Mission: Impossible II Review

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2018)

Mission: Impossible - 2 is a film directed by John Woo. Many people have cited this to be the worst entry in the M: I series. I can also say the very same thing after I saw it again.
Plot: Ethan and his IMF team have to retrieve a biological weapon called Chimer from rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose, who intends to make a profit out of it.
Story and direction: After loving the film Face/Off (again by John Woo and by far his best Hollywood attempt) I would say that I had high expectations from this film. First, let us get on with the positives. The set design and scenery of Australia is very beautifully utilized. I feel in love with Australia after watching this film. The cinematography of the film is what enhanced the scenery. Hans Zimmer's score is also awesome. The scenes had an additional layer of tension thanks to the BGM. Most of the action scenes too worked for me. Now, for the negatives of the film. The plot itself is very boring. I was invested in the first 15 minutes or so of the film and towards the end, the film gets interesting. It is the middle half/45 minutes that are so badly written. It is also full of unnecessary drama that the film didn't need. The villain I felt was set up very nicely and provided nice characterization. But he was underplayed as the makers wanted to focus on Nyah and Ethan's romance, which was dull and drab. Even for a moment I wasn't invested in that part of the story. And sometimes, the action scenes did have a lot of slo-mo. I understand that slo-mo is a technique that is used to enhance a particular scene. But in this film, it is used in almost every scene. And that finished its effect that it tried to create and irritated me after some time.
Performances: Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames were just spot on and gave charismatic performances. Thandie Newton was also good, it is just her character felt unnecessary to the plot. Dougray Scott did give an effective performance but it would have well appreciated if he was given more importance. Richard Roxburgh and Brendan Gleeson did provide good supporting roles. And finally, Anthony Hopkins. Although his role was more of a cameo, it was good to see him.
Favorite Scene: It was where Hunt and his team decide to infiltrate Biocyte and destroy Chimera while Sean and his team decode the steps Ethan will take to destroy the Chimera. This scene for once displayed the capabilities of Sean as a capable villain giving a toigh competition to our hero, Ethan Hunt.
Verdict: The film could have been better if it would have stuck to the tension and thrill that any spy film needs instead of focusing on the romance. It felt like a romantic drama instead of a spy thriller film. This film felt like a detour from the previous instalment. I would say this film as more of a time pass and can be avoided. Only watch it for the stunts and the charismatic Tom Cruise.
I am going with a 6/10.