One Long Self-Indulgence in Narcissism

Rating: 1/10 (16 October 2001)

Hey, Tom Cruise. If you are reading this comment, I want to tell you that your recent movie "Mission Impossible 2" STINKS. Tom, you and your sidekick John Woo (who is reputed to be a very competent director) seem to lack any common sense. In this movie, your character, Ethan Hunt, is virtually Superman himself. He can shoot from a moving motorcycle and hit a target without any problem whatsoever. He is a martial arts expert, better than Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme combined. He is a great lady-killer, better than Casanova, Don Juan or James Bond. I was amazed that he did not fire laser beams from his eyes. Ethan nonchalantly does super dangerous things just for the heck of it and succeeds without any problem whatsoever. Tom, let me teach you common sense. When a character is so absolutely perfect and super-duper cool, the character becomes very boring and tiring. Moreover, after Ethan repeatedly puts himself in danger for no rational reason (maybe just for the fun of it), I became sick and tired of his self-indulgent, childish antics.
Even worse, Tom, why did this movie focus so much on your character? It looked as if your character dominated all the major scenes in the movie. I saw you so much in the movie that I couldn't stand seeing your face anymore. Tom, don't you know that the fun of any drama--be it a film or TV show--is in watching the interactions of different characters? There is nothing more boring than looking at one face and listening to one person for hours and hours. Moreover, because I saw you so much in this movie, I know what kind of person you are. Your ego is so puffed up that you wanted yourself and nobody else to be acting in this film. That is, you wanted all the other actors, even greats like Anthony Hopkins and Ving Rhames, to be insignificant bit players.
I remember the old TV series "Mission Impossible." Using the name "Mission Impossible" as the title of this film is a total rip-off. Your movie "MI 2" is "Mission Impossible" in name only. Your movie has no relationship whatsoever to the TV series. "MI 2" does not have the careful planning or the finesse of the TV series. It is just one long self-indulgence to satisfy your own narcissism. Many critics accuse your friend Sylvester Stallone of making narcissistic movies. But compared to you, he is a paragon of modesty. Tom, you are a peerless narcissist. In the future, if you want to admire yourself, please do it in front of your own bathroom mirror. Please do not make a movie for the sole purpose of indulging in self-admiration. Your ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, once remarked that you love nobody but yourself. Judging from the narcissism of "MI 2," you must be madly in love with yourself.