Tom Cruise's Ego Trip

Rating: 5/10 (27 May 2000)

There's no real way to describe how I felt about "Mission: Impossible 2". Perhaps the only way to put it is that if the first film's glaring problem was that there was too much plot, the second film's glaring error is that there is too little plot. Bottom line, "M:I-2" simply can't be held afloat by its special effects alone.
However, the action sequences are what makes this movie a benchmark for future directing. Employing bullet time photography (last seen in "The Matrix"), the special effects team has created the most amazing action sequences this side of "Gladiator". As a requisite of the filmmaking techniques of John Woo ("Broken Arrow", "Face/Off"), "M:I-2" is chock full of heart stopping action, accompanied by the presence of white doves fleeing battle, and enough over-dramatism to make Baz Luhrmann blush.
The main problem lies in the same fact that made "Battlefield: Earth" a terrible miscalculation: The ability of big name stars to produce their very own pet projects. Tom Cruise obviously had a little more than a lot to do with the way in which the film was put together. The entire plot revolves around his character, the neo-Bond IMF agent, Ethan Hunt. Cruise claims that the only thing that remains the same about his character is the name. He's right in that respect. Gone is the clean cut, debonair but calculating, and most importantly, vulnerable, Ethan Hunt. Arriving out of left field is the brand new, so fearless he's almost stupid, "I would do anything for love" Ethan Hunt.
Just on an up note, the stunts in this film are simply amazing. I would like to extend my personal kudos to Tom Cruise for volunteering to do the rock climbing scene himself. John Woo wanted to make himself perfectly clear when stating that all the stunts were done old-fashioned, and were only "slightly" enhanced by CGI manipulation.
I am personally unsure of what point was being made by the production of this film. What it boils down to is the shameless use of two hours and ten minutes as a vehicle for new special effects techniques. Making her appearance as Nyah, an internationally renowned thief and love interest of Mr. Hunt, is Thandie Newton. While Miss Newton CAN act, she can only do so in the respect that she's the perfect Woo heroine: spunky and sexy. The regrettable fact is that it feels throughout the film that they built a complex, promising plot and realized they had to shave away at it to jam in a hammed up love story.
The presence of Anthony Hopkins is a plus, but it's obvious that he is only present to add another high profile name to the marquee. The sad truth is that Sir Anthony is only given a sparse four or five minutes of screen time.
The final product: This film should have been looked over seriously before release. It's not half as complex as the last film, which will, regrettably, be a plus in the minds of most moviegoers. The overacting is anything but endearing, and the villain is nowhere near believable, but that's Hollywood. The special effects are amazing, but a tad over-the-top (see car chase/carousel ride). And we come to an end result that we should leave the acting to the actors and the directing to the directors. Sorry, Tom. Swinging for the fences doesn't always bring a home run.