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- Studio: Paramount Pictures
- Release Date: Dec 16, 2011
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 609 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 552 out of 609
Mixed: 34 out of 609
Negative: 23 out of 609
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Dec 16, 2011The action scenes are the one element that makes this mission great. Not only are they creative, but director Brad Bird handles them like an action master. Personally, I haven't seen action this good since "Casino Royale." Unlike a lot of other recent action films, there's no shaky cam, and the action almost always stays focused on one particular element. In other words, it rarely gets out of hand and overwhelming (unlike the last two "Transformers" movies for instance). Take note, this is how action should always be done. It's sad that action this great is now a novelty, but as an action fan, I'll sure as heck take this as a gift. Besides the cinematography, I also thought the makers did a clever job of giving Hunt opportunities to escape his "impossible" situations. It was like the creators adapted Matthew Vaughn's philosophy when he made "Kick-Ass". The philosophy was this: If there's at most a 1 out of 1000 chance that a character can accomplish the stunts given to them, it's included it in the movie. Is it likely Hunt could have done the things he did? No. Is it possible? Maybe. Adapting this philosophy prevents us from laughing at the action, and it allows us, instead, to just go along for the ride. My only quibble with this film is its running time. With its fairly simple storyline and stock characters, 133 minutes is pushing it just a bit. Luckily, the cast keeps things fresh with Simon Pegg giving an incredibly sharp performance as the techie-nerd comic relief. Tom Cruise also shows us that at 49 he can kick some major ass. This is a must-see for just about any action fan, and it has to be seen in theaters. The visuals are too incredible for you to get the same effect on a television.… Expand
Dec 23, 2011The positive reviews for this film, by both the public and the critics, have made me wonder if I am living in an alternate universe. Perhaps people who go to Mission Impossible films are self selecting, and don't want anything different. But what about the critics? At any rate, I went with my two sons who are in their twenties and after the film ended we paused and then universally acclaimed that the film was absolutely pathetic. Wooden comic book writing, absurd situations (one must suspend disbelief, i know, but the Tom Cruise character cannot run down or later win a fight with a 60 year old physicist? Really?) and just overall the type of film I might have liked when I was 10 (or not). Trust me - go see Dragon Tatoo if you want to be entertained. Or stay home.… Expand
Dec 21, 2011Marvel at Tom Cruise's ability to fill endless scenes with running (but never catching). Gasp in awe at the way he can fall thirty feet onto his face and not even bruise. Squeal with delight as 30 minutes of plot magically becomes two hours. This was an Apple commercial with James Bond dreams...but I suppose that means it was exactly the same as the rest of the series.
Dec 16, 2011I think Ghost Protocol is the best Mission Impossible of the lot. It grips you from beginning to end with high octane fuel filled action. The acting was great and is really quite funny at times especially with 'Sean of the Dead' Star Simon Pegg. The Scenes on the side of the tallest building in the world are breath taking and keep you on the edge of your seat. Put your reservations of Tom Cruise aside, he did really well in this action packed movie. The only flaw I noticed was, where were the people as Ethan Hunt scaled the side of the glass walled building, surely someone would have noticed? This is one movie in a series that has got better as they progress and not worse.… Expand
Dec 16, 2011Simply high octane action in the movie. This is the best action movie of 2011. Brad bird and Tom cruise rocks!! So go and watch this one because you can't afford to miss such a great action thriller flick of the mission impossible franchise.
Dec 30, 2011One of the best action movies of the past few years. Very slickly directed & edited it all works really well together. Easy to follow plot which is still a little mysterious & unsettling. Solid acting from all concerned. Tom Cruise gives his best Ethan Hunt since MI1. Paula Patton is both tough & attractive/sexy. Simon Pegg is slightly annoying but also endearing. Jeremy Renner is both mysterious & yet vague. Lea Seydoux is sexy but lethal in the best spy thriller fashion.
Brad Bird does an excellent job directing here its so well made & effortlessly edited together. ILM do a stunning job on the VFX work it has around 700 shots & most of those are invisible fake backgrounds,/buildings but look very convincing.
MI4 just really works as an action adventure/spy thriller & travels to at least 4 exotic locations. The way it all comes together is a tribute to the actors/filmmakers that in 2011 they can all make a coherent shaky cam free cinematic experience which can be followed & enjoyed by movie fans of all ages yet still manage to suck you into the story. Its more like a Pierce Brosnan bond movie at times than a Mission Impossible movie but those exotic elements help to tell the story & stop it from boring you as for the first 75% of the running time the action is wall to wall & the plot twists constant so you never get a chance to relax until the slower paced ending which even then has a few twists & some more excitement to deliver.
Highly recommened for anyone who is a Tom Cruise fan or just wants a great time at the movies.… Expand
Jan 18, 2012to be honest it was NOT that good, i found it rather dull and i dont know... boring?!
okay let me sum it up for all you guys:
its simply an uneventful over rated movie...take my advice and dont watch it XS
Feb 2, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I realize that this is first and foremost an action picture, but some of this action was just too over the top. And no human being could take the physical stress and beating that Tom Cruise supposedly did and get up to take more. It made me wince -- not in sympathy but in total disbelief.
Also, that plot twist at the end.was so ludicrous I wanted my money back from this movie and the previous one.
The only reason I didn't give the movie a worse rating was that the co-stars did a good job of acting. Tom was his usual wooden self -- although he looks like he is shrinking.… Expand
Jan 13, 2012If you like special effects then you probably would enjoy the movie. Beyond that it was a bust. There is not much of a story. It really doesn't hold your attention. We did see the IMAX version and that was the only thing we really enjoyed - as the sound was far better than in a regular theater.
Dec 17, 2011Being a James Bond fan, I've actually not put much effort into seeing the many flavors America has produced in a similar genre. I remember seeing the first Mission Impossible, and liking it. I saw the first Bourne movie, and liked it. They've just never struck me with the same interest that 007 has. Honestly, had my son not wanted to see this for his birthday, I probably would not have wanted to pursue seeing it either, but I'm glad I did. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol keeps the viewer on edge pretty much the entire time, similar to Bond. While there are simplistic points to elements of the story, I'm glad they didn't try to go too deep into complexity as the length of Ghost Protocol was almost enough to make me lose interest. However, the cast is incredible. I'm a huge Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner fan (although with Renner taking over the Bourne series and Hawkeye in The Avengers, it seemed odd that he accepted this one). Tom Cruise is aging very well and is well-received (obviously) in this role. What makes Ghost Protocol the most interesting though is its key scene in Dubai. From the eye-opening, jaw-dropping IMAX city scenes, especially those scaling the Burj Khalifa, to the unique sandstorm car chase, this 30 minute scene made the movie, for me. One can only expect so much from a story in a movie like Ghost Protocol, but when the supplement is a fantastic cast and superb film-making (without being overly effects-oriented), one can't help but enjoy the ride.… Expand
Dec 16, 2011Oh! my god this is a great action flick far more best than fast five. Its a superb thriller and most wonderful mission impossible movie in the franchise. i was damn sure that director Brad bird will again give a big hit like his previous films and he has done it. Tom cruise is again back in great action. The full movie was full of fun so finally we get the best action movie of 2011. All the characters such as Simon pegg, Jeremie renner, were too good and last but not the least the Indian cool hero Anil kapoor had a quite fantastic character so overall the is a big blockbuster hit. So go and watch it in IMAX. The most breathtaking seen was the Burj khalifa (Dubai) when Tom cruise was climbing the tallest skyscrapper. Go and enjoy yourself don't miss it!!… Expand
Dec 17, 2011This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible. Really poor attempts at humour mixed with the disappointment that the series has become. A few flashy explosions, competent direction and cinematography, but overall a slightly dull film. A poorly written script that eschews actual storytelling, and just tries to cram action scenes together.
Tom Cruise is at his most uncharismatic, Simon Pegg's role is superfluous, and the rest of the actors just go through the paces.
The story is almost non-existent. There is no justifiable reason for the antagonist wanting to start World War 3, other than a pissweak flashback scene than makes no sense. The scenes and pacing feel rushed. The team seems to be trying to outdo themselves by coming up with the weakest plan possible.
It is a thoroughly un-gripping film. I knew it was going to suck, but I was surprised at just how much it actually does suck.
The humour is really weak. There are a couple of funny scenes, but they're quite amateurish, and feel out of place for the most part.
It just goes to show that people are starting to enjoy trash movies rather than demanding more for the (rising) cost of their movie ticket.… Expand
Dec 16, 2011Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is one of the best action movies around. Action-packed and hilarious most of the time! Yes! You would laugh all the way till the end of the movie. At some points of the movie, it is definitely MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Highly recommended.
Note: Trailer contains spoiler.
Dec 22, 2011I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Saw it at an IMAX so made it so much better! Enough story along with the action to keep it interesting the whole way through.
Dec 19, 2011Fun ride. I watched it in IMAX and was pleased with the experience. Good set pieces, good effects, good acting. It felt like Mission Impossible, granted there were some corny moments, but the movie even pokes fun at itself for one.
Dec 28, 2011Disappointing. After reading the critic reviews for this film I expected something much more coherent from a action-spy-movie point of view. This film is totally predictable, the acting is dull, the plot seems taken from Goldeneye or another crazy-terrorist-going-after-nuclear-disaster movie from the 1980s. I don't give this film a negative score only because of great scenes at Burj Khalifa.
Dec 22, 2011The fourth installment of Mission: Impossible was very good as I've been expected even better. They have very good actors in the role. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt and what can I say? It's Tom Cruise and he got limits to be as a hardcore spy and he can do anything to be more extreme awesome. Simon Pegg was the only one playing as a technician and he can play as a serious role and he has good funny moments once for a while. Paula Patton did beautifully good and Jeremy Renner did good too. The action scenes are great and I admire for the new director that he has good talents for making this fourth movie. Brad Bird did very well for the direction since he did in his animated films like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, but to be fair he did his first time in the live action movie and I wish he can do more for the sequels or new way. The scenes are spectacular! I really like when Cruise climbs on the famous tower and Cruise can kick more stuff that he did even more. But after all, this movie was action pack at its best and its more better than the two mission impossible films including the third one was pretty good and I like it. So see this clever movie and Cruise is back for his entire career!… Expand
Dec 19, 2011This movie was one of the best movies I've seen in 2011. It had a lot of action, politics and interesting use of gadgets. This movie was well worth the time and experience. I'm not a fan of Tom Cruise but he should take more roles with a Russian costume - it fits perfectly.
Dec 23, 2011I'm pretty critical about suspending disbelief but it all depends on my expectations going in. Heck impossible is part of the title. I enjoyed it for it's "impossible-ness" so I was swept up by it and just took the ride. I appreciated the attempt to show "murphy" and his law is still in effect even in the physics defying super human spy world. The attempts at humour were pretty flat, and as much as I like Simon Pegg he really was too out of place for this type of flick. Spend your cash and enjoy it.… Expand
Dec 22, 2011Release all sense of logic, just sit back and enjoy all the over the top action sequences. There isn't a dull moment in this edge-of-your-seat thriller. All the high tech gadgets are fun and probably the closest nod to the original TV show. The best was the screen of illusion in a hallway in the Kremlin, which is also the quietest scene in the movie. Never a dull moment in this well made thriller. Creative and fun and the cast seems to be having a good time as there is good chemistry in this gang of four. You can talk with your friends afterwards for a good half hour at all the preposterous illogical sequences and that's part of the fun. It's not meant to be believable, it's meant to be a good time at the theater.… Expand
Dec 24, 2011If you have seen any of the first three, then you have seen this instalment already. Tom is redoing the same film again and again. Someone please make him stop!
Dec 22, 2011JollyG87 pretty much summed it up for me. Great action sequences. Very clever and nicely filmed. Hats off to Brad Bird, the director. Tom Cruise did great kicking butt. LIke the supporting cast too.
Dec 24, 2011Brad Bird takes a new level. Much pumping-action scene, good storyline. It works for big-budget popcorn entertainment. Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol is the best on franchise to date.
Dec 20, 2011The best action movie of the year, and easily one of the best of all time. Brad Bird's first live action movie is exciting set-piece after set-piece and the kinetic energy never lets up. Tom Cruise is as good as ever and Simon Pegg brings a pitch perfect comedic presence. Jeremy Renner is also fantastic. The action scenes alone are worth the price of a ticket, but nearly every other element works from performances to writing to music. The only thing this movie is missing is a really awesome villain. Otherwise, there is little to detract from an unbelievably exciting movie.… Expand
Dec 21, 2011An incredible action flick, on par with Casino Royale- which is just about as good as they get. There isn't a dull moment in the entire movie, no mean feat considering its lengthy running time. Cruise, Pegg, Renner, and Patton all turn in thrilling performances, laced with just enough comedic relief from Pegg to keep things fresh. The stunning set pieces- which I won't spoil for you- hit you one by one, and none disappoint. The much talked about Dubai tower scaling scene (not a spoiler, it's in the trailer) is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in cinema, and will have your heart palpitating the second Cruise steps out into nothingness. The only critique I can offer up is Ethan Hunt's apparent invulnerability to injury; there are several time in this film where the man's head flat out collides with walls, metal bars, and windshields without yielding a single bruise or drop of blood. But hey- I can't complain. It is called Mission IMPOSSIBLE, after all.… Expand
Dec 20, 2011Didn't regret seeing this movie. I've got my complaints, of course. Mysterious analyst Brandt's (Jeremy Renner) dramatic side-story is never fully realized, the plot feels half-baked at times, and Paula Patton's acting is lackluster. Also, one can't help but wonder how an aging physicist can keep up with a young special agent physically. Still though, this being an action movie, it fails or succeeds based on the merit of said action sequences and they deliver in spades. From a chase scene in the middle of a sandstorm to a fight in an automotive production facility, the viewer gets the sense that the filmmakers made a serious effort to innovate. Rather than seeking to impress the viewer based on the quantity of explosions on the screen at any given moment (like this year's godawful Transformers movie), they instead do so by building tension and maintaining a bizzarre sense of plausibility. There are other good things about this movie, like the colorful locales and effective comic relief, but those elements live to serve the effective action sequences. If you'd like to shut your brain off for an hour and a half and enjoy some of the best original action sequences produced in years, then this film would be a solid investment. If you take yourself too seriously, maybe watch something else.… Expand
Dec 22, 2011A good movie with great stunts. In fact, I watched the movie twice in 4 days in 2 of the 4 cities it was shot in (Dubai and Mumbai) :)
As with every other Mission Impossible movie, the action is great! I like the fact that the action videography was good. The scenes with the Burj Khalifa and the Kremlin are great. Loved the movie!
Dec 22, 2011The best thing about this Mission: Impossible film is that this one has pretty much everything in it. As I was getting my ticket at the box office at the theatre, the attendant told me that this film had better gadgets than the James Bond films. Not only was that true, but the storyline and the action in the film was great. I loved also that there was a scenario of the risk of a nuclear conflict between the U.S. and Russia. What would happen if someone had access to the launch codes of nuclear weapons for the U.S. or Russia? Won't give too much away, but it all starts off with the bombing of the Kremlin. The IMF(Impossible Missions Force), has been shut down and the President has invoked Ghost Protocol. Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton team up with Tom Cruise on what is possibly the best Mission: Impossible movie yet. For those of you out there who think any James Bond movie holds the market on spy films, you might want to rethink that, because after seeing this one, no matter what James Bond film comes out, this one is truly a classic. I am even thinking of going to see it again, maybe next time going to see it on IMAX. Ving Rhames, Tom Wilkinson and Josh Holloway have small roles in this as well. This one will make you want to go see it again. Those who do not think this was a good film, really need to check for a pulse. This one is probably the best action film I have seen in recent years.… Expand
Dec 24, 2011The plot is lack-luster, though with a couple nice twists that lend it some creativity, but the action is some of the greatest action of any movie. The action sequences are completely unrealistic, yet so well-done, thrilling, and, to be honest, totally awesome that the plot doesn't need to be good. From the very first scene, Brad Bird grips you tight and doesn't let go until the credits start to roll. Just as James Cameron's Avatar was the new standard for top-notch special effects, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol is the new standard for top-notch action. It was well worth the 12 dollars to see it and watching it was a truly enjoyable thrill ride.… Expand
Jan 7, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "I think Ghost Protocol is the best Mission Impossible of the lot." That quote there proves it: It's a film for Mission Impossible fans. That doesn't mean its a good film. The whole move was pretty absurd, and took itself way too seriously. The one man army ruled the day, and of course we just had to have a cat fight thrown in there somehow. Do they know we aren't in the Cold-War anymore? All the cliches are there: ritzy party scene with sexual seduction, the playboy, car chases, Russian antagonist (at the start at least), urban black man doing the fist bump (this scene proves just how "cool" Ethan Hunt is) and absurd gadgets. It seems James Bond learned to grow up with "Casino Royale" and "Solace". One of the trailers before the film was for a new "GI JOE," the target audience must have been teenage boys then.… Expand
Dec 22, 2011OMG! This is a great movie! I thought I liked the other MI's but this takes the cake! I am so happy he made it. Is there anyone like Tom Cruise? No! There is not. The tower hotel in Dubai scene took my breath away more than once. Love it!
Dec 28, 2011Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a good movie, nothing that will make you amazed. The story is ok, i am sure that we all have already seen better mission impossible movies, but this one will not disappoint you. Action is a continuous thing, Tom Cruise keeps on doing a great job and make things that certainly will make you lose your breath. Humor is also present in the movie, jokes will appear a lot and in most of them, you will probably, at least, smile. Good film, I recommend you all to watch.… Expand
Feb 12, 2012The only thing true about this movie is the word "Impossible" in it's title.
Dec 27, 2011A good action movie of 2011 that contain more dangerous stunts and cutscenes. Although similar to The Incredibles from the same director, the action in MI4 is almost really look like it, but the plotting is a little bit confusing.
Dec 29, 2011A very entertaining film, and great storyline. Good surprises, sounds are awesome (like hitting impacts etc.) and so is everything else in the film. I highly recommend everyone sees this
Dec 21, 2011This movie has a solid first hour then vaporizes before you. I can't believe that a decade after Austin Powers, nuclear launch threats is still a viable plot cornerstone. And for every cool gadgety espionage scene in the first hour we get a kick gun out of hand-fist fight-chase-repeat in the second hour.
Dec 26, 2011There is nothing new or great about this film. The plot was paper thin and one layered. There was no element of human drama except the secret that Renner was keeping but that was immaterial to the story as far as I was concerned. Tom did his usual widow acrobat act of which I am getting really tired of. This movie seemed to be on a shoe string budget. The nuclear warhead bouncing off the building was the height of amateur hour. The serieres either need to be retooled or retired.… Expand
Dec 28, 2011This one has everything that we expect from the series: taut action, cool gadgets, exotic locales and elaborate operations. Tom Cruise and his trimmed-down team has to run outside the system to stop a nuclear terrorist, but not before some tense and exciting sequences (especially the amazing climb outside the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). Simon Pegg adds just the right dash of humor, but it's director Brad Bird's ability to keep the accelerator to the floor that makes this film well-paced, non-stop fun.… Expand
May 10, 2012Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is an above average 007 ripoff, albeit one from the Pierce Brosnin era. As such, Ghost Protocol has a bunch of fun action scenes but not much in the way of depth. Probably goes well with a nice bag of popcorn and a cold soda.
Jan 2, 2012I will make this short and sweet. Enough action for 2 or more films here! Paula Patton is gorgeous to look at and holds her own well with nearly an all-male cast. The other scenery is very worthy too! Tom Cruise acquits himself well as do his acting supports. Well directed! In short, highly recommended!
May 8, 2012Ghost Protocol delivers the goods for the Mission Impossible series. MI3 didn't get the credit it was worthy off but MI4 certainly seems to have reignited interest in the franchise. The film is outrageous fun with some incredibly surreal yet exquisite action sequences that are easily on par with Casino Royale, yes that good. The plot up's the ante in terms of the 'impossibility' factor. Ethan Hunt is assigned to lead fellow agents Benji (The awesome Simon Pegg) and Jane Carter (Paula Patton) to infiltrate the Kremlin in Moscow to locate files identifying 'Cobalt' (Michael Nyqvist) who is a Russian consultant aiming to detonate a Nuclear bomb. However, during the mission someone broadcasts across Hunt and co's frequency alerting the Russian's of Ethan and his team which leads to a frantic escape and a bomb detonating in the Kremlin leaving the IMF seemingly responsible for the attack. As a result the Russians believe the act to be an undeclared one of war resulting in the US government initiating Ghost Protocol. Jeremy Renner comes aboard as William Brandt and assists the IMF as they try to stop 'Cobalt' from starting a nuclear war. Straightforward stuff right? Certainly compared to MI3! But the plot is secondary yet it works because the action sequences are handled expertly by Brad Bird. From Ethan climbing Burj Khalifa - the highest building in the world to a car chase amidst a sandstorm they really have gone all out! The new characters introduced are relatively appealing however, personally, Simon Pegg once more is in fantastic form as Benji and really merits all the accolades and plaudits he has been credited with as he is awesome! Paula Patton was a good inclusion as the sexy yet deadly Jane Carter and Jeremy Renner was a decent alternative at times from Cruise although i don't think he is quite ready, if he ever will be, to take the reigns from our Tom just yet. The length of the film is perfectly appropriate aswell it's not as long as MI3 but is timed greatly thus time round. Ghost Protocol is a fine installment in the Mission Impossible franchise. It's an adrenaline filled funfest as a spectacle that delivers some of the the best action in recent memory and definetly takes the franchise to new heights, Brad Bird has handled everything superbly well and one suspects Tom Cruise might be back sooner than we anticpated for a fifth outing!… Expand
Dec 16, 2011The fourth chapter in the phenomenally popular Mission Impossible series has arrived in theaters and jump starts the franchise with a dynamic ensemble cast and a bold mix of action and adventure with a touch of comedy thrown in. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol opens with a daring escape from a Russian prison followed shortly thereafter by an infiltration of the Kremlin and subsequent explosion on the famed Russian landmark. Tom Cruise returns as agent Ethan Hunt and is joined by Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton. Shortly after the explosion at the Kremlin, tensions between the United States and Russia are at an all-time high. As a result, the president initiates Ghost Protocol, which effectively shuts down the Impossible Mission Force and eliminates many of their resources. As a result, Ethan and his team must take on an unsanctioned mission that will take them from Russia to Dubai to Mumbai in a race against time to not only clear the IMF from being blamed for the bombing, but to stop a deranged criminal from using stolen Russian launch codes to unleash a nuclear strike upon America. Ethan and his team bring all manner of weapons and technology to bear against the enemy and while the action sequences are intense and the best in the series to date, they donâ… Expand
Dec 21, 2011http://themuddoctor.blogspot.com/2011/12/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol.html
Mission Impossible â
Dec 29, 2011Awesome, awesome movie, the technology used in the movie was appreciated by most likely everyone in the theater. The story wasn't A++ but it was still a good and intricate one. I spotted a few goofs throughout the film but it didn't drag me down from the great action scenes and the beautiful Agent Jane, (Paula Patton). Overall this movie was a funny, awesome, and a good fan service for long time fans of the Mission Impossible series.… Expand
Jul 16, 2012It's only a matter of time before people change their minds, me being one of them. It's understandable that this film was good, but it just felt like a repeat. Mission Impossible is always about undertaking missions and solving them with technology. I've seen other films that have more soul than this. At least characters like Simon Pegg were there to provide comic relief otherwise I don't think I would have laughed at all in the cinema. Tom Cruise doesn't have to be the all-singing all dancing character taking part in things where he has to do something amazing every 5 minutes. And spy films - what, is this supposed to be, everything made of electronics and gadgets freaking everywhere? We cannot act like these types of films don't have souls, because they do. This one didn't pull it off.… Expand
Dec 20, 2011With the new Brad Bird film features a good story-line to revive the series, good acting and music. So you might say, "what could possibly go wrong with this Mission Impossible film?" Well they screwed one thing, and that's the Outdated CGI. The film's CGI wasn't to impressing considering the fact that it's in IMAX, actually it kinda looks recycled from James Cameron's "Sanctum" if you ask me. But hey, it's just the graphics the whole film is still great, it's worth your time and money. For those who haven't seen it yet go see it in 2D, the 3D version isn't worth it, Trust me.… Expand
Dec 29, 2011To the low-scorers...lighten up. This movie isn't meant to win an Oscar; it's meant to captivate an audience with great action scenes and this movie succeeded handily. I had a blast watching this movie --and I guarantee you will too.
Dec 29, 2011My favorite of the series, definitely much, much better than 2 or 3. Nice to have the strong supporting cast of Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton along for the ride. Brad Bird is hugely successful with his first live action movie, the action is engrossing, the plot is tense (if somewhat predictable and overused, but really how many different things can spies save the world from?) and the humor is well distributed throughout.… Expand
Dec 27, 2011Ghost Protocol's rapid pacing keeps it from hardly getting dull. the movie is well made, with some truly jew-dropping action seances like the tower climb. Yes, it's not the finest movie ever, but it's just so much fun to watch. it's charmingly simple but at the same time amazingly entertaining. there is a cool balance between story, action and comedy that keeps it from being boring . Ghost Protocol is simply a blast… Expand
Dec 18, 2011I liked Mission Impossible: GP, but it isn't really a good film. Tom Cruise works very hard to make this film energetic, exciting and take the audience to exciting places - Budapest, Moscow, Bombay and Dubai. He even hired Pixar and Animation hero Brad Bird, who mounts a good looking movie that leans in segments closer to Brian DePalma's 1996 blockbuster, which works really well. The IMAX action sequences and Tom Cruise's physicality and willingness to do whatever it takes to regain AAA status in Hollywood delivers an earnest entertainment. It doesn't have an overly suspenseful climax, but the JJ Abrams emotional ending got me, and put some needed depth into the latest Ethan Hunt outing.… Expand
Dec 17, 2011Best Christmas present this year! The bar is set high for this year's hoilday films with this action packed adventure. Tom Cruise and the supporting cast were excellent. Dont miss this!
Dec 18, 2011I think the pace of the movie was well done. The action from beginning to end made it enjoyable, it was a bit of a rollercoaster on the "intensity" of the action. The scenery, the fight scenes, the nature/technological obstacles just make the movie come together. You get a nice 'throwback' to some events from Mi3 which was a nice touch, and they even leave it open for a 5th installment, which if it was the same team as this I would definitely go see! To those that haven't seen it, there were NO extra scenes at the end.… Expand
Dec 25, 2011They took the 'impossible' to heart this time. The stunts were completely over the top. The first half of the movie was watchable, but it got insanely idiotic. Some of the scenes were just so inconceivable they were insulting. You should really be ashamed to call this a good movie.
Dec 27, 2011Ghost Protocol breaks the physics laws and becomes really IMPOSSIBLE. But the action makes the movie something more than expensive and that makes the difference. This movie doesn't need a history between all of it, the ACTION do everything, even with a lot of lies in the physics laws.
Dec 28, 2011I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I've never seen any of the others (>.< I know, I know...), and while this film didn't have much of the character development and deep thinking questions that I normally demand from movies, the fact that this movie was very well-crafted definitely made up for it. It was humorous, had some sweet action sequences, some cool tension (based off the whole "we are so not prepared for anything we're doing right now but we don't have a choice sooooo... let's wing it!" thing), and... dude... there's this one car... sooooooooooo freaking sexy... XD but yeah, while you won't leave contemplating the meaning of life or a man's moral descent as he gets more and more involved in selling blue meth (… Expand
Dec 28, 2011Detailed enough storyline to keep you interested with the great action to make you jump in your seat. The characters had good depth and characteristics- especially with their creativity and perserverance to survive and "beat the baddies".
Dec 29, 2011Best action movie of the year! An easy 9 of 10. Go see it at the IMAX, it's worth it! Very nicely done, every single part of the movie stays on track and really comes together at the end. I loved the simultaneous action sequences in this movie. Perfectly done. MI: Ghost Protocol is not a cheesy one-liner action movie full of wisecracks. I also loved that they don't shake up the camera to "create action" like less talented directors have resorted to in a couple of action movies lately. (That's just annoying.) Cruise and company are rockin' in this one. This is an excellent sequel and it has just enough of the taste from the previous MI movie that keeps things tied together, just like you want in a good sequel, imho. Too many likes that would be spoilers for me to explain, so go see it! My wife really enjoyed it and she very rarely likes action movies.… Expand
Dec 31, 2011I went to this movie only because it was my partners turn to pick on our movie night. It seemed to me that the whole movie was about Tom Cruise trying to be the coolest, cleverest, smartest, person in the world...I found it obnoxious. The leading lady was gorgeous but was such a poor actress. It's a silly "boy" movie suited for teens & maybe frustrated husbands needing an escape.
Jan 2, 2012Absolutly terrible. Unoriginal plot, the movie seemed like something i''ve seen hundreds of times before but i really havn't. Tom Cruise is a Wanna be James Bond, and some super cheesy humor killed any intensity there might have been in the scene. Special effects was the only thing going for this movie and if your going to the movies for that, then go on, but if your looking for a real story, some good acting, good dialogue or intense thriller id recommend you not going to waste your 13 dollars on this lame movie, im still beating myself up for wasting my money on it. It's a shame that this movie is getting a 7.8, what has happened to peoples taste in movies? I want everyone who gave this movie a positive review, to rewatch it and check out a real action movie like Die hard or an older James Bond, then tell me what you think.… Expand
Feb 8, 2012I finally saw this movie for this simple fact that critics and users alike had nothing but positive things to say. I should have gone with my gut, and passed on this movie. Mission Impossible is god-awful. I didn't expect anything from the story, and the fact that everything in the story was confusing and ridiculously stupid wasn't that big of a deal for me. I could handle that, but what I'm shocked at his how dull every action scene is in this movie. Great CGI or effects don't make up for the fact that none of these action scenes were so boring. There was little to no thrill in all of them. The closest I came to being thrilled was the scene where Tom Cruise scales the outside of the massive skyscraper (cliche anyway). I have never been more confused by the praise for a movie as I was for this piece of crap. I didn't care at all about any of the paper mache characters, or the plot, and the action was so overrated. For me, watching this movie was damn near impossible.… Expand
Feb 16, 2012it was so exciting that i could not take my eyes off it while watching. Action scenes made my heart pounding. i like it. Moreover,the end of the movie was also awesome. you should go to a theater right now! i hope you dont miss it.
May 5, 2012Having seen all four of the "Mission Impossible" movies, I see no rhyme or reason to the ratings of each, when compared to one another. Each has something different as well as much of the same. That's why we go to see them, certainly why I did. None of the sequels had the depth of the first, plot wise. The second had a musical theme revamped and all around great soundtrack (best), which the following two failed to reuse; the effect of the soundtrack was never so well tailored. The second also started a trend that was unmistakable in all three sequels, the acrophobes know it all too well; Cruise hanging from an overhanging escarpment in The Grand Canyon(just to relax-oh yeah) and jumping from a helicopter into the air shaft of a high rise (II), pendulum swinging from one high-rise to another in Shanghai (III), face climbing the world's tallest building with a sand storm coming towards the building (IV).
The fourth mission, the one which garnered the highest ratings (various sites) was as good as the ones before, but, in my opinion, lacked the depth of the original, plot wise, lacked the impact of the best soundtrack, but did capture all the thrill and the action the previous ones had; being mildly acrophobic, I found myself trying to catch my breath and closing my eyes for a few seconds, just long enough to muster the strength to resume watching the action.
I may not agree with the critics and other reviewers as to how well this sequel matches up with the others, but I can say with some certitude that if you liked any of the previous ones, you should like this one.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012No matter how well done they are, spy movies with neat gadgets have never been enough to entertain me. The film has wooden characters and lazy dialogue. I am not entertained, but perhaps you will be. This is the kind of film that will be perceived differently depending on what the viewer is looking for.
Dec 14, 2013With incredible action sequences and stellar acting all around, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol serves a landmark for action popcorn movies with wit, style and fun.
Nov 9, 2014With incredible action sequences and stellar acting all around, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol serves a landmark for action popcorn movies with wit, style and fun.
Jan 10, 2012wow. this is was definitly better than i thought it was going to be. i was so suprized. the efects were great and a must see on the big screen. Tom cruize really out did him self. My wife liked it and we have recomended the movie to our friends.
Dec 29, 2011Bottom line: The mission may not be engaging, but the presentation, the action scenes and some fine performances with a thrilling and breathtaking screenplay will surely attract the MI fans. For others, it is another well crafted 120 minutes entertaining movie. What it lacked? It slightly missed to make a plot setting it to be impossible. I give A
Dec 23, 2012A film that takes the audience from Budapest to Moscow to Dubai to India and maybe a few other international destinations in-between! There is some spectacular looking stunt work and some cracking effects; hats off to those guys! All the performances were very good with Tom Cruise playing Ethan Hunt with his usual aplomb. It was nice to see a little comic relief provided by the inclusion of Simon Pegg; the comedic two-and-fro between him and Jeremy Renner was particularly amusing. Maybe the plot might have been a little over-complicated, but over all I found it a pretty enjoyable watch.
SteelMonster… Expand
Apr 16, 2012There's more creativity and class with Ghost Protocol than previous MI films. What really impressed is the cast list for such an action-focused film. But what people really want to see is insanity, and I think it's easy to say that the scaling of a skyskraper in Dubai with an closing sand storm on the horizon qualifies as insanity. Ghost Protocol is totally fun and continues the sound foundation MI3 laid out, even if the superb Phillip Seymour Hoffman isn't the main bad guy this time around.… Expand
Jan 7, 2012MI4 was easily the best action movie of 2011 for me. This is the kind of movie where you can't imagine someone walking out of the theater unsatisfied. The MI group is enjoyable and all of them are great actors who each have their moments. Brad Bird proves he can direct live-action just as well as animation. The scene in Dubai is worth the price of admission alone.
Jan 7, 2012Tom Cruise does the MI franchise proud with this latest installment. Just when you think Hollywood can't outdo itself, along comes a movie like this that reminds you why you drive down to the local cineplex, fight the parking wars, stand in line for a ticket, pay ungodly sums of money at the concession stand and fume over the idiot in front of you that is texting during the entire movie. You do it because you love to be entertained and transported somewhere else for a couple of hours. MI:4 does this. If you are an action fan, this movie is right up your alley. If you're looking for a reasonably-well constructed plot, you're in for a treat. No, this movie will never be a classic, but it certainly rides like one. Go. Have a good time. Make sure your popcorn is piping hot while you're at it!… Expand
Apr 15, 2012I have that feeling that I've seen this movie a million times before. It's pure crap, and it's boring as hell. It's impossible for me to like this film. Just skip it.
May 13, 2012The best MI movie yet. and one of the best action spy movie. I do not like the MI movies but this one is a must see. I don't eben like action movies a lot but this one is a must see. They did a fabulous job with picking the cast. Good directing along with plot.
Dec 27, 2011This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The movie was set up so well to be great, however how many times can viewers be lead to believe that the current task at hand is SO critical to stopping the bad guy, failing and then having a back up which goes through the same process of being highly critical and must be accomplished or the world will end.
The plot is the only real thing dragging the movie down, the cast, the action, the gadgets was rather good as expected from a MI movie.… Expand
Dec 28, 2011Easily the best movie of the franchise so far. It's an easy to watch, predictable, but ridiculously fun and, really, who doesn't like a good spy flick. Some parts borderline on ridiculous, but it has a decent story line and breathtaking action sequences. This movie will satisfy both serious movie viewers and the weekend theater goers. Nothing amazing, but just plain good.
Jan 3, 2012A good if not great Mission: Impossible. I really wanted to see this as I have loved the director Brad Birds work in animation such as The Iron Giant and Ratatouille. While it is not as good as those movies and difficult to compare I still enjoyed it. Great action set pieces for sure and enough of a story to keep me entertained.
May 15, 2012Light the fuse! Ethan Hunt was the one who ignited the fuse. What I remember most from Ethan Hunt character is that he was the man who killed Jim Phelps! Yes, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1966-1973) was a successful intelligent TV show, Jim Phelps (originally played by Peter Graves) was the leader of thiz highly sophisticated covert team, his charismatic presence had already become a trademark for thiz franchise. Then suddenly, in 1996, Tom Cruise who coming from nowhere, bought thiz franchise and killed Jim Phelps and replaced it with himself as the invincible super whiz named Ethan hunt. At that time, I was very mad and I thought all the fans would do the same. But now, after three previous movies MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II (2000), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (2006), including thiz last one, they seem to gradually transform thiz franchise to be a pure action movie, even though still with ultra-cool high tech gadgets. Not just the attractive gadgets, but also high-octane adrenaline stunts, just like thiz time Tom Cruise attempts to climb the world tallest building ever made so far, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. I heard that most of the dangerous stunts were done by Cruise himself. Thiz time, Ethan Hunt forms a smaller team comprising sexy, seductive and extremely lethal Jane Carter (Paula Patton), humorous computer genius Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and the mysterious co-agent William Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Its mission is to retrieve the nuclear launch codes before it gets into the wrong hands of international terrorists. In the process, instead, they are accused of masterminding the Kremlin bombing. Now the IMF is disavowed and they are forced to invoke Ghost Protocol, which means they are all alone with the limited resources they have. The Director is Brad Bird who is most renowned as one of the fathers of Pixar animation studios. Thiz is his first live-action movie after successful animations like THE INCREDIBLES (2004) and RATATOUILLE (2007). By the way, in 2012, Brad Bird other colleague Andrew Stanton also will be directing another live-action movie entitled JOHN CARTER. Coincidence? Maybe. I have to admit that thiz movie has consistent paces since the first minute. I note that Tom Cruise repeats at least three specific actions that he has done in previous movies. The first is running from an explosion behind him, the second is climbing the iconic skyscrapers and the last one is taking cover when he is almost crushed by a car! Although it was a kind of repetition, but oh yeah we still enjoy so much.As time goes by, it seems to be MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE has transformed into pure action movie! The only thing left now is its famous instrumental theme song, or maybe the latex face mask, you must know what I mean. Other than that, thiz movie has always been Tom Cruise playground. Personally, I am just OK with that, as long as thiz franchise can maintain its winning formula which is non-stop explosive action scenes. That is all from me. Thiz review will self-destruct in five seconds. Goodluck, Ethan. Visit My Blog on JONNY MOVEE: http://jonnyfendi.blogspot.com… Expand
Jan 26, 2012Great action movie. Starts off with a lot of energy and never lets up. Can't complain about any of the performances; everybody fits in very nicely. Simon Pegg provides excellent comic relief, while Tom Cruise continues to play the role of Ethan Hunt well. The story is pretty thin. It's all about the action, but it flows very well. I was entertained from start to finish.
Dec 29, 2011It is rare in the Mission: Impossible franchise for Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to be assigned an agency tasked mission and enjoy support both from his home office and regular team members who he has worked with in the past. In fact, this has only happened once, in Mission: Impossible II. In the other three films, including the latest, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Ethan and/or the entire IMF are accused of disloyalty, treason, and rogue operations while try attempt to thwart global villains. Taking down the bad guy is always much harder while being pursued by your own government. In the first and third films, Ethan was personally labeled a traitor, now, the entire IMF organization are disavowed because both the American and Russian governments are going to blame them for blowing up the Kremlin. How is that for having the backing of your boss?
The man responsible for blowing up the Kremlin and framing the IMF is also the franchise… Expand
Jun 4, 2012Good enough to watch once, maybe twice. Acting wasn't that great, except for Cruise. Good movie. Enough action and kept going well throughout. Blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah
Jan 14, 2012Good fun, great action... Hey, it's Mission Impossible, not the Joy Luck Club. Think it's too shallow? Check out Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon or Battle Los Angeles and get back to me.
Jan 20, 2012Like all of the Mission Impossible, this is a wild thrill ride with humour that very much entertains. That being said, the film doesn't seem as tight as the others and one is left feeling that they're being taken from one choreographed action spectacle to the next without much care for the story. As well, the opening credits, for some god-forsaken reason show every scene in the movie in quick succession. All in all, it's an entertaining film, Tom Cruise gives it his all and its worth the price of admission for the Dubai Tower scene alone. But it's not as great as it could have been. Still better than the third.… Expand
Feb 7, 2012Nice movie. A thrilling ride through the world of Ethan hunt. The stunts, locations and plot are so engaging that they compel a person to literally sit on his/her seat's edge. The big picture style and the amazing music encourage the audience to keep asking "what's next?". The execution is very realistic. A traditional espionage movie with 21 st century gadgets and the grandest locations! A must watch movie!… Expand
Dec 26, 2011This was an amazing movie. The action sequences were jaw dropping- literally at some points, the fights were great , the plot was great, the acting was great. No scenes felt boring or underdone, and the overall style of the movie was just... great.
Jul 22, 2013When the IMF is implicated in an attack on the Kremlin Ethan Hunt and his team are forced to go rouge in order to clear their name and prevent nuclear war.
As with most big-budget blockbusters there are a few things that don't really add up if you think about them too much but it is easy to forgive any plot holes in a movie that is so entertaining. The Mission Impossible franchise is of course famous for its plethora of outrageous gadgets and they are put to use here to create some fantastic set pieces, including the much talked about scene in which Hunt scales the Burj Khalifa in Dubai using only a pair of prototype adhesive gloves. Refreshingly CGI free it is a rare joy to behold such impressive stunt work.
The chemistry between the small team, on whom much of the movie focuses, is also very good. Benji (Simon Pegg) is given more screen time providing genuine comic relief and the addition of Brandt (Jeremy Renner) as a more down to earth, but equally effective, agent adds a further dimension to proceedings.
All in all Ghost Protocol is an excellent addition to the series and proof that there is still plenty of life left in Mission Impossible yet.… Expand
May 16, 2012giving it a 5 out of 10 for cool technology. Cgi was bad and the story had me yawning and playing games on my cellphone for about 60% of the movie. My girlfriend was equally bored.
Jan 22, 2012Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is the slickest, most entertaining and clever action flick since The Bourne Ultimatum. An action movie really has no right to be such a rounded and well-developed viewing experience, and Brad Bird completely embraces his newfound freedom as a live-action director, and has created an honest-to-goodness balls-out thrill ride. The action is superb - the key set-pieces completely eclipsing everything in the series thus-far. They're not just flawlessly executed either - they're completely original. Who'd have thought we'd see Ethan Hunt fighting his way single-handedly out of a rioting Russian prison accompanied by Dean Martin on loudspeaker? Or scaling the outside of the world's tallest building in Dubai with only the use of some high-tech sticky gloves? Or chasing his target through a ferocious sandstorm? Or in a fantastically brutal final brawl in a car factory? You just don't see scenes like this in everyday action films. It's not all about the action, either. The film has the best cast of the series (Tom Cruise has rarely been better, and both Simon Pegg and franchise newcomer Jeremy Renner impress), and the script is rather good as well (it's nicely self-aware, playfully deconstructing a few of the more ropey trademarks of the series, and pleasingly, writers Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum know just when to play dialogue completely straight and when to inject a bit of humour into the situation). The most concrete aspect of the film though, is the story. It's rather simple for a Mission: Impossible film, but it's done extremely well. Sometimes less really is more (except where action is concerned, as mentioned above). Quite simply, it puts the rest of the series to shame.… Expand
Jan 2, 2012The cast was well acted in the film. I particularly praise Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner for adding their own memorable atmosphere into the mix. The action sequence are also great and the suspense created during the dubai scene is phenomenal. My only problem with this film is the main villain. He isn't explained all that well I feel he could have been more defined from better writing. But to say the least Mission Impossible -Ghost Protocol is probably the best action flick I've seen this year… Expand
Jan 8, 2012This was an excellent movie all around. The action was genius, haven't seen this good of action sequences in a long time. Brad Bird did a masterful job with this film. Tom Cruise knocks it out of the park again with another great pulse-pounding mission. Jeremy Renner is my favorite actor out there and he did a very good job all around in this movie. He has great promise and a very bright future ahead of him. This movie was plain genius all around. The acting to the visuals, to the action, and of course the highly entertaining story/ plot. The only reason why i give it a 9 and not a 10 is some of the action sequences were very unbelievable, won't go into detail because I don't want to give anything away, but obviously thats expected from a movie like this, but overall, I loved this movie. This is a must-see film. If you like to watch a masterpiece, then go see this now. 9.5/10… Expand
Apr 29, 2012This should have been called 'Chuck' the movie. It's the funny humor of spy films passed, mixed with popcorn candy action that really makes this film stand out. I now want to go back and watch the first three. I just wish the first three were as good as this action masterpiece.
Jan 1, 2012Wow! This movie is great! It has great acting and action, with a good plot. It also has great special effects and stunts. You don't have to watch the other three MI's to understand the plot, which I love because it's so hard to find sequels on DVD or Netflix. I highly recommend this movie to everyone, especially action-seekers.
Jan 2, 2012Mission Impossible 4 was a movie that did not need to be made but does manage to be fun enough for a watch and has some scenes that bring some thrills. The supporting cast take on bigger rolls in the story which is a good choice as Tom Cruses does not come across as obnoxious as he did previously. There's a suspenseful scene in Dubai Tower I found to be entertaining and makes the movie worth watching. Not the greatest movie but you could do a lot worst.… Expand
Jan 23, 2012"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" Se trata fácilmente de la mejor de la franquicia. Brad Bird ha sabido muy bien encaminar la cuarta parte de la saga aunque con cierta suspicacia y en momento el guion se tensa mucho como para permitirnos saborear, lo forzado del mismo, pese a esto y tratarse de la primera pelÃcula en Live Action de Brad Bird el resultado es verdaderamente fascinante, acción y aventura, cumple lo que promete, y bien puede hacerse llamar como la mejor pelÃcula de acción del 2011.… Expand
Jan 16, 2012This is an action movie, and as an action movie it does not disappoint. From the almost-adrenaline inducing scenes in Dubai to the parts inside the supercomputer in Mumbai, the action is nonstop and pure entertainment. Good acting, though there's really nothing really to be said about the characters, but if you came to see MI4 for the characters you need to be checked. Good writing for an action movie. Great cinematography. Even the 2 hour running time didn't seem too long. All in all, Ghost Protocol is a fun ride.… Collapse
Apr 10, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When I watched Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, I watched it for a few reasons. The guy from Lost was in it. Jeremy Renner and that awesome trailer I saw in the theater, plus it had been a long time since I had seen a MI film, even though I wasn't a huge fan to begin with. Let me say the good things about MIGP. The action in this is very good. Obviously the highlight action scene is the Dubai scene with Tom Cruise hanging on the tallest building in the world. There were other good scenes though, like the sandstorm scene. Overall the movie is very well paced for a movie that ran, I think 2 hours even of screen time. The cinematography in this is outstanding in this as well. There was also some good use of gadgets here too. All that aside though, there are more negatives about this movie, than good things. For example, I mentioned that I loved that the guy from Lost was in this, but they end up killing him in the beginning of the movie. Overall the acting is kinda dull, I wouldn't say it's bad acting but, just not great. I also thought that they showed too much stuff in the trailer, and way too many TV spots showed the Dubai tallest building in the world scene. The character development overall is not really here for Tom Cruise. We really don't get any character progression with him in. I mean when you stamp a franchise around a guy, like Bruce Willis has done for Die Hard, you need some character progression and development. There's little to no explanation to what's happened to Tom Cruise in the beginning of the film too. Other characters get some okay back story, like Paula Patton. Jeremy Renner, is supposed to be a bit unknown in this movie, but when he finally reveals the secret it feels like wow, that's the big secret. It's not that I saw it coming or I thought that Renner didn't deliver with his acting, it just wasn't a big secret, even though the very ending was cool. The story in this is also disappointing. I mean the IMF's mission is to stop a nuclear war or bomb. It would be cool if the villain had some motivation in this movie. All you really see him doing in this movie is hold a brief case. I thought the assassin woman was way better. Overall you end up getting a story that is decent, but the Russians don't show that they are really all over these guys. For a movie that is called Mission Impossible, it doesn't seem like the stakes are all that high in the movie. Even though some of the things that they do, like the huge building that Tom Cruise climbs. I don't think you feel the desperation in the mission, because the main villain doesn't seem to be all that serious about taking action, besides using a nuclear bomb, with unclear motivations. I could go on and on about this movie, but I'll say that this movie is an excellent, action movie. I thought that Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner give good performances. The movie does a good job of throwing impossible scenarios to Ethan Hunt and his team, but the feeling of desperation, is not there enough, like it was in the previous MI movies. It was a cool kick your feet up movie though. There was some creative direction with Brad Bird at the helm, but he doesn't know how to quite direct actors. I'll give him a pass though because this is his first live action movie, he's directed. So if you haven't seen this movie, you should definitely see this, just don't expect something great.… Expand
Jan 21, 2012Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a great example of awesome action-spy movie with incredible techniques. The story was good but not awesome& the way they use those techniques was freaking amazing . The Moscow part was a bit boring and that explosion could be a lot more better it they used more angles.The camera angle of that scene was not good. The end part In India started good but ended badly.And I believe If someone took a car from that high ,His legs would definitely be smashed so badly . Now come to Dubai . That was one of the best action scene i have ever seen. The sand storm scene was awesome, Building scene was also awesome. No complain to the actors..... Tom is freaking Tom ,Simon did amazing , Patton did a lot better then I expected & Jeremy did good but I expected more . Brad Bird's directing was good except for the Moscow part . Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is definitely the best action movie of 2011.… Expand
Jan 11, 2012pretty good flick when you watch it whilst eating popcorn cause its definitely one of those films - action-based, cgi, etc. etc....
really entertaining for the average movie-goer i suspect. plus, the gadgets used in the film are pretty dope.
Jan 5, 2012Despite the fact the ageing Mission Impossible franchise hasn't seen a truly great instalment since the 1st I had high hopes for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. So I was extremely happy to discover that it is by far the best instalment of the series, not only because director Brad Bird is fantastic at ratcheting up tension while making every action and shot seem beautiful. Bird seems to have realised everything that made the first movie great and gone from there. The introduction of new team members instead of returning to the old was a smart one as both Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton are great additions, if only because they are likeable characters (in comparison to MI3's Lawrence Fishburne and Keri Russell).
Ghost Protocol still has the high stakes (its about global nuclear conflict) but Bird's direction never lets it overburden the film so the viewer can't have fun. The main draw is that its just fun, beginning to end. From the opening action in a eastern European jail to the fast paced, final act it delivers a joyride well worth taking. It actually makes me eager to find out where this franchise goes next.… Expand
Dec 28, 2011Thrilling, exciting, suspenseful, and slightly comedic are just a few adjectives that I would use to describe the latest Mission Impossible film. I was expecting an action movie, not a Pulitzer prize-winning story, and I got just that, an action film. The stunts were excellent, and creative, and sustained throughout the lengthy flick. My main criticism falls on the stiffness of the entire ensemble's acting. Keanu Reeves would have actually livened things up a bit if he were in the cast! I have to believe that the fault falls squarely on the weak, plot-challenged, script and also the style of directing. Suspend your beliefs in reality and go have fun!… Expand
Dec 27, 2011The movie is sheer hurtling mechanism - the entire world in motion - and it's great silly fun. [2 Jan. 2012, p.79]
If the M:I films are immune to the tarnish on the Cruise brand, it's precisely because their spectacle requires us to be impressed by Ethan Hunt, not to like him.


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Kill things faster - Bloodcraze is really poor, even at it's best, it's like a 1.2k/s heal for 5 seconds.
Impending Victory, if you don't need the DPS, might be more valuable, as crazy crap can go on in the last 20% of a fight, but at the same time, faster death = less chance for error and you're probably going to be giving up a noticeable amount of DPS depending on the talents you give up.
Shield Spec - only give this up if you are raged capped and using HS on CD. More rage generation is good, even if it's not for DPS (Shield block, enraged regeneration, pummel, demo shout, thunderclap). You don't want to find yourself rage starved when you need one of those. Top players drop it because, well they're far better than me. But I don't think you'll gain a lot from dropping it.
Right now Imp Rev is really the red-headed step child unless you run a lot of dungeons.
Keep Battle Shout and Thunderclap up. Keep them up over DPS. Or make sure someone else is keeping them up, but you'll probably want to keep them up yourself.

subset: commoncrawl


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Captain J's International Buffet in Raleigh, NC
- s
- sierrarot328i Jun 7, 2013 02:36 PM
Forget about the lousy Mexican/Chinese buffet! They have recently started offering authentic almost down to home real Chinese food.
Miss the XLB from Asian Grill? Miss no more!
This restaurant has to take the "Most Incongruous" Award for all time. The restaurant is located on Capital Blvd. just above the 401 split. The buffet tables are just what you'd expect from a place that bills itself as Mexican/Chinese and they look pretty damn sorry (although the made to order tacos smelled very good). This is not why you're there. When you're greeted, tell the young Chinese man at the counter that you'd like the traditional Chinese menu and watch his eyes light up with joy.
You will receive the two sided sheet of paper below and you order as if it were a sushi menu. According to the waiter, the XLB and Tea Leaf Smoked Duck are the most popular dishes with Chinese customer. Get this - they make the XLB to order. You can walk to the back of the buffet and watch the chef roll out the dough, fill, and steam them on the spot. Only the pork XLB are offered. They are juicy, drippy, and delicious. The Offspring thought they had too much ginger in them but the Spouse and I were very happy.
The Shanghai noodles are also made by hand in house. I wouldn't have minded a little more bite to the noodles and they don't quite have the same wok breath that the noodles at Asian Grill had, but they're still a winner.
We also ordered the Salt & Pepper Short Ribs and the Seaweed with Garlic Sauce. The ribs were actually pork, not beef as I expected. They were well cooked and nicely presented, covered with heaps of garlic, scallion, and bell pepper. The seaweed wasn't bad, it just wasn't much of anything and I doubt I'd order it again. The meal was ended by a plate of complementary fresh fruit, a welcome change from the usual fortune cookie and/or orange.
There's a choice of 3 hot teas - green, red, and oolong. All sadly are from teabags but the waiter will refill your hot water and replace the teabag as often as you'd like.
We was told by the waiter that we were the first non-Asians to ask for the traditional menu. He very politely felt us out about our familiarity with the food and was very eager to help when needed and to back off when not needed.
There's a 10% discount offered to first time customers and there is a Valpak coupon out now but it's only for the buffet.
We are looking forward to returning and trying more things off the traditional menu. The staff really wants you to be happy and enjoy the food. Captain J's, beyond it's odd name and split personality, is worth the visit.
4420 Capital Blvd
Raleigh, NC 27604
re: rockycat
Folks, the incongruity continues...
First of all let me update the buffet situation. Buffet is still available during lunch on weekdays and all day on weekends.
The Fitzgerald people have started serving seafood over the weekend. I finished work late last night so I got a chance to try the seafood entree while the Chinese chefs were on their dinner break. I had the fried flounder platter with fries and applesauce (some of the side items weren't ready yet). It was typical; not bad but nothing extraordinary. Flounder was nicely seasoned and not greasy at all so that was good. Tasted just like the one in Rolesville.
Fast forward to this evening... My evening activity got cancelled due to the miserable rain so I went back there for another run, but with a slight twist. I wanted to order the Taiwanese pork chop rice along with a piece of fish but they ran out of big porkchops. What a shame so I ordered XLB instead, along with a piece of grilled catfish.
Fish was nicely grilled and I actually would prefer that over fried. XLB was excellent, as usual. It was quite enjoyable to eat hushpuppies with chopsticks and XLB with a fork. Miraculously I didn't have any serious squirting mishaps lol.
So what's really the reason behind the seafood? As many of you know, the buffet is not good and they had to toss the leftover food out every night. Lisa the owner finally had enough and she believes a sit down restaurant would generate more money. She loves the Joe's Crab Shack type seafood so she wants to have a seafood "front" while keeping the authentic Chinese up.
Some of you might also be wondering, are the Chinese gonna be serving any seafood stuff? Sure! How about $14.99 lobsters?
re: sierrarot328i
Thanks so much for the info! :-)
re: Tehama
I stopped by for lunch yesterday and had a great meal. This place is the real deal. I ordered pork XLB, cold beef tendon app, and twice cooked pork. The soup dumplings were tasty. I learned that the trick is to pick them up with chopsticks at the top of the wrapped so you don't pierce the lower part, where the soup is. The beef tendons were tasty. The taste is faintly beefy. There's lots of good stuff in them for our skin and connective tissues. I thought I ordered twice cooked pork, but what I received wasn't what I was expecting. The dish I received was a mix of pork belly, mushrooms, onions, a little eggplant, & peppers. It may have been twice cooked pork through a Shanghaianese lens or it may have been the other pork belly dish one the menu. Regardless, it was quite tasty and I would order it again. The prices are quite reasonable. My entree was $10.99 and it was a healthy serving. They also gave me a $10 off coupon on the way out. I hope to return in April.
re: meatn3
I think we need to have a meet up there.
re: chazzer
I always suspected you were a genius! This idea proves it.
Plus a Raleigh location might draw in some new folks who haven't been able to make it to points further west.
re: sierrarot328i
Please come to the Choweat-up!
re: meatn3
What choweat-up? Haven't seen it on our googlegroup list.
re: TerryG
The not yet planned one that chazzer suggested up-thread.
re: meatn3
Depending on date, I'm very much in. Let's take this discussion to the googlegroup. Remind people how to sign up.
re: TerryG
This link has the google group info:
It's open to any Chowhound! It has been used to plan meet-up dinners and for off-topic discussions. Great food with terrific people so don't be shy!
Maybe we'll get enough interest to have that pig-roast....
re: sierrarot328i
Can you describe the dishes you photographed.. Bao aside.
re: sierrarot328i
4th pic: two cold apps: stewed beef shanks and bamboo shoots with chili sauce. 5th pic: stir fried sticky rice cakes with beef. 6th pic: fatty pork with garlic sauce. 7th pic: "split open" potstickers.
re: LulusMom
Xiao Long Bao, aka soup dumplings. A little miracle of liquid, solid, and deliciousness, all wrapped together.
re: rockycat
Thank you so much rockycat. Shame they don't have any besides pork because it sounds *really good*.
Just wanna follow up if y'all still interested in having a get together at Captain J's on July 21st.
I mentioned this at the google group but for those of you who are not in the group, one of the chefs is from the 66 Lu's Taiwanese Restaurant in downtown Flushing.
I sense the owner, who has no prior experience with restaurants, might be having a reality check. So I really suggest we enjoy the food while it lasts.
So please try your best to make July 21st open. Thanks!
re: sierrarot328i
If I'm back in town I'll be there!
re: sierrarot328i
We're planning on it -- and bringing another couple.
re: Erika RollerGirl
Oh, and the Pork Chop on Rice is pretty darn good, too. Apparently the Flushing restaurant where the chef previously worked is known for that dish. I also just happened to run into sierraot328i while I having lunch there with a friend. Small city, Raleigh.
Wanted to kick this up to remind every one about the meet up the the 21st. We need to start getting together a head count Please go to
and let us know if you are going and how many.
re: chazzer
Sounds like a fun time. I just posted in the thread. Let me check to see if anyone else from my house wants to come.
re: Tom from Raleigh
Here's the head count so far:
1. me
2. bob and family (3)
3. tom from raleigh
4. terry g (4)
5. burgeoningfoodie (2?)
6. romansperson (2)
7. meatn3
8. Janice
9. Andrea (2)
Please add yourself to the list if you're interested. 7/21 6pm
New item on the menu. Scallion pancakes with beef $4.50
re: sierrarot328i
Don't post about this on here. Just keep it to the email. I'm sure moderators will state something to you.
re: burgeoningfoodie
So how was your big group outing? I'm taking two people there tonight for our first time going and I'd love to hear what was great and what wasn't so great before we head out. Thanks!
re: Erika RollerGirl
Before they seat you make sure to ask for the traditional menu. The soup dumplings are great (XLB) after you order them you can go to the prep area by the buffet to watch the chef roll out the dough and make them.
The shanghi thick noodles are also good the noodles are fresh and have a great bite. Order a cold dish or two and on the hot dishes I have enjoyed what ever I ordered.
re: Erika RollerGirl
I'll just add, though, that the bamboo shoots were not a big winner all around. It's a matter of taste, though. One person was clamoring to take home the leftovers. But for the most part, what chazzer said.
re: Erika RollerGirl
The spicy cabbage, the tea-infused duck, and Szechuan Stir Fried Green Beans were also popular -- although the cabbage needs to be ordered in advance and the duck lacked tea flavor. But everyone enjoyed the meal. We're talking about doing it again -- and going a bit more adventurous next time. Photos to follow.
re: TerryG
They still have the spicy cabbage. Went back there for a late dinner last night :-p
Try the Fried Bread (S12 on the menu $2.50). Chef Peng have started to make the dough from scratch and it's absolutely worth it. On top of that you get to dip it with condensed milk!
When you get there, just mention you know some of the people from the big group Sunday night...
Here's a little background about the chefs:
1. Chef Peng is the dumpling/dimsum chef. He is originally from China. He has worked in New York and Rockville, Maryland before coming to Raleigh three months ago. He has over 12 years or experience making XLB.
2. Chef Chen is the main chef. He is originally from Taiwan. He has worked at 66 Lu's in downtown Flushing then Rockville where he met Chef Peng. He has over 25 years of experience.
Chef Chen (another!) is the head buffet chef. He is Chinese/Vietnamese native. He had been the main chef at Crystal Palace for 13 years until they changed to Capital Buffet.
re: TerryG
Here are the photos. That's Kevin Yen demonstrating the proper XLB eating technique. Most of us (at least the ones at our table) realized we need more practice. Stay tuned for a video of the XLB-making.
I enjoyed all of the items I had. I am not sure which plates were suppose to be hot vs. only room temp or cold. The pork was delicious. I didn't mind the bamboo shoots but they looked like they were suppose to be spicier than they were. The spicy cabbage wasn't really that spicy. I wish we had a 2nd plate of noodles but thats okay and the red bean dessert wasn't as flavorful as I've had.. Maybe I'm just not that picky anymore. In any case, I get the sense that they are still changing things over be it on the menu, in prep or with the kitchen utensils they have in the back. Hopefully it will progress and be a good option for people in that quadrant of the Triangle. I would return to try other items.
We had a wonderful meal there last night and are so glad for all the recommendations and photos that were posted! Here's a bit about what we ordered (keep in mind there were only 3 of us so we sort of over-ordered but didn't really have much in the way of leftovers after indulging!) We got the Taiwanese sausage with raw garlic (yum! Total winner), XLB of course (so delicious and maybe even better than those at Asian Grill), the beef and scallion roll (this would be a great lunch dish on its own), crispy duck (they were out of tea leaf smoked duck but this was a good substitution), salt & pepper short ribs, and Shanghai noodles. We were very pleased with everything we ate although next time we may go for some spicier items as nothing we ordered was above a mild heat level. I look forward to trying the beef shank noodle soup soon as well as some seafood items.
Thanks again for giving us the low down on this hidden gem. I really hope this place figures out a way to market themselves to stay alive. I worry about how well they will do just going off of their buffet sales. Their name and signage are a real turn-off so I hope they can make it work so they will be around for a long long time.
re: Erika RollerGirl
Glad you enjoyed it. How did you like the salt & pepper short ribs? And from what I've heard, you should enjoy the noodle soup when you have a chance to try it.
Don't get too wound up over the spiciness issue. Remember, this isn't Sichuan-style food and not everything is supposed to be spicy nor will the spiciness reach the level of Super Wok or other traditional Sichuan restaurants. That just isn't what this food is supposed to be about.
Capt. J's is picking up currency among Asian diners and that's really what they need to stay in business. While the owner and manager are VERY happy to have non-Asians as customers, we're not ever going to be able to keep them in business by ourselves. Besides, isn't it kind of fun to be in on such a great secret, even if it isn't so much of a secret anymore?
re: rockycat
On places like this and Gourmet Kingdom or just any place the does their culture's food as close to what it would be like in their home country... I try to have my friends try it even if they are hesitant if for no other reason to show them that there is a whole other side to flavors and food stuffs.
As far as Chinese food, don't get me wrong I like some of the typical buffet fare items but I'm gung ho for something that is more the prototype of what I may encounter if I were to go to that part of the world or that the Chinese community would be more likely to eat.
re: rockycat
The salt & pepper short ribs were crispy, tender, and super flavorful. They come with a smattering of garlic and red and green peppers on top, Everything tasted very fresh and light. I would not hesitate to order anything again except maybe the noodles and that's just because I'd rather have a slightly more interesting noodle dish, not because it wasn't good.
As far as them catering to the Asian crowd, I sure hope you're right and that they are filling the tables often so they stay alive. I wish I truly understood what happened to Asian Grill. Anytime an independently owned gem goes under it makes me wish I was a more frequent patron as if that could have been the thing that would have saved them. I am not that loyal as there are plenty of great places to dine around the area and I think that gives me some kind of "restaurant neglect guilt" if that exists, lol.
re: Erika RollerGirl
The rumor on Asian Grill was that the chef left
re: burgeoningfoodie
They have recently started selling the crab version for a buck more.
They are gonna be making some changes in a few weeks. Don't worry they are not shutting down. Stay tuned!
I hated that I was out of town during out last meet-up at Captain J's, but finally got to go last night. A group of 8 of us went, and I was lucky enough one of my friends is from Hong Kong and she ordered everything for us. (Ordered from the Chinese menu; we did not do the buffet.)
I'll never come close to remembering all we ordered, or the names of any of it, but my oh my was it GOOD! We had at least 3 or 4 different dumpling/roll type small plates, a bowl of Cantonese fish, eggplant (sort of looked like ratatouille, but not exactly), green beans, scallion pancakes, beef & scallion pancakes, tender little marinated beef slices, pork and "dry" tofu stir fry, something that looked like spaghetti with bolognese sauce [which I later heard from one of the girls it was the best thing on the table, but I didn't try it], watermelon, rice, on and on and on and on.... There is no way I can remember all that we had and there were plenty of leftovers to take home.
It was exceptionally wonderful. I think we all had a beer and the price per person came to $19 before tip.
I had the happy coincidence to run into a fellow Chowhounder there, so that made the evening all better. I really am looking forward to going back - I just need one of you guys that knows how to order the best stuff to go with me!
re: Tehama
Sounds great, and aren't those beef & scallion pancakes delicious? You don't need anyone's help ordering, though. It's pretty hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. I've only had a very few things that I wouldn't order again and some are just because they're not my taste.
I will recommend,though, that if you go for lunch order the pork and rice plate and try to see if you can get it with a preserved egg rather than a fried egg. The dish sounds simple but it's so good.
re: Tehama
It was nice meeting you last night, Tehama!
Since some of y'all saw me last night "testing" the new food I might just spill the beans now.
They wanna reduce the buffet and attract more sit down customers. They are gonna be rolling out the "Bento Specials" starting this Monday. For $6.95, you get your American Chinese stuff with either steamed or fried rice and an egg roll. I tried the General Tso's Chicken last night and it was awesome! Chicken pieces were perfectly fried and the sauce was well balanced with sweet, sour and heat. Portion was very generous for the price!
Chef Peng has started making a few more dimsum stuff: crab XLB, steamed vegetable buns, fried/steamed bread with condensed milk on the side (!) and pan fried buns (sheng jiān bao).
Peking Duck is being discussed/considered. Not set in stone yet but chef Chen told me last night that the Tea Duck is more involved than Peking Duck. So lets hope they will start selling them soon!
Lisa the owner is considering changing the name to Captain J's Restaurant. She is gonna be adding Chinese signs soon since some customers got "confused" when they saw the Spanish sign.
re: sierrarot328i
re: meatn3
New item: Pan Fried Buns (Shēng Jiān Bao, thanks,google translate!)
re: sierrarot328i
looks awesome!!! And so nice to have met you, too!
re: sierrarot328i
A few new items have popped out!
1. Honey Wings (A01)
2. Boneless Spare Ribs (A02)
3. Crab XLB (A03)
4. Pan Fried Buns (A05)
5. Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce (A06)
7. Cantonese Roast Duck (A15)
8. Char Siu (Roast Pork) (A16)
9. Pork Belly with Sour Cabbage (K10)
10. Singapore Mai Fun (stir fried rice noodles with curry)
11. Beef CHOW FUN (A09)
12. Spicy Beef Chow Fun (A10)
13. Soy Sauce Egg Noodles (A11)
14. Bento Box Specials on weekdays
If the Char Siu and Roast Duck are good, no more Grand Asia Market for me! Hope the Chow Fun is good... Chef Chen told me the fresh chow fun is hard to get and he doesn't like/want to get the frozen ones. Will be trying that in a few days.
re: sierrarot328i
Thanks so much for the update!
You guys need to do some Yelp reviews because it's in a horrible state right now! Probably due to the pretty standard offering in the buffet.
Sounds like an interesting place to check out.
re: panthur
Does anyone really take Yelp seriously? I don't mean that sarcastically. I really mean it. I read Yelp for giggles, but that's about it. It's clear that a good percentage of Yelpers wouldn't know good food if it jumped up and smacked them in the face.
However, from the mix of diners I've seen at Capt. J's, they seem to be reaching their target audience. I know they advertise in the Chinese language newspapers and the front room has been packed with Chinese families and some non-Asians ordering off the traditional menu. The buffet area is attracting Mexican families and working people. I'm sure they wouldn't shun any new customers for any reason, but I get the impression that the average Yelper is not this place's prime customer. IMHO.
re: rockycat
I looked at Yelp once, and never have again.
re: rockycat
It depends. I know some yelpers but I also know them from twitter and chow hound and so I take those reviews serious.. Then again I don't rely on ONE source.. I look at Chowhound, Twitter, Yelp, sometimes trip advisor, and the local paper.. so lets just say a variety.
re: rockycat
I think Panthur was saying that more Yelp reviews highlighting this side of what Captain j offers would give that audience more insight into what the restaurant offers. For instance, Gourmet Kingdom was a pretty horrible buffet before it was redone... but I wouldn't have known about it had I not seen a friend of mine's yelp post just do to the people who visit the site. I believe she was meaning that some of these positive posts about the more authentic style items would benefit the restaurant by hitting a different audience.
re: burgeoningfoodie
I totally agree with burgeoningfoodie. Dedicated foodies are a small slice of any restaurant's market. And since many restaurants don't show up on the Chowhound wave length, I admit I do check out Yelp from time to time.
Gads! I've outed myself now as an utter gourmet philistine. Before our Chowhound outing to Captain J's, I saw the Yelp rating and it was a complete turn-off. But I went anyway and was blown away..
We are doing a disservice to our favorite independent spots by disdaining posting to Yelp. We've seen way too many favorites go under while sticking to our small online enclaves like CH.
So, let's take Panthur's warning seriously and take action.
re: TerryG
I'm siding with all of you! Yelp could be a joke sometimes but it's a valuable tool for the general public.
I left them a four star review on yelp (with 99% of the pictures lol). Perhaps some of y'all here should write something (nice) there as well.
Speaking of pictures, here are a few more...
1. Beef chow fun
2. Spicy beef chow fun
Chef Chen couldn't get fresh hor fun so he ended up getting them from Li-Ming :-( still pretty good though.
3. Soy Sauce Noodle. Egg noodles stir fried with soy sauce, bean sprouts and onions. A Cantonese classic. Shouldn't be pan fried though so I need to mention that to chef Chen next time (possibly tonight? lol).
Since they now selling entrees with pan fried noodle perhaps I should convince him to make the Chicken Pan Fried noodles. (Picture taken from China Bowl in Edison, NJ)
re: rockycat
I've used Yelp for areas where I couldn't find any CH posts. It serves as a starting point. Some areas have some good posters. In larger areas there is just so much babble to wade through that I tend to use Yelp as a last resort.
I've come across some pretty good tips on City-Data. There are a couple of CH's who post on the local forum.
re: meatn3
My problem with Yelp is that there are too many stories of Restaurant Owners providing free meals to influential yelpers, influential yelpers threatening owners with bad reviews if they are not comped food, and even yelp removing good reviews if establishments don't advertise with them.
All this and some of the reviews, including ones where they complain that their sushi was raw, cause me to distrust yelp. I will look at it for though, but will not trust it as much as chow or even trip adviser.
re: chazzer
Laughed at the raw sushi thing. Very funny. I know that Yelp has the reputation of being where people go to sound off on some (perceived?) slight or to try to drum up business by offering stuff in trade for good reviews.
I've gotten to know the tastes of most of regulars on this board through their reviews and I trust the reviews because of that.
re: chazzer
Yeah I use it for photos a lot too (I assume that is what you were saying). Especially so I don't get disappointed when the description of a food item brings out something different on the plate.
re: chazzer
I love trip advisor, but I use it more for hotels/things to do more than for restaurants (although I've certainly at least looked at reviews for that). With the hotels, I start with the lowest reviews and work my way up. So often there are a couple of lone low reviews that seem pretty obviously to have been made because of something out of the ordinary for the hotel. You can kind of read between the lines (like the raw sushi thing) with those reviews. But when there are a bunch of midling reviews it becomes harder.
re: chazzer
True. My few good yelp experiences have been in small towns/rural areas. I imagine there is less of the freebies and intimidation going on in that environment.
re: meatn3
Sometimes Yelp reviews of chain restaurants in small towns and cities have a real outsider art quality to them.
re: Tom from Raleigh
Hmmm can a user not go in and change it? I'll take a look but I thought one is able to go in and change it from open to closed.. but who knows.
re: burgeoningfoodie
'twas locked.
On a food related note, I'm super excited to try the new dishes that I saw on this thread.
re: Tom from Raleigh
Had the Chow Fun this past Sunday, it was quite good
re: chazzer
Chow Fun was one of my standards at Fortune Palace. I'm looking forward to trying the rendition here!
re: meatn3
Had the pork chop on rice today. Fantastic! Two nice size chops plus ground pork on large portion of rice with bok choy and a hard boiled egg. Tremendous value at $7.95. What a dish!
re: TerryG
I love that one. I'm glad they've gone back to serving the preserved egg. For a while they were substituting a fried egg and I just didn't like it as much. You can almost get 2 lunches out of that entree.
re: rockycat
I think everyone has my response covered. I like Yelp fine for what it is. The opinion of an average person. But it's where most people go to find out about restaurants and if this place goes out of business, then their poor Yelp rating will be partially to blame.
I personally like Urbanspoon and of course browsing on here. But people on here tend to be snobby at times.
Now to figure out why I'm not getting email notifications!
We met some friends there Saturday night. Long story short, the dumplings (both crab and pork XLB, fried dumplings) were an absolute hit while the other dim sum type items were mediocre. The waitress, Mai, was quite amusing. We ordered the crispy flounder with chili sauce but she-- without asking-- changed the order to flounder in a szechuan chili broth. Luckily, she was right-- it was great. When we told her we still hadn't gotten the beef scallion roll she said we had enough food we didn't need it! I have never had a waitress dissuade us from more food before. Guess we'll have to try it next time.
re: rockycat
Sorry, just now seeing this. I don't if she was at Red Palace.
re: bbqme
So Captain J's will open on thanksgiving day and guess what... NO BUFFET!
Here are some of the new items:
1. Peking Duck 3 ways. Sliced duck and skin, stir fried gizzards with bean sprouts and carcass soup. $39.99
2. Pork Belly stew. $10.99 interesting way to cook as chef Chen pairs the pork belly chunks with carrots and potatoes.
3. Stir fried Water Spinach $13.95, $14.95 with Sa Cha sauce.
4. Stir fried Asparagus $9.99, $12.99 with chicken/beef/pork and $13.99 with shrimp.
5. Kung Pao Lotus $13.95
6. Spicy Hot Pot bowl (no stove though) $16.00
7.Wine by glass $4.99 and $35.99 bottle, champagne $3.99
8. Dessert... 8 treasure rice
9. Rice Vermicelli Noodle Soup with a few choices of broth
10. Scallion Pancakes with egg
11. Pulled pork sandwich!
You will need to call ahead for Peking Duck.
I hope that some of you are convincing your friends to go with you to try the more authentic items. I always find it a delight and so do the owner's servers when I can convince people to order more authentic items. The servers sometimes think I'm not sure what I'm doing but then they see I eat what they bring with delight. I enjoy it when people who are new to the experience and cuisine also leave learning and liking something other than what is found at most other places. It like taking someone who has only eaten tex/mex/taco bell to an actual taqueria with the salsa bars and having them try soemthing like Al Pastor and them realizing that what they've been eating is NOT what they should be eating :-p
Reviewed in today's N&O
Other then the XLB, which are great, I don't think I had any of the items he discussed in the review. But agree with him about the service.
Also, to long time board posters who remember Red Palace, would be happy to know that May is now working as a waitress on weekends.
re: chazzer
Good/bad timing:
Couple of the managers had to be on leave for the past month. Just as Lisa was stressing out about running the restaurant herself the review came in and a flock of people came this past weekend. As expected they couldn't handle everyone. Let's hope some of those customers would come back and enjoy the food.
The new manager's English is not as good as Jerry and he was clueless when someone was ordering Chardonnay (I had to help him out). Luckily one of the on leave managers is coming back tomorrow and he was used to be a bartender at a yacht club in Hong Kong. Speaking of Chardonnay, Lisa does carry ABC license and she will try to set up a bar soon.
Meanwhile check out some of the new items:
1. Scallion Pancake with scrambled egg
2. Pulled pork sandwich
3. Rice vermicelli noodle soup with 3 choices of broth: plain, spicy, hot n'sour. Comes with ground pork, julienned bamboo shoots and carrots, wood ears and bokchoys.
4. Eight treasure rice. Dessert. Haven't tried it yet. I don't know if they make it of buy it either way expect to be insanely sweet.
Hey folks, craving for Christmas Chinese Turkey on Thanksgiving/Hanukah? Give Captain J's a call to reserve for Peking Duck. I will try to find out more details tomorrow.
re: sierrarot328i
re: Erika RollerGirl
Don't worry - too much. From what I hear, those responsible for the seafood know what they're doing. But yeah, the whole situation does sound a little odd.
re: rockycat
I wouldn't worry. Calabash style seafood is lightly battered and fried. I think any Chinese restaurant worth its salt could properly fry seafood.
re: Tom from Raleigh
Maybe mix it up and do it with Tempura?
re: burgeoningfoodie
Folks, the authentic chinese is not going away.
Basically they are replacing the buffet with fitzgerald's seafood.
Some of you might not aware that fitzgerald's off Atlantic and Millbrook had an accident in the kitchen back in December. They had been idling ever since.
I'll give out more details in the next few days.
re: sierrarot328i
Nothing about this on the Fitzgerald's website at
re: boaviagem
Fitzgerald's on Atlantic and Millbrook had been *closed* since December due to fire.
Captain J's hired Fitzgerald's son John to run the seafood stuff a month ago. Technically it has really nothing to do with Fitzgerald's restaurant anymore so that's why you don't see it on their website.
re: sierrarot328i
I'm suffering sympathetic indigestion now. :-)
Btw, what type of fish is that and how was it?
re: rockycat
Chazzer, it was grilled... Lol yeah
It was grilled flounder. I'm not a fish expert it but tasted great without tartar sauce.
re: sierrarot328i


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