Too much style (and slo mo!), not enough substance

Rating: 5/10 (19 June 2000)

I dare anyone out there to watch this film and count how many times director John Woo uses slow motion. About 20 minutes into the movie I was gripping my seat armrests in frustration, muttering under my breath, "GET. ON. WITH. THE. SCENE!" It is rare that I notice consciously any particular technique used by a filmaker, but in this case I felt like I was being smacked over the head with a scene from "The Six Million Dollar Man" over and over and over.
Unlike at least one reviewer, I was very impressed with the female lead and her character. Sure, she was predictable, but I did not see her so much as a damsel in distress as I saw her as a woman who knew when to play it cool and when to take action. Tom Cruise was, well, Tom Cruise.

The plot? I read in an article a comment from Cruise that this movie concentrates more on Ethan Hawk's feelings and humanity than the convoluted (yet somehow entertaining because of its nearly unfathomable plot) MI: 1. Yes, it does do that. But it makes for a cliched, lurching plot, rather than an intriguing one. We are supposed to believe that Hawk, the consummate professional, falls in love with a woman because she drives almost as well as he does? Because she is a hottie? Because she has the nerve to be a thief? If Hawk did that, he would have been killed by some female spy or other by now. We needed something special, something unique, that pulled Hawk to the thief. But we never get it.
The rest of the movie depends on his feelings for her. And it is hard to tell whether his crush makes him a better or worse spy. But we go along as lots of things blow up real good.
I suppose in the end, what most bothered me about MI:2 was the boring plot. I expected more from a movie with the reputation of Mission Impossible. Instead, it seemed dumbed down in favor of style. I know, maybe Americans want that today. I guess I'm an exception. I gave MI:2 a 5.