Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Tom Cruise returns in the role of Ethan Hunt under the direction of John Woo, doing what he does best. He smiles and broods. His face has finally lost all of its boyish look; however, his acting has not matured as well as his features. Sure he doesn't have much real acting to do in this movie anyway, since it is nothing more than an action film with a meager love story thrown in for good measure.

John Woo however is more entertaining. He stages a great motorcycle/car chase sequence. It kept me 'on the edge of my seat'. The fight scenes however were too stagy and fake. The use of slow motion during several action sequences only accentuated it.

Ethan Hunt seems to have limitless information and access to any and all weapons or gadgets. I watched the film thinking 'how could he possibly know that' half the time. The one gimmick however that gets used so often it becomes boring as well as predictable is the realistic masks that you can spot before they are pulled off.

This film should have been called Mission Implausible.

Mission Implausible is right; however, I have a few minor points to make which Eric either overlooked or just doesn't agree with.

First of all, Tom Cruise is THE preeminent male movie star of his generation, bar none. As such his screen magnetism is beyond reproach. He is certainly on a par with Cary Grant and Robert Redford and like them has never won an Oscar for his acting. Cruise's style is subtle yet effective, therefore I think Eric's criticism of his performance or rather lack thereof is unfounded.

My second point is Eric's failure to mention, even in passing, the fine job Thandie Newton does as Ethan Hunt's love interest. It's true that the role is nothing more than a glorified Bond girl but the chemistry between them is undeniable. She has a rare beauty accentuated by large expressive eyes. Since her performance as the title character in Oprah Winfrey's Beloved did not garner much attention it is nice to know she has another shot at stardom.

All in all it was worth the admission price for Cruise, Newton, the pacing, and the action sequences; and you even get Anthony Hopkins thrown in for good measure.

I have to admit, I went into this movie expecting to like it. I enjoyed the original very much and expected its sequel to be at least as good. However, as I left the theatre, my primary feeling was disappointment.

It wasn't just that the plot was full of holes large enough to drive a truck through, it wasn't that, contrary to Patrick's comments, I felt no chemistry between the two leads, it wasn't even that Ving Rhames and Anthony Hopkins are really just glorified cameos. It was more a disappointment in the lack of suspense and real tension. Never once did I feel Ethan Hunt was in danger. In this film he becomes a walking Superman, capable of any feat or action, able to come through it all unscathed, except perhaps for a sexy cut here or there.

It is possible to enjoy this movie, just check your mind at the door. Thinking too much during this film will definitely kill your enjoyment of it.