At least Dougray Scott isn't Wolverine. Apparently, we have this to thank for that.

Rating: 5/10 (29 July 2018)

'Mission: Impossible II (2000)' is not so much a different flavour as an entirely different meal, a cheesy Hong-Kong action movie that makes people who thought the first was too action-heavy for the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise (as it then was) seem downright foolish by comparison. It's so overwrought, so melodramatic and so sincerely self-serious that I think it'd be difficult to actually take seriously even if it had been executed successfully. As it is, the bafflingly-styled and incredibly disappointing picture often feels as though it thinks it's gut-wrenching, Shakespearean high-drama when really it's essentially just shlock. However, while it is certainly a bad film, I can't deny that there's some counter-intuitive enjoyment to be had, especially in the no-holds-barred third act. This bizarre entertainment arises because it's all so stupid and that you can laugh at, not with, the piece every few minutes when, invariably, a moment somehow sillier than the last happens. Like they say, a bad movie is better than a totally boring one, though this does unfortunately have its moments of genuine tedium, too. It does have the best uses of the series' signature masks, though. The fact it takes itself so seriously that it can't be 'in on the joke' is perhaps the icing on the cake, as even a hint of a wink would reduce the flick's already limited 'cheesy' enjoyment. To be clear, I don't particularly like this film. Yet, I don't hate it, either. 5/10