This time, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is rotting in a Russian prison because he went and killed a bunch of people without permission, but he is soon rescued by his IMF buddy Benji (Simon Pegg) and the extremely sexy Jane Carter (Paula Patton). After his rescue his team is handed a new assignment that has them breaking into the Kremlin, but things take a turn for the worst when the building is bombed by a terrorist. Ethan and his team as well as the entire IMF are disavowed, and they are forced to make things right without the help of the government.

I had a blast watching this movie. Seeing Cruise and his team of cohorts in action again warmed my heart. Brad Bird brought a fresh sensibility to the franchise that got a little lost under Woo’s direction, and while slightly better under Abrams’ leadership, Bird drives it home with a one two punch of awesome. The complex set pieces and stunts are still here, expertly executed with precision and grace. The biggest being Tom’s Spiderman like scaling of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is one of the most visually stunning stunts I’ve ever seen on the big screen. I was on pins and needles and loving every second of it. The car chase in a sand storm is also pretty impressive, and the fight scenes with Cruise and newcomer Jeremy Renner as Brandt are bad-ass.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Mission: Impossible films, and I’m sure it sounds like I’m gushing like a fanboy, and that’s because I am. Sure, the dialogue is goofy at times, and the stunts can be crazy impossible, but that’s not why I love the films. I love them because they set out to do nothing more than entertain an audience and they do this with style. So, yes I think Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a killer film. I also think it’s the best summer movie not released during the summer, so do yourself a favor and see it ASAP, and if you’ve seen it already, then see it again.

P.S. Paula Patton is yummy.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Here’s what the directors said: “Once upon a time, long, long, ago… I said I was going to make a movie. Very happy to finally be filming ‘A Fantastic Fear of Everything’ with such an amazing cast (Simon Pegg, Clair Higgins, Amara Karan, Paul Freeman, and Sheridan Smith), shooting at Shepperton studios. Will know film website shortly and promise to send some pictures and news soon.”

Here’s the long-winded plot synopsis:

Jack is alone for Christmas. A former children’s author, now turned crime novelist, Jack spends his nights pacing about, entrenched in his latest script ‘Decades of Death’ with only his gruesome research into Victorian serial killers for company.

A sensitive artist, who lacks even the simple courage to buy his own toilet paper, this research into all the most notorious hackers and poisoners of the late 19th century has made him paranoid and insomniac. Jack starts carrying a carving knife around with him due to ‘an irrational fear of being murdered’ and begins to suspect everybody he meets, from the waiter in the restaurant, to the newspaper vendor, to the friendly local ASBO hoodies. But when Jack is thrown a life-line by his long-suffering agent and a mysterious Hollywood executive takes a sudden and inexplicable interest in his script, what should be his ‘big break’ rapidly turns into his ‘big breakdown’, as Jack is forced to confront his worst fears; among them, love, laundry, and, serial killers.

It’s because of his agent’s unprecedented request that he ‘look smart’ for the big meeting, that Jack’s career now rests precariously on his ability to tackle his irrational fear of launderettes. However, Jack soon has to deal with far more than the simple embarrassment of exposing his own soiled load in public. Harangued by the ghost of his ex-wife, and guided by the sage-like counsel of his psychotherapist (who once cured a girl of her phobia of open bananas), Jack makes his fateful ‘trip downtown’, taking him through the shadowy dystopia of a modern Noir London and onto the bright neon lights of the Lotus Laundromat, where his inability to operate a washing machine, (and the unfortunate fact that he’s still carrying a carving knife), triggers a series of unexpected events bringing him face to face with real danger, real crime, real fear, and even reality TV; involving an encounter with the most beautiful girl in London, a highly embarrassing personal injury, a bruising encounter with the strong arm of the law, and ultimately an unexpected fight for his life at the hands of a real serial killer…

Sources: The Kula Shaker, Keel Films

“The reason I would make a sequel to Paul, and I’m sure Greg would probably agree, is because, ultimately, I don’t do my job for anybody but myself,” he tells the site. “The product of what I do is important, but the making Paul was so much fun. I got to work with some amazing people, in an amazing place, and we had an amazing three months. It was life-changing, and I’d love to do that again. If we could think of a story that was absolutely justifiable, that was worth doing, I would do it again, but for that reason, so I could have that experience again and enjoy working with people, the camaraderie and the friendship. People often forget that there is a process that exists in film-making. It’s not just the product, there is the process of making a film, which is incredibly enjoyable. The product is the result of that, which everybody sees, but it’s not always why you do it. There is also the product of that, which is fame, which is really why you don’t do it. The chance to work with those people again would be wonderful. Nick (Frost) and I have this idea that we had out on the way to Area 51 that was really funny. It was like oh, this could be great. It would cost an absolute fucking fortune. If it involved more than one Paul, it would mean that we’d have to have twice that budget again. The idea was it was called Pauls. Again, it was like From Dusk Til Shaun, that title is so good we have to make that film.”

Obviously, that’s far from reality at this point, but would you all want to see a Paul 2? August 9th sees Paul coming to Blu-ray and DVD.

Writers Simon Pegg and Nick Frost play Graham and Clive, two British nerds who travel to America to attend every geek’s Mecca – the International Comic-Con in San Diego. After the convention, they rent an RV and travel to famous UFO hot spots. They reluctantly pick up Paul, a potty-mouthed extraterrestrial voiced by Seth Rogen. They also pick up a sheltered Bible thumper (Kristen Wiig) along the way. As they travel across the desert in an attempt to get Paul home, they are tailed by rednecks and a trio of government agents (Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, and Joe Lo Truglio).

Pegg and Frost have written a love-letter to science fiction films, particularly Steven Spielberg and Star Wars. There are countless references to that holy trilogy (don’t even mention those prequels, they are dead to me and Pegg alike) and more, such as Star Trek, E.T., Aliens, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, and Back to the Future. Because these jokes are the film’s strongest point, it tends to alienate (no pun intended) the less geeky film goers. For instance, when I saw the film, nobody so much as tittered at the mention of Mac and Me. Nor did they notice the Wilhelm Scream and “Gut-wrenching scream and fall into distance” sound effects. Pegg and Frosts’ previous works were full of obscure references but they were great even if you did not catch the inside jokes. Hot Fuzz was still hilarious even if you never noticed the nods to Wicker Man or Point Break.

Then some of the sci-fi references in Paul are so obvious, perhaps in an attempt to be more accessible to general movie-going audiences. These bits feel forced, while the more esoteric jokes fly right over the heads of the average theater audience. If you don’t laugh at the music the redneck bar band is playing, or the name of the fireworks, this film is simply not for you. To fill in the gaps, the movie uses lame pot jokes (hopping on that Pineapple Express train) to appease the younger viewers who are not in on those 1970s/1980s references.

Still, Paul does offer some nice laugh-out-loud moments and an unbeatable cast. Pegg and Frost bring their lovable bromantic chemistry to the screen once again. Rogen is rude, crude, and hilarious as usual. Wiig and Hader prove why they are the funniest people on SNL, while Bateman and Lo Truglio are great as ever, making me mourn their long-dead television shows. David Koechner and Jane Lynch also appear in funny cameos. Everyone involved is quirky and charming enough to keep the movie enjoyable despite its flaws.

Director Greg Mottola pays loving tribute to Spielberg, though his visual presence here is not nearly as strong as in his previous films. I suspect critics will be quick to blame Mottola for Paul’s missteps, considering Pegg and Frost have always found success with director Edgar Wright, but that is simply not the case here. The filmmakers achieved exactly what they wanted – to make a movie by nerds and for nerds. It cannot touch the previous films of those involved, but with a subculture of people who adore obscure references (Family Guy, anyone?), Paul should have no problem finding an adoring audience.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

“Word on the Bridge is the new script is AMAZEBALLS  and I cannot wait!”

Sweet? Sweet.

Source: Blastr

Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.

A few weeks ago we saw the international trailer for Paul (here), and now Apple Trailers have a brand new trailer up for you all to check out!

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town–a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost). Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.

Source: AppleTrailers, (embed) FilmSchoolRejects

Source: IMPAwards

Click the picture below to check the trailer out in good quality, or the embedded video below.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town-a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost). Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes…

Source: YahooMoviesUK

Source: ComingSoon

Also, the fan site has released a new still of the character Reepicheep (now voiced by Simon Pegg):

Look for the film in 2D and 3D theaters Dec. 10th!

Source: Narnia Fans

According to The Playlist, McKay wants Simon Pegg to star in the film. McKay spoke during a press event for The Other Guys that ”I haven’t officially signed on yet, so I haven’t had any conversations with anyone, but [Pegg has] got to do it. It has to be [him].” It would make perfect sense as illustrator, Darick Robertson modeled the character Wee Hughie after Pegg in the comic. Much in the same fashion Marvel modeled Nick Fury as Samuel L. Jackson.

They may both get a chance to speak at Comic-Con this week. However, McKay still isn’t signed on for the film yet. Speculation is that Sony wants to wait and see how The Other Guys does at the box-office. Also, McKay wants the adaptation to be as violent as the comics, but could be waiting to see if he can make it that way.

The Other Guys opens on August 6, 2010.