Just as Bad as the First for Different Reasons

Rating: Null/10 (21 September 2000)

Mission:Impossible 2(2000) is the polar opposite of the first film. The first film was overly complex while this one is overly simplex. M:I1 relied on intrigue and mystery and M:I2 relies on action. Tom Cruise was a by the book and clean cut agent in part one and he is a long haired anything goes type of agent in part two.

It surpasses Broken Arrow(1996) as one of John Woo's worst films. His three worst films are 1.Blackjack(1998), 2.Mission:Impossible 2(2000), and Broken Arrow(1996). The problem is that the action does not have the intensity of his top Hong Kong films. I didn't expect the movie to be as emotionally stimulating or intensive as The Killer(1989), and Bullet in the Head(1990), but I did expect the film to be better then it was.

I give the director the benefit of the doubt because I read somewhere that the director wasn't able to make his kind of movie due to the interference of the actor/producer. Tom Cruise is a good actor but he is not an action star. Tom Cruise as with Christian Slater in Broken arrow(1996) proved that he do not have what it takes to be an action hero. This is the second time that the actor was in a lousy film by an excellent director(the other time was with Martin Scorsese during the making of The Color of Money-1986).

M:I2 is a politically correct version of Notorious(1946) with shades of North by Northwest(1959). Dougray Scott does ok as the main heavy. The best sequence in the entire movie is the shootout in the lab. I only wished that the film followed the team aspect of the show because its a concept that John Woo has dealt with before.

Antony Hopkins and Thandie Newton are wasted are wasted in this film. Tom Cruise is not Cary Grant as that actor was cool and suave. John Woo is a talented film maker but is not in the same level as Alfred Hitchcock. For people interested in John Woo movies, I suggest films like Heroes Shed No Tears(1983) & Just Heroes(1987).