Cruise likes setting fire to the enemy hideout. Cruise jawbones them while he's slaying them with fists, feet, guns, explosives and incredible bulletproof charm. Cruise charms Newton so they can leave together at the end. As in a James Bond adventure, plenty of high-tech gadgetry and unlikely chase scenes. As in both the Bond and old MI series, there's a readily-available backup team with helicopters, rocket launchers, radio communication and lots of hired hands to clean up all the mess.
Cruise is both sufficiently earnest and magnetic to carry the lead role.
Thandie Newton is a fresh-faced relative newcomer who does little but look like a model, but she does it well. Dougray Scott is a believable villain, and Anthony Hopkins' cameo as the mysterious boss of the MI team adds a touch of class to all the flash and dash. MI 2 is not overly complex and it doesn't get distracted. It just delivers a straightforward, concentrated action film, the fate of the world in the balance and all that. It won't be viewed as Academy Award material.