As another big holiday movie season rolls around this year, eyes are turning to the most prominent big-budget action movie of the winter: “Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.”

The fourth installment in the classic spy-genre is centered around unoriginal premise: a psycho terrorist trying to set off a nuke.

It’s important to remember that the “Mission: Impossible” series became famous not for its innovative plots, but for its signature blend of witty humor, well-choreographed action, cutting-edge special effects and pure Tom Cruise-iness that keeps the audience laughing. While “MI-GP” falls slightly short of the complex storylines of the previous movies, director Brad Bird’s careful preservation of the brand makes it a fun holiday flick.

The “Mission: Impossible” series is based on the classic team-on-a-mission dynamic that, when properly executed, never fails to impress. “MI-GP” adds a spy twist to the team dynamic and executes it spectacularly. Clever banter, inventively unrealistic spy gadgets and generally solid acting by Cruise and his team almost completely excuse the minor plot flaws in the film.

As for the few plot flaws, “MI-GP” experiences an unfortunate identity crisis when it occasionally tries to tug at viewers’ heartstrings between scenes of Tom Cruise shooting bad guys. This sentimental subplot of the film, involving some agents losing significant others, could have been smoothly worked into the action, but it’s far too underdeveloped to feel genuine. Instead, it’s like someone tacked on the subplot to set the movie apart from typical action-comedies in an unnecessary move.

While the action scenes in “MI-GP” aren’t groundbreaking, they’re extremely well done and reflect the movie’s $80 million budget. The writers and action choreographers managed to avoid all but the most unavoidable action clichés, and those that they do put in — like Tom Cruise getting up after injuries that would put anyone else in a hospital — would offend only the most serious of filmgoers.

Ultimately, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” is a thrilling and engaging action-comedy, though it has some weaknesses. If you’re looking for drama or romance in your movies, then skip “Mission Impossible” and watch “Breaking Dawn: Part One” instead. But if you like flashy cars and nerve-racking action, or if you just want to see an entertaining and upbeat movie over winter break, then check out this film.