Tom Cruise, MI4 team all praise for Dubai

Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, his fellow actors in the film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol along with director Brad Bird were all praise for Dubai where they shot a major part of the action-packed drama. The MI4 team, which met the international media in Dubai on Wednesday, is in town to attend the international premiere of the film on the opening night of the Dubai International Film Festival 2011. The film, which also features Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapoor and Léa Seydoux, is the fourth instalment in the mega-successful Mission: Impossible franchise and has been described as the most inventive, action-filled and visually arresting film yet. It was a celebration of the MI4 team’s return to Dubai after extensive filming in the city, including shoots spanning its old town, downtown financial hub and offshore Palm island development. The film showcases the ultra-modern face of the emirate. Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Anil Kapoor and Bird were thrilled as they recalled the experience of shooting incredible stunt sequences for the movie, including the now iconic scene of Cruise scaling the world’s tallest tower, Dubai’s stunning Burj Khalifa. “It was nerve-wracking although he (Cruise) was doing action scenes exactly as we had planned,” said Bird. Cruise said he loves adventure and keeps observing new locations wherever he goes in the world. “I was excited to see the tallest tower coming up and always wanted to shoot a film in this modern city built in the desert,” he said. Indian actor Anil Kapoor, who has played a cameo role in the film, said he has been visiting the emirate for the past 25 years, but realised the actual beauty of the city only after watching this film on the screen. “No one else has ever shot this city so beautifully on  celluloid,” he said.Recalling his experiences, Simon Pegg said, “It was all adventure, be it breaking into the Kremlin or running over the tallest building of the world,” he remarked.When asked about the reason of recreating locations in Dubai to shoot the parts actually shown as shot in India, the director said it was due to financial reasons. “We found a place in Dubai which was perfect for the film and never before shown in any other movie. We turned it into an Indian palace. It was huge saving for us,” he said.'Falling from Burj Khalifa biggest fear' Cruise may seem larger than life on-screen. But when it came to stunts on the side of the world's tallest tower, his thoughts are definitely down to earth, says Associated Press. Asked on Wednesday about his biggest fear during scenes outside the half-mile (828-metre) high Burj Khalifa, Cruise was quick with an answer: "Falling." Cruise says filmmakers had to monitor temperatures on the spire's sun-baked facade so he wouldn't get burned. That wasn't the only challenge. The actor says he didn't anticipate the cross winds.