Definitely a Tom Cruise vehicle

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2000)

No matter what they do with the Mission:Impossible movie franchise, NO ONE will ever be satisfied. The first movie was definitely more closer to the spirit of the television series. Yet, people and critics complained that the plot was too confusing and complicated, and there was not enough action. As far as I remember, the series had super complex plots and rarely had any of their IMF team hanging on to a side of a speeding train or any other daredevil stunts.
So in MI2, Cruise decided that it needed to be simpler in plot and have more wham bang action. Director John Woo definitely delivered on the action, while the plot was so simple, even a 3rd grader would understand. YET, surprise, surprise...people and critics alike still didn't like it. Tom Cruise can't win.
I admit that the sequel was more in the tradition of Bond than the series or even the first film. Yet, I found it much more refreshing. After I saw the sequel, I went home and watched the first one on video, and the time seemed to drag...I like the first film, but the second one caught my attention more, particularly Thandie Newton. Wow! She literally burned the celluloid with those sultry looks she gave Cruise.
For future sequels, I would definitely recommend that Tom have more of a team atmosphere instead of making Ethan Hunt so much of lone gun ala James Bond. But keep the action sequences and Woo as director. Now, if he can get more feasible plots, Bond might very well find competition for longest running movie series.