Mission Impossible II

Rating: 5/10 (10 May 2006)

Four years since the first film, director John Woo (Broken Arrow, Face/Off) brings us the sequel to the hit action spy thriller based on the popular TV series. Basically Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is assigned to find and destroy a genetically created disease/virus called 'Chimera' and what is impossible is that he is not the only one wanting it. With the cure 'Bellerophon' being stolen by former IMF (Impossible Missions Force) turned villain Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), who plans infect the whole world, Hunt finds and falls for thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), he needs her to find the terrorists' location. Also starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as Mission Commander Swanbeck, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, Moulin Rouge's Richard Roxburgh as Hugh Stamp, John Polson as Billy Baird, Brendan Gleeson as John C. McCloy, Mighty Joe Young's Rade Serbedzija as Dr. Nekhorvich, Lost's William Mapother as Wallis and Prison Break's Dominic Purcell as Ulrich. I think the only problem with this sequel is that you don't get the feeling that anything that needs done is impossible to do, apart from maybe one scene, and it doesn't just start slowly, it almost all is, apart from a few good chases and at least one good explosion. Tom Cruise was number 32 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 25 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, and he was number 81 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons. Worth watching!