An improvement on the first movie

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2000)

As the credits rolled, my buddy turned to me and said loudly, "John Woo sucks!" I replied, "Are you kidding? That was better than the first one!" He spent the rest of the evening making snide comments about the movie and generally being baffled by the fact that anyone could even like the movie, let alone think it was an improvement on DePalma's "Mission Impossible."
I didn't have nearly as much trouble following the plot of the first movie as most people seemed to - but the sequel certainly eschews the needless complexity of the original with a fairly straightforward plot. There are some enjoyable twists and turns, but everything remains pretty clear.
The stuntwork and action set-pieces are better this time around, too. The laboratory break-in is clearly intended to top the fabulous computer vault break-in from the previous film. It doesn't quite make it, but it's still a great scene. The climactic scene is a spectacular chase with some stunts involving motorcycles that are every bit as impossible as the helicopter-in-a-tunnel bit seen in the first movie...but nowhere near as stupid.
Tom Cruise, as always, is an appealing hero. Ving Rhames is entertaining, if not given much to do. The real strength of the movie, I think, comes from having a much clearer and more well-defined villain; Dougray Scott projects menace and spits bile with the best of them. Also adding a great deal to the story is the presence of a real love interest - Thandie Newton is gorgeous, and makes a good partner with Tom Cruise.
My friend with the low opinion of John Woo just didn't care much for the style of the movie - the characteristic touches that make John Woo a recognizable director instead of a journeyman who points his camera. The slow-mo, the odd camera angles...I thought it made the whole package a lot more stylish and visually enjoyable than its entertaining but visually pedestrian predecessor.
Neither "Mission Impossible" movie works on quite the same level as the television series from which they take their name - about all they have in common is the name of the secret agency that the heroes work for and the "This message will self-destruct..." opening. But in judging the movies in their own right, they are pretty entertaining.
And John Woo doesn't suck.