Not as good as the first, but John Woo saves it from mediocrity.

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2000)

MI2 is a mixed bag. Overall, yes, it is a great movie. But compared to the first Mission Impossible or John Woo's Face/Off, it doesn't hold up. What hurts MI2 more than anything is the script. The threat of a super-virus is not only laughably lame, but about five years out of date. Also imbedded in the story is a romance between Ethan Hunt and a master thief named Naya that is particularly straining. Essentially, MI2 became a James Bond movie, but even the relationships presented in Bond movies never seemed this serious from the get go. There's even a scene where Cruise says to her "Stay alive no matter what!" as if it were ripped right out of Last of the Mohicans.
Also, none of the supporting characters ever get a chance to grow. In the first MI, each character was fleshed out terrifically were in MI2 they simply stand by and watch Tom Cruise do everything. I think the only reason Ving Rhames is in this is because he was in the first one. MI was subtle, smart, and suspenseful. MI2 is loud, and over the top.
So what was good about it. Trust me, after the hour long exposition, you will forget about every complaint I've said because the action that takes place is simply breathtaking. Visually, this is Woo's most stunning work so far and just as he did with Broken Arrow, Woo saves the movie with style over substance. The final motorcycle chase is flat out jaw dropping. All of the shoot-outs are staged to perfection and you won't even notice that PG-13 rating hampering Woo's style at all. If you've ever yearned to see several slo-mo shots of Tom Cruise walking/riding/jumping through flames, your prayers have been answered.
However when it's all over, it just won't seem right. The original was unique in its ability to hold back from blowing everything up. In MI2 there is no holding back. And while that's okay to an extent, sometimes great tension and suspense can be a better payoff than ten-thousand bullets destroying everything in site.