Tom Cruise's show

Rating: 7/10 (30 August 2005)

Brian De Palma's original worked more through suspense and style than action, but it's obvious that star and producer Tom Cruise wanted the stunts to star this time round, and so action director John Woo was recruited. While the first film was better made than this sequel, the change of focus has actually turned out to be no bad thing, as Mission: Impossible II is a more thrilling and far more accessible film than the first. Really, this isn't a sequel to the first film at all, with the only similarities between the two being that both Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames reprise their roles. I said their roles, not their characters and although the names have stayed the same; the characters haven't. Cruise's capable, yet slightly vulnerable persona in the first film has replaced by a glossy haired, all action terminator, and it's obvious that Cruise was more bothered about how he'll look on screen than staying true to the original. The plot, and everything in the film, plays second fiddle to Cruise's star profile, and while this can get annoying after a while; seeing Cruise tear his way through mountains of enemies has a sort of farcical brilliance to it.
As mentioned, the plot plays second fiddle; but surprisingly enough, it's actually not bad! We follow the creation of a genetically modified disease called "Chimera" and, of course, Cruise is on hand to dispatch it. One of his former colleagues wants to buy both the disease and the antidote so that he can infect everyone and then sell them the cure! This isn't the most brilliant of plots ever conceived, but it's a lot better than what I was expecting from a film like this. John Woo injects his usual panache to the film, including many shots of the leads in slow motion, double gun shootouts, motorbikes, doves...etc etc. While Woo obviously knows how to direct an action scene, it seems out of place in a film that's supposed to be about daring espionage. The original theme has been given an overhaul too, which is quite fitting since this has recycled just about everything else from the first movie. One idea from the first that's been used and used again is the rubber mask thing. This is good the first couple of times you see it, but after the twentieth time, it starts to get a little old. This is pretty much what you'd expect from an action film, but it takes it's main elements and does well with them. Really, this is a piece of kitsch; but it's an enjoyable one, and it's hard to really hate it.