A slight disappointment

Rating: 6/10 (1 June 2000)

I went to see "Mission: Impossible 2" expecting the sort of intelligent, thought-provoking films that John Woo does so well (e.g. "The Killers", "Hard-Boiled", "Face/Off"). Instead I saw a by-the-numbers James Bond ripoff.
One would have expected better of screenwriter Robert Towne. After all, he wrote the script for "Chinatown". Instead Towne steals elements from "Goldeneye" and "North by Northwest", only without the cleverness of those two films. (How's that for a recommendation: not as clever as a non-Connery Bond film.)
There are good points, of course. The film does have all the trademark Woo flourishes, and it has the coolest motorcycle chase/duel ever caught on celluloid. But the computer special effects looked fake and Woo seems out of his element in the wide open spaces of Australia (As you should be aware, Woo does his best work in dense urban spaces and without digital gimmickry). Plus, to my horror, the editing is patchy--the greatest sin a fast-paced action flick can commit.
Fans of Cruise and the M:I franchise will like this film. As for me, although I was somewhat entertained, I found this film a slight disappointment. I rated it a 6 out of 10.