The first official trailer for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol has been released for your viewing pleasure. The sneak peek opens with some very ominous words from Tom Wilkinson, whose character name we have yet to learn, as he explains to Tom Cruise the high stakes of his new mission.
"An hour ago, a bomb blew up the Kremlin," the voiceover informs, as footage of the historic fortified complex being blown to smithereens appears on-screen. "The president has initiated Ghost Protocol, the entire IMF has been disavowed," he explains of Ethan Hunt's (Cruise) spy organization. The stakes appear much, much higher than what is presented in the first seconds of the tease.
What happens next is a whirlwind of international action and intrigue, including a climactic stunt by the Scientology stan on the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. No CGI is necessary for Mr. Cruise, who continues the trend of raising the bar with every mission he chooses to accept. Snippets of car chases, underwater escapes, machine-gun fire, and hand-to-hand combat (slickly cut to the beats of Eminem's "Won't Back Down," no less) show that the fourth M:I flick is about to kick some serious ass.
Produced by J.J. Abrams, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (reportedly Cruise's last hoorah with the franchise) finds Pixar veteran Brad Bird (making his live-action directorial debut) leading a cast which also includes Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Josh Holloway, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton. Are you now as excited for December 16th to arrive as we are?.
