Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (2011) - Dec. 30, 2011
Note to self: arrive at IMAX screenings at least an hour early.  Though I had to sit so close that the giant IMAX screen completely overwhelmed my field of vision, I still quite enjoyed this movie.  Proof that Brad Bird's talents definitely extend to live action, the film is very well directed and has some pretty spectacular action set-pieces (highlights include the much-ballyhooed Dubai skyscraper sequence, the car chase in a dust storm, and the fight in the innards of a car storage facility).  The film is briskly paced and well acted; my only real complaint is that Michael Nyqvist's villian is almost comically underdeveloped, and has to be one of the least memorable bad guys I've seen in quite a while.  ***1/2