pure adrenaline--with a plot

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2000)

In making this film, director Woo has taken the intensity and exhilaration of the vault break-in sequence in the original M:I movie and expanded it over many of his scenes, making seeing M:I2 an energy rush for the audience. There is none of the tedious and hard-to-follow dialogue of the first movie, and the plot is structured to offer the kind of trickery and twists found in a good espionage story without being so darn confusing. Cruise is skillful in his action yet remarkably genuine in his dialogue and interactions with other characters. This is a pleasant surprise after his presentation of a more cerebral and serious Ethan Hunt in the first film. M:I2 moves quickly, and the fact that Cruise performed his own stunts adds an interesting dynamic to the action that puts viewers on the edge. Thandie Newton also serves as an ideal complement to Hunt's sensuous and sensitive side. She reveals his humanity in the face of peril as well as his will to take action, which ultimately makes Cruise's character more real and intriguing than in the original M:I.