Outstanding mediocrity

Rating: 5/10 (28 October 2006)

Technical extravaganza, helmed by violence artist John Woo, for better or worse subverts any intention this movie has to be taken seriously in the slightest, and in turn provides some pretty spiffy action entertainment. Offering stark counterpoint to Brian De Palma's more grounded, practical minded, more serious original, Woo seizes the opportunity to bask in this cash cow franchise with some of his most ludicrous, surreal, and fascinating choreography and stuntwork to date, all under the blanket, of course, of the certifiably generic script. Complete with viruses, bitter ex-agents and femme fatals, MI2's weak plot won't matter much once the insanely over-the-top tone soaks in. While detailing some of the particulars leading up to the convoluted action might not be his strong point, Woo definitely manages to make some of the scenes exude far more sensuality then they have any right to be (the help of luscious Thandie Newton does not hurt), and while Cruise's "bad in black" shtick might not have stuck, the impressive lensing makes even this look badass.