ACTION in capital letters - sets the standard how action movies should be made

Rating: 9/10 (3 May 2006)

I am movie junkie and appreciate all genres. However, when I go and see one I want to see what I expect - the best of that genre or simply the director and cast pushing the envelope to the limit. This one is so close to being the best action feature I have ever seen I hesitated giving it a clear 10. It has everything: proper plot - world threatening danger, car/bike chasing, great fight scenes (slowed down in short intervals so one can really enjoy the choreography), hi-tech gadgets, love worth risking your life, perfectly composed and aligned music scores and final showdown between the hero and villain. The last is very characteristic for John Woo and is one of his best trademarks (see Hart Target, Face Off, Paycheck). Certain scenes, where music and heart-beats substitute words and sound effects, are simply perfect and unsurpassed for an action movie. As for the actors, the cast is right on the spot, Tom Cruise is at its best, and Thandie Newton is so natural and has such realistic appeal she is surreal. Even the dialogs are never over the top. The rest of the cast - Sir Anthony Hopkins,Ving Rahmes and Dougray Scott with his Scottish accent as the villain - fits perfectly in the whole setting and have strong presence (even with limited appearance - Hopkins). Finally, if you expect a realistic story or a soft action/thriller like the first part you won't be amazed, but if you can really appreciate adrenaline packed action movie at its best go see it at once, or even better get your own DVD copy, you won't regret it.