Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) - Review

Part 2 of our Mission: Impossible reviews brings us to the most unique film in the series: Mission: Impossible 2. After the success of the first Mission film, producers Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner wanted to bring in a new director to keep the sequel fresh. Enter Chinese action director John Woo, known for his unique visual style. What resulted was a one of a kind flick that truly stands alone, for better or worse, from the M:I franchise.

In Mission: Impossible 2, spy Ethan Hunt returns to stop rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from stealing a super-virus and releasing it into the population to in turn sell the antidote for big profits. Complicating matters is Nyah (Thandie Newton), Ethan's new love interest and Ambrose's ex-lover, who is recruited to go undercover and provide intel on Ambrose's plans.

While De Palma's original was a cerebral, psychological thriller as much as it was a popcorn blockbuster, Woo's take is a huge departure in style, trading in the nuance for stylized action and romance. While it mostly succeeds on those merits, the film itself is a case of too much style, not enough substance.

Cruise as Hunt is again the show stealer. More of a Bond playboy superspy in this film, Cruise is believable, but does not seem comfortable in that role. Thandie Newton is sexy and seductive as Nyah, but her character is completely designed to service the plot, and act as a point of contention between Hunt and Ambrose. Nyah is certainly a character that has not aged well. For example, when Hunt questions IMF Director Anthony Hopkins that Nyah doesn't have the training to go undercover, Hopkins replies "To go to bed with a man and lie to him? She's a woman, she's got all the training she needs." Certainly not the most empowering female character to ever grace the big screen.

Ambrose is laughable as the villain. Cartoonish and whiny, Dougray Scott is never convincingly intimidating, except in one scene where he is mutilating his own body guard. A body guard who, when he later dies, Ambrose openly weeps over. Very poor.

While Woo's direction I am sure is partly to blame for the weak characters in M:I 2, the script cannot go unpunished. Written by Robert Towne, the dialogue feels more like satire on occasion than serious. In fact, I would not be surprised if Woo dreamt up the action scenes and then Towne crafted the screenplay around them.

The one thing M:I 2 has going for it are its action scenes. Wonderfully shot, the rock climbing scene, the Biocyte break-in and ensuing shoot-out, and the final showdown at Ambrose's compound are thrilling, particularly with Woo's visual flair and long, uninterrupted takes. The final fight with Ambrose does take a step into the ridiculous (joust on motor bikes, anyone?), but the hand to hand combat is very well choreographed, and props to Tom Cruise who as always performed his own stunts. In addition, I would be remiss if I did not mention that the car chase between Ethan and Nyah is nearly an identical ripoff of the car chase in Goldeneye, a far superior spy film (and one of my favourite Bond films).

Where the film falters is in its first and second act. Back loaded with all of the action, the middle portions of the film are an utter snoozer, focusing on the love triangle between Hunt, Nyah and Ambrose. Nyah and Ambrose are too underdeveloped for viewers to care, and Ethan Hunt is not a very romantic character for us to root for. While the beautiful cinematography of Australia by Jeffrey L. Kimball keeps the film visually pleasing during the slow parts, the weak script checked me out 20 minutes in.

Mission: Impossible 2 is undoubtedly the weakest entry into the series. With a weak script and weak performances from the love interest and the main villain, there are still some parts to enjoy. The action is strong, Ethan is a likeable badass, and Luther (Ving Rhames) and Billy (John Polson) are a fun team. M: I 2 is a great Saturday afternoon flick to pop in while doing other things, checking back in during the good parts. RENTAL.