Dumbed Down But Still Fun

Rating: 8/10 (28 May 2000)

Sure, this sequel was dumbed down from the not-so-smart
original, but it's still a lot of fun. For once, the stuff I
hate in Woo's films (starting with those damned pigeons) was
kept to a minimum, while what he does best (action) was at the
forefront. He even showed some development in the area of human
psychology. Be warned, there are some big lifts from Hitchcock
("Notorious" and a second villain right out of "North by
Northwest"), but the thing moves so fast you won't have time to
resent it.
Best things in the film besides the action: Cruise's smile--in
this film his character is very much a danger junkie; his scene
with Anthony Hopkins early on setting up the plot; Ving Rhames'
return; and, best of the best, Thandie Newton. Not only is she
beautiful, but she has a wonderfully expressive body and face
with the biggest eyes since Bambi. She manages to give the film
some depth without slowing anything down. I hope this picture
makes her a