the quintessential summer blockbuster

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2000)

The whole theory about the sequel never being as good as the original is pretty much shot to hell. The original 'Mission: Impossible,' under the guidance of the action-inept Brian De Palma was mildly enjoyable, but left a funny aftertaste in the mouths of audiences. 'M:I-2' in comparison is no comparison. Hong Kong action director John Woo completely rescues the series like his name was Clark Kent. With his masterful control of the moment, and his flair for the semi-insane, he takes audiences on a two-hour joyride that they will never forget. Tom Cruise is awesome as always, reprising his role from the original as Ethan Hunt, an IM agent off to save the world, this time from a deadly virus by the name of Chimera. Dougray Scott plays a convincing villain by the name of Sean Ambrose, who hopes to hold the world ransom by releasing this virus and being the only one in the world with the cure. With unbelievable action scenes, great fight choreography, awesome special effects, and even an interesting plot, 'M:I-2' will rock you from start to finish. 'M:I-2' is truly the quintessential `blockbuster' of the summer.