Mission Impossible II (1996)

A walk in a very pretty park

John Woo's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 is a sight for the eyes and a joy for the ears. Unfortunately, that's really about it. Easily the weakest of Tom Cruise's M:I series, M:I2 is also the most non-canon of the three in terms of character writing and design. While the first and third films in the series featured a gritty style with just enough action to get the pulse running, M:I2 is all action. Outrageous action. Slow-motion gun battles, dueling motorcycles, and explosions are the name of the game this time around, with Woo lending his signature doves and run, gun and dive gunplay to the franchise. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of anything resembling a story. You see, Mr Robert Townsend, who co-wrote the first film, was told that the first's plot was too complicated for audiences, and was basically asked to write in filler to take place between the elaborate explosions. Still, Townsend writes some great filler, with Anthony Hopkins coming on board in an uncredited role and delivering the film's best lines. Hans Zimmer provides the film's score, which while hardly original, fits the mood of the picture perfectly, conveying the larger-than-life summer action feel brilliantly. Acting is about what you'd expect from a film of this kind, and while the visual style is slick and the action pieces breathtaking, both feel out of place. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE worked because it wasn't James Bond, but stood on its own two feet. That's sadly not the case with M:I2, as other than the music and visuals, the film is too busy chasing after 007 to amount to anything. Finally, the character of Ethan Hunt spends the entire film acting atypically when compared with the first and third films. Here, he comes across as a thrillseeker while in the others he's more pragmatic. My advice: Watch the first, skip the second, and move right to the third. September 13, 2007

It's just an action movie

I think this movie was rated bad by people because it was so different from the first one. I went to watch this movie thinking it was going to be long, kinda drab but still in its own way interesting like the first. But instead it added a few things that the first one could have used like ACTION. I think this movie was a good combination of a modern action movie well balanced with
technical expertise and suspense. This movie had a sexy feel that flowed smoothly throughout the movie that just kept you hook until the end. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt. Anthony hopkin and Ving Rhames where also good elements added for this movie. March 5, 2007

MI2: Revisited

Yeah, I know. It's so easy to 'dis this flick. And hey, the first time I saw it, I was not a huge fan either. However, I happened to catch this movie again the other day.

Now, I am of the opinion that a movie's first and foremost job is to entertain -- not to enlighten, not to inform, not to make us feel more intellectual because we have plowed the shadowy depths of a film's varied and multi-layered philisophical underpinnings. If a movie fails to entertain, then it has failed utterly. I don't care how successful it is on any other front.

MI2 is a very entertaining movie. You can't take your eyes off of it. The action is completely engaging and there's just enough plot and dialogue in between. I know, I know; you guys all want to look cool and agree with the rest of the sheeple, er, filmgoers by dismissing this flick as mere fluff, but if you're looking for any sort of depth from this sort of fare, what in tarnation were you thinking???

This movie is entertaining, therefore it succeeds. June 21, 2006

Almost "2" Impossible To Watch

"Mr. Hunt, this isn't Mission: Difficult, this is Mission: Impossible. Difficult should be a walk in the park." - Commander Swanbeck makes sure that Ethan Hunt is well aware he is in "Mission: Impossible 2"

Tom Cruise stars in, while John Woo directs a lackluster sequel, to the original "Mission", that has so many outlandish action sequences it's almost too cartoonish to watch.

Taking place a few years after "Mission: Impossible", "M:I 2" has a rogue IMF agent, Sean Ambrose, stealing the vaccine to a highly deadly genetic enhanced virus that can infect the world's popluation within a week of it's release.

The IMF assigns Ethan Hunt to the mission. Ambrose disguises himself as Hunt early on in the film, to steal the vaccine from it's creator, making Hunt itching for some payback, & at first, making the IMF question Hunt's loyalties.

Ethan must first, contact & hook up with Nyah Nordoff-Hall, a thief & former lover of Ambrose's. Second, Ethan has to not only retrieve the vaccine, but, also must get to the virus before Ambrose does. Easier said than done, after all this is "Mission: Impossible".

"M:I 2" is easily the weakest of three "M:I" movies. Although, the plot is pretty solid, their are some holes. The big one for me, was at the end of the film when Nyah is infected. Her symptoms are nowhere near as bad as the scientist at the beginning of the film. She's concious, there is no blood loss, & she just seems to be stumbling around like a drunk (yeah, she looks infected to me & I totally f**king bought it).

This is Tom Cruise's vanity project. I know between takes somebody had a mirror in front of him, making sure somebody loved him.

Dougray Scott was originally offered the role of Wolverine in "The X-Men", but, due to over shooting on this film he had no choice but to pass on the role. Enter Hugh Jackman. Snikt! Exit Dougray Scott's career.

The action is a bit much in this film & is the absolute big drawback to "M:I 2". A few action sequences mirror too much of past Woo films.

The motorcycle chase reminded a little bit of "Hard Target" & when Hunt & Ambrose do the chest bump off the motorcycle's it reminded of a similar sequence from "Face/Off".

"M:I 2" is a decent film, that I expected much more out of both Tom Cruise & John Woo, & if it self destructs in five seconds, I won't lose sleep over it.

June 6, 2006

AWFUL

This movie was not only stupid, but it also stained the MI series with a huge inconsistant sequal. The storyline is just plain shaky. Tom Cruise was NOT the Ethan hunt that he was in the first one. He turned into some into some guy who laughs at everything, he lost ALL of his charm that he had in the first movie. This was a TERRIBLE MOVIE!!! The characters were so differnet then the first one, and gosh the worst part of this movie was how inconsistant it was from the first one. Only buy this if you absolutly have to, but let me warn you, it is a WASTE!!! May 31, 2006

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