis on stealth over force, and it’s better written.