History Film / MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol

* DeadStarWalking: Josh Holloway, fresh off his run on ''Series/{{Los}}'', appears as the doomed IMF agent at the beginning of the film. A flashback later on gives him a few lines.

%%* TheDragon: Wistrom.

* GeniusBruiser: Kurt Hendricks/Cobalt -- he's both a nuclear strategist and a former Swedish special forces member, and although he's no longer in full fighting trim, [[spoiler:he almost keeps Ethan at bay in the climactic end fight long enough for the nuclear missile he launched to destroy San Francisco]]. Counts doubly because [[spoiler:all the stunts pulled off by his dragon Wistrom during the Dubai chase turn out to be Hendricks himself wearing a latex mask.]] [[TheDragon His dragon Wistrom]] could count also.

* ILetGwenStacyDie: Brandt feels responsible for [[spoiler:the [[NeverFoundTheBody death]] of Ethan's wife]] because it happened on his watch.

* InTheHood: Ethan this time around.

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Jane Carter performs an impromptu... field interrogation by knifepoint in a flashback, although the [[GoryDiscretionShot results are not shown on screen]].

* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:Brandt explains that Ethan's wife was kidnapped and that the body was found three days later or rather "what was left of it." Ethan's wife is actually alive and well.]]

** When Ethan busts out of the Russian prison, one of the guards says "yob t'voyu mat," which, literally translated, means "f*cked your mother" but is here used as a sort of generic "f*ck it" expression. A subversion -- it is actually illegal (though practically never enforced) to say in Russia, but is included in the film, while the subtitles render it as [[SymbolSwearing "%@#!"]]

* SoundtrackDissonance: {{Invoked|Trope}} by Benji during the opening. Ethan is escaping a Russian prison filled with aggressive prisoners engaged in full-on riot mode. Benji's choice of music to play through the prison PA system during this festival of fists, feet and general anarchy? The Music/DeanMartin jazz song, "Ain't That a Kick in the Head."

* StealthPun: After getting seven colors of ''shit'' kicked out of him in the final fight sequence, [[spoiler:Ethan scrambles to the BigRedButton to save the day and yells [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Mission_Accomplished_speech "Mission Accomplished!"]] as he hits it. '''''It doesn't work.''''' He has to hammer it for about half a minute, while his team finishes their own jobs, before it works]].

* ThrowingTheDistraction: The high-tech version occurs — the IMF team use a sound projector to make a Kremlin guard leave the corridor he's guarding and go into the next room.

* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: PlayedStraight, when THREE detailed missions by Ethan to stop Hendricks fail miserably.

A mission to infiltrate the Kremlin goes awry when a massive bomb goes off, Ethan's team being framed for the act and the resulting political backlash ends up shutting down the entire IMF under operation "[[TitleDrop Ghost Protocol]]." Basically the only ones left, they must operate without their normal resources and backup while clearing their names and stopping the real culprit's darker goal.

%%* ActionGirl: Jane Carter.

* ActorAllusion:
** Teddy Newton, one of Creator/BradBird's friends and an artist at Creator/{{Pixar}}, makes a cameo as a voice over the phone that gives Ethan Mission instructions. He also voiced a literal phone in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''.
** Michael Nyqvist plays Hendricks, a former Swedish spy and commando. In ''Literature/TheMillenniumTrilogy'', he plays Mikael Blomkwist, a journalist who tangles with a group of former Swedish spies and commandoes.

* AntiClimax: TheReveal of Brandt's big secret. The reason behind his secretive attitude? [[spoiler:He failed a protection mission that lead to the DisneyDeath of Ethan's wife.]] Given how common it is for someone to be a DoubleAgent or TheMole, it's unusual for someone to simply be TheAtoner for something they ''don't actually need to atone for''. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Saying that]], it makes him a unique entity in being a guy ''capable'' of action hero moves, [[CowardlyLion but without the usual bravery for it]], who is also far more emotional to be so damaged by something Ethan would have shrugged off after a while.

* TheCameo: Creator/TomWilkinson. A more traditional cameo has Creator/VingRhames as Luther Stickell and [[spoiler:Creator/MichelleMonaghan as Julia]] -- again, all three are uncredited.

* CarCushion: Justified when it happens in a multi-level parking garage.

Directed by Creator/BradBird in his live-action directorial debut, Creator/JJAbrams stayed on as a producer, Tom Cruise and Creator/SimonPegg return, joined by Creator/JeremyRenner and Creator/PaulaPatton, with Creator/JoshHolloway and an unbilled Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. This film is less about Ethan Hunt than the previous three (hence the lack of [[NumberedSequel sequel number]]). It also has by far the most continuity of the series, with four whole characters returning -- twice as many as any previous film has featured -- and some actual [[ContinuityNod acknowledgement of prior events]].

* ClimbingTheCliffsOfInsanity: Ethan has to climb up the outside of the Burj Khalifa using adhesive gloves, cut his way in through a window, then come back down again. And this isn't part of a mission he's had time to psych himself up for either, but an IndyPloy when something goes wrong.

* DeadlyDustStorm: There's a ten to fifteen minute chase sequence involving Ethan and a huge dust storm. By having him run away on foot.

''Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' is a 2011 {{action|Genre}} {{spy|Fiction}} {{thriller}} film and the fourth entry in the ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries Mission: Impossible]]'' film series, starring Creator/TomCruise as Ethan Hunt.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Numerous elements in the film parallel ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' -- nefarious diabolical plan, in-team arguing, paralleling action and a fondness for gadgets. It's done by the same director, Creator/BradBird.

* RetCon: [[spoiler:Ethan's wife isn't quite dead.]]

* GasLeakCoverup: Half the Kremlin blowing up is put down to gas lines exploding, and an unexploded nuclear warhead plunging down on San Francisco is a meteorite. When half the planet believes in UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheories, why bother coming up with a plausible explanation as long as you can disavow it officially. Indeed, the way the civilian news reports are phrased indicates that pretty much no-one believes the "accident with the gas mains" coverup.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: When Benji and Ethan are in the hallway at the [[spoiler:Russian archives]], they use a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_from_ultrasound#Products "sound projector"]] to distract a guard, and use a paper-thin [[http://inventorspot.com/articles/oled_television_wallpaper_gives_you_room_view_24270 TV screen]] to make the hallway seem empty.

* ShesGotLegs: Jane working as a HoneyTrap to Indian playboy Brij Nath.

A mission to infiltrate the Kremlin goes awry when a massive bomb goes off, Ethan's team being framed for the act and the resulting political backlash ends up shutting down the entire IMF under operation "[[TitleDrop Ghost Protocol]]". Basically the only ones left, they must operate without their normal resources and backup while clearing their names and stopping the real culprit's darker goal.

* GiantMook: Ethan finds himself face-to-face with one after opening the prison cell. Fortunately after staring Ethan down for a few seconds, he wanders off to join the more interesting fight with the guards.

* InstantSedation: In a flashback, the opening mission is shown to have Hanaway poking the target on the back of the hand with a tiny needle hidden in a ring. The target starts feeling groggy nearly immediately, and is out in ten seconds. Given how the agent covers the target's eyes with a hat, it may have been a paralytic drug rather than a sedative one.

* LighterAndSofter: Though the stakes are [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt higher than ever]] and it still features roughly as much action and death as the rest of the series, the fourth film has a lot more comedy and the villain is genuinely a WellIntentionedExtremist (albeit one plotting nuclear war) rather than a ruthless, untrustworthy bastard out for himself. Also, while the first four films all have themes of paranoia and treason, [[spoiler:in this movie only, it turns out to be nothing.]] The violence, at least compared to the rest of the franchise (especially the previous two) leans more towards BloodlessCarnage, bar one or two exceptions. While none of the films are really "gritty", this one has the least grit of all. Also, less swearing.

* MasqueradingAsTheUnseen: Ethan and crew pretend to be arms dealers in order to stop the TerroristsWithoutACause. When the LatexPerfection machine malfunctions, the group is forced to do an IndyPloy and go in unmasked, hoping that whatever contact the terrorist and the dealer have done didn't involved meeting face-to-face. It goes okay, [[SpannerInTheWorks until the terrorist brings out an assassin that gets overtly suspicious at the wrong time]].

* MutuallyAssuredDestruction: [[spoiler:Cobalt's plan for a nuclear holocaust only requires him to launch one nuke because, as he explains, it'll be enough to "start the ball rolling".]]

** At the end of the movie Ethan gets a new mission involving a new organization called "The Syndicate". In later seasons of the television series, the IMF became less involved with UsefulNotes/ColdWar missions in Eastern Bloc nations to those stateside against organized crime and a Mafia-like organization called "The Syndicate".

* NearVillainVictory: Closer than any other installment up to this point: [[spoiler:Hendricks has already launched the warhead before Ethan even gets to his location. Ethan's team splits up with Ethan going after Hendricks and the case and Benji, Brandt, and Jane having to reestablish an uplink to the satellite. However Hendricks has Wistrom disable the relay, forcing the team to reassemble it to reconnect to the satellite, and then also cuts the power to the entire server room. Meanwhile Ethan and Hendricks end up in a violent brawl at a car park for control of the nuclear briefcase and Hendricks even willingly jumps to his death in an attempt to keep it out of Ethan's hands. Ethan manages to fudge a solution by jumping into a nearby car and driving off the edge to reach the bottom of the car park. However with the rest of the team still dealing with Wistrom back at the server room, even when Ethan gains possession of the briefcase he can't shut down the missile without the satellite uplink. Only when Benji dispatches Wistrom, allowing Brandt to repower the server room and Jane can finish reassembling the relay, with mere seconds to spare can Ethan successfully neutralize the warhead, which comes so close to San Francisco that it pings the edge of the Transamerica Pyramid before falling into San Francisco Bay]].
* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:Brandt explains that Ethan's wife was kidnapped and that the body was found three days later or rather "what was left of it". Ethan's wife is actually alive and well.]]

* OminousLatinChanting: The rather punny and particularly memorable Ominous Russian Chanting piece entitled "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXSo1JhWE68 Kremlin with Anticipation]]".

** When Ethan busts out of the Russian prison, one of the guards says "yob t'voyu mat", which, literally translated, means "f*cked your mother" but is here used as a sort of generic "f*ck it" expression. A subversion -- it is actually illegal (though practically never enforced) to say in Russia, but is included in the film, while the subtitles render it as [[SymbolSwearing "%@#!"]]

* RevengeBeforeReason: [[spoiler:Jane]] is accused of this when she kills a "valuable asset", who earlier [[spoiler:had shot and killed Hanaway]].

* RussianReversal: The title of one of the songs on the OST: "In Russia, Phone Dials You".

* SoundtrackDissonance: {{Invoked|Trope}} by Benji during the opening. Ethan is escaping a Russian prison filled with aggressive prisoners engaged in full-on riot mode. Benji's choice of music to play through the prison PA system during this festival of fists, feet and general anarchy? The Music/DeanMartin jazz song, "Ain't That a Kick in the Head".

'''Benji:''' [[SarcasmMode Ha, ha.]] [[DontExplainTheJoke It's funny, 'cause you said "anus".]]

* WorldOfPun: Not the film itself, but its soundtrack, which has titles like "From Russia with Shove" and "Moreau Trouble Than She's Worth". Par for the course for Michael Giacchino.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Ethan is apparently a master of this, as he demonstrates a remarkable ability to set-up long term plans that pay off. Or maybe he's working off his "[[IndyPloy hunches]]". His ability to improvise probably helps explain why the Secretary of Defense considers him his best man. This turns into a pure IndyPloy once the the missile gets launched and everyone is racing against the clock.

''Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' (2011) is the fourth entry in the ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries Mission: Impossible]]'' film series, starring Creator/TomCruise as Ethan Hunt.

* OddlySmallOrganization: Hendricks[=/=]Cobalt has an organization that seemingly consists solely of himself and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] ([[spoiler:and as it turns out, half the time TheDragon is simply Hendricks himself wearing a latex mask]]). He also hires an assassin and her men for one job, and kidnaps a scientist whose family he's holding hostage for another. Even counting the extended group, that's less than half a dozen people. Which makes sense, because it can be hard to find professional employees when your organization's stated goal is literally ''[[WorldWarThree to destroy most of the world]]''.

* TerroristsWithoutACause: Hendricks ''has'' a cause ([[WellIntentionedExtremist to force a total nuclear disarmament and get people closer to total peace on Earth]]), however his plan includes triggering WorldWarThree between [[MakeTheBearAngryAgain Russia]] and America and hope that whatever is still alive after the nuclear exchange sees what happened as something so horrific that they will try and prevent it from happening again (he explicitly mentions on a recorded speech that the IMF team sees the example of the [[UsefulNotes/AtomicBombingsOfHiroshimaAndNagasaki cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]] becoming big anti-nuclear monuments after their reconstruction). The BigBad is explicitly mentioned to [[ShellShockedVeteran have been driven insane to some degree after many years working as as a big-shot game theorist]] and [[spoiler:his OddlySmallOrganization is only him and a very loyal minion (and half of the time he's ''impersonating the minion'' using LatexPerfection) [[SanityHasAdvantages because understandably not many people would band behind a plan that would annihilate much of the world]].]]