As the sequel's IMAX release is less than two weeks away, Paramount Pictures has released yet another new official clip from Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Unlike past clips, this one doesn't feature Jeremy Renner jumping into a turbine, or two gorgeous women in an all-out fisticuffs, or even Tom Cruise swinging around on the Burj Khalifa. Instead, it has Cruise and Simon Pegg engaging in a little humorous interplay without actually exchanging a word. Pegg is doing all the talking as Benji Dunn, the talkative tech expert introduced in the last film, Mission: Impossible III, while Cruise's Ethan Hunt just threateningly pantomimes at him via a hacked security camera. When Hunt finally holds up a fist, it's rendered all the more effective by the tight white tank top (or "wifebeater," as it's colloquially known) he's wearing.
The clip, complete with its surprising and incongruous musical accompaniment courtesy of Dean Martin, debuted today at MSN, so let's kick a big thanks over in that direction.
This clip, and a lot of the material we've seen so far, makes me hopeful that Ghost Protocol will incorporate more of the original television series' sense of teamwork and intricate, cooperative planning. The first two films were very much centered almost exclusively on Ethan Hunt, but JJ Abrams brought back a bit of that team spirit with the last film. With a cast that includes Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames, Josh Holloway, and Tom Wilkinson, it'd be a shame to spend all our time watching Cruise get to do the cool stuff.
Brad Bird, the animation genius responsible for Ratatouille, The Iron Giant, and The Incredibles directs his first live-action feature with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. We'll see how it handles it quite soon, as the film hits IMAX screens on December 16th, then rolls out in wide release on December 21st. And remember, 70mm IMAX theaters will be showing a six-minute The Dark Knight Rises prologue before M:I 4. Check out the full list of participating locations by clicking right here.
