No Personal Involvement

Rating: 5/10 (29 November 2000)

The sequel to a very successful, albeit lousy, 1996 thriller is John Woo's follow-up to his very successful (and delightful) "Face/Off". This time, however, Woo doesn't have the same kinetic energy that made "Face/Off" so entertaining. The stunts, by comparison, are somewhat restrained, the plot not as convoluted or compelling (even if the script is by the revered Robert Towne) and the acting is anemic, a far cry from the over-the-top scenery chewing of Nicholas Cage and John Travolta. Tom Cruise, as hero Ethan Hunt, has a presence but only the right directors can exploit it (Paul Thomas Anderson comes to mind) and Woo's interests are far from acting. The rest of the cast is comparably weak, including Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames and, in a cameo, Anthony Hopkins. With no personal investment to speak of, the film comes off as cold and methodical, designed solely for big bucks at the box office. Cruise may simply have more of a financial involvement (he's one of the producers) and he seems to be marking time between more interesting projects.