Not one of John Woo's better films

Rating: 5/10 (29 August 2016)

Another summer blockbuster and a fine example of Tom Cruise's fat, bloated ego, exemplified by the various shots designed to show off how "cool" and "sexy" Cruise really is. Thankfully ditching the head-scratching plot of the first film, Woo and Cruise strive to create a James Bond-type feel to this action adventure, and ably succeed. While it's a lot easier to follow than Brian de Palma's 1996 hit, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II is frustratingly difficult to like, and happy to trot out cliché after uninspired cliché as its plot.
Action/Woo fans are also bound to be disappointed by the sheer lack of gunfights/battles/chases in this film as well. From the sheer spectacle of the dangerous cliff-hanging opening to the sickly sweet, sentimental ending, this film mostly fails to deliver the goods. The token car chase is done as gasp comedy, while the standard gun battle is over far too quickly and is also far less violent than in Woo's previous films - for a start, most of the deaths are off screen! The film only really comes into it's own with a stylish motorbike chase: it's fast, furious (and, as par for the course, totally outlandish), and also extremely thrilling, with plenty of explosions and stunts to keep the rubber burning and the octane pumping.
Aside from this spectacular finish, the first hour of this film is stultifyingly boring, and mostly consists of static conversations. Far too much reliance is placed on loud music for effect, and the acting is nothing to write home about. Cruise is fairly wooden and too good looking for the hero, while Thandie Newton starts off well and goes downhill quickly. Dougray Scott makes the best of his bad guy, but can't disguise the ill fortune of his miscasting, while Anthony Hopkins sleepwalks a pointless cameo. Ving Rhames is also wasted, once again, in a supporting role. Why not give this guy a break and cast him as the lead for a change! The clichés come quick and fast in this film, and you'll lose count of the number of times we see characters remove their rubber faces to reveal somebody else hidden underneath. And, while I'm at it, Woo, have you ever heard of subtlety? By the time I saw those bloody doves flying about in slow motion AGAIN I was ready to tear my hair out. No doubt that this film was designed to be shown at the cinema; as it's full of loud action and music, watching it at home on video will surely lose a lot of the effect. Aside from the motorbike chase (which is top notch) this adventure is strictly par for the course.