Abort Mission! Abort Mission! This film really is mediocre! Don't bother, seeing this movie! Disavowed this!

Rating: 5/10 (28 September 2017)

While, the more recent films in the 'Mission: Impossible' series, are highly enjoyable. This movie is not. It's impossible to watch! Although, this 2000 sequel directed by John Woo is far more stylized and action-packed than the first action reboot film directed by Brian De Palma in 1996, also based off the television show of the same name (1966-1973). It's also, a lot more over the top, and cheesy. While, some people might like that, I found it, to be, too much of a dumb repetitive overused rethread that got quickly tiresome. All the flying doves, unrealistic wire-works, dual-wielding pistols, explosive, mirror shots, and ridiculous face masks make it seem like, I was watching the 1997's action film, 'Face/Off', all over again. It barely resembles 'Mission: Impossible'. You would think a spy movie like this, would have cleverer, well-thought out infiltrate scenes like the original. Sadly, it does not. Instead, the movie fill up the time, with clumsy and pointless similar actions scenes of the Pierce Brosnan's 'James Bond' era, such as people in love, nearly running each other, off the road in car chases, everybody shooting at and drunkenly handling the dangerous, fragile McGuffin that can wipe everybody off, the face of the world, as if it's a bottle of booze, and tons of climbing and jumping off things, just there to feed Tom Cruise's ego. It's really lame. Another thing, this movie destroys with its shallow action, is the sophistical twist and turns of the psychodrama that the first movie, established. This sequel's plot of finding and destroy, a genetically modified disease is unique, but it's also, a bit paper-thin & disappointing. I was really, hoping for something more complex. Something in the same vain as 1998's thriller novel by Richard Preston, 'the Cobra Event'. Don't get me wrong, the movie tries to be smart in its unrealistic out of the blue love-story between IMF agent, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) & pickpocket theft, Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), by copying the classic Alfred Hitchcock's 1946's film, 'Notorious', by having a spy falls in love with a woman, whom arrangement, requires her to get back with her ex, in order to find a dangerous weapon. Yet, the screenwriter, Robert Towne doesn't do much new development with it, so the subplot in this film, come across, more like a rip-off, than a homage. The love story was also so bad written with its over-lovely dialogue that the relationship between Hall & Hunt, became so fake-looking that the couple don't even carry over to the other sequels. Despite that, the acting between Newton and Cruise was alright. The two had some chemistry, but the film doesn't give enough time for the characters, much to click. It doesn't help that the villain for this film, doesn't add much, weight to the triangle. He was highly forgettable to the point that I forgot his name for this review. I had to look it up. It's also sucks, that Dougray Scott's thin Scottish accent makes it, really hard to understand, anything that ex-IMF Sean Ambrose is saying. He was by far, the worst thing, in this movie. Regardless of the villain, Tom Cruise doing 95% of his own stunts like the 'knife near the eye' scene, is pretty impressive. I just don't buy him, knowing martial arts. As for the music score, I have mixed feelings about the soundtrack. I kinda dig the new rock version of 'the Mission impossible' theme song with the guitar rip. However, rap-rock band Limp Bizkit 'Take a look around' version of this song is not good, as the lyrics has little to do, on what happening in the film. It's more of an excuse for Fred Durst to defend and bash his critics for their troublesome music career. Regardless, it's not the only song that seems, out of place. The Zap Mama 'Iko Iko' song from the beginning of the film, doesn't match, the Utah desert-like settling. It sounds more like music, you would hear, in a Caribbean Cruise Line with 1988's 'Rain Man' film, playing the background. Another, out of place tune was the exotic Middle Eastern forlorn music, being played, during the love-scenes. Its seems like composer, Han Zimmer was taking a day off, and just gave the leftovers/unused music tracks from the 2000's historic film, 'Gladiator'. It really doesn't match anything, that happening on screen. It's also equally as bizarre to hear music, here, that Zimmer would use in director, Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy (2005, 2008 & 2012). Overall: All the jarring flaws, this movie, has, proves, without a doubt, in the end, this is one mission, you shouldn't accept. Just avoid. You're better off, not watching it.