'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol' Full of Thrills and Action

Film critic Roger Ebert calls MI4 "a terrific thriller with action sequences that function as a kind of action poetry." Ebert lavished particular praise on a sequence that had Cruise 100 stories up on the glass windows of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building.

Cruise reportedly performed his own stunts for the movie -- a claim Ebert calls into doubt:

"The character Ethan Hunt is seen like a human fly clinging to glass, thousands of feet in the air, and you’re telling me we aren’t looking at computer-generated imagery? If that’s really Tom Cruise, he seems like a suitable case for treatment."

HitFix's Drew McWeeny calls MI4 "the most consistently entertaining, most laser-focused entry in the series so far."

Here's what other critics had to say about this holiday blockbuster:

• "But with "M:I-GP," Tom fully reminds us of why he became such a huge star. He's funny, charismatic and utterly believable as a badass. Not bad for a guy who reaches about 5-foot-6 in his elevator shoes." - Staff reports, Brighton Pittford Post
• "... if you're a fan of action movies who succumbs to post-December 25 domestic stir craziness, Ghost Protocol offers some good reasons for staging a breakout." - Harry Guerin, RTE Ten
• "Should you see Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol? By all means, and in the big, big, biggest theater you can find. Don’t watch it on TV, and for God’s sake, don’t download it to your phone. I recommend the LG IMAX Theater in Sydney, Australia, which is eight stories high, but your local multiplex will do. Be prepared, afterward, to feel as if the outside world is just a little bit too small." - Dan Kois, Slate