Apparently, making a "new" action film is mission: impossible

Rating: 5/10 (5 July 2000)

OK, we'll get this out of the way, first thing, I liked the first Mission: Impossible. A lot of people do not. I did. A lot. Mainly because it was tricky, it was unpredictable, it made something new by playing on audiences expectations of the old, but its these expectations of old that M:I2 sticks directly to. Right to a fault.
You may say, hey, its a proven formula, why not stick with it. So, yes, M:I2 does have some good action, some great action. If that is what you came to see, that is what you are going to get. Some good action.
The thing is, I expected so much more from John Woo. I knew he was going to destroy everything the original stood for and turn it into an action movie with kung fu, explosions, and who can forget, pigeons, and I was absolutely blown away by Face/Off, and excitied by the M:I2 trailer, so what then was the problem. Well... I suppose my expectations may have been too high, exciting yes, but new, different or special, no. Just above average really.
Then the plot... uh, well, usually in action movies they spend as little time on the plot as possible. This, however is a Mission: Impossible film so you must, must include all sorts of espionage and hi-tech bits and pieces and face swapping (what do these people conveniently walk around with a bag with other peoples faces in it). So a lot of time is spent on plot, while it is paper thin they've tried to complex it up, but they still cannot save it. Just another terrorist thriller plot. Should have just left it as an excuse for more action. And the romance, the supposed backbone of the story, well, although Thandie Newton is one sexy lass, it is a thoroughly rushed, unbelievable, and subsequently indifferent romance. Who cares? I didn't. And John Woo, master of the over the top, who pulls of brilliant action scenes, explosions and slow motion hero shots in Face/Off, which was just over-the-top to begin with so it was a lot of fun, here though every thing is taken to seriously and Woo's direction just seems off the mark, tacky, and in the case of Tom Cruise's hero shots, dare I say, homoerotic. All this and the returning characters from M:I were bastardized along with the rest of it. If you want good action, see the movie, if you want to see a landmark action film, wait for another.