Mission Too Long: II

Rating: 4/10 (13 June 2000)

All of John Woo's trademarks make their obligatory appearance in this Tom Cruise vehicle -- including being over-long.
You certainly can not accuse anyone of acting in this action flick -- they are much too busy running, fighting or dying -- or looking faintly surprised that they are running, fighting or dying.
I really wanted to give this movie a chance -- some people whose opinions I respect said that they enjoyed it; but I had to keep resisting the urge to look at my watch.
Even Thandie Newton, who played the catalyst/heroine was reduced to an object. The first shot of her (which is repeated over and over) is just a shot down the front of her blouse.
She does little more than seduce, decorate the set, and, at the end, look pale and wan.
She does have one lone, solitary scene in where her character is not totally predictable.
When `Mission Impossible' was on television it was obvious that while Peter Graves was the star it was clear that an ensemble was needed to solve whatever predicament the team found themselves in.
Not so here -- this was more of a James Bond-type story. No one else was needed. Cruise was the only real character' in this movie.
Both John Woo and Tom Cruise are capable of so much more than this movie -- which is only a money machine for both of them.
At one point Cruise's character is asked a question: His reply was `Risky'; if he had only said `Business' I would have found something in this movie to enjoy.