Mission: Impossible II

Starring: Tom Cruise
Director: John Woo
Genre: Action
Year: 2000
Rating: 3 / 5

How does one top a film that brought in hundreds of million dollars worldwide? How about bringing in one of the most acclaimed action film directors of our time? Mission: Impossible II does just that, pairing returning star Tom Cruise with internationally-acclaimed director John Woo to create an awesome visual feast. In the post-Matrix film world, nothing less than jaw-dropping stunts will do, and, in that area, Mission: Impossible II does not fail. Of course, a forced love triangle and a mediocre villain make the film seem more like a string of action sequences, tied together in an attempt to create a movie.

In the modern world, one of the most dangerous concepts is the notion of biological warfare. Mission: Impossible II ceases upon this fear, as former Impossible Mission team member Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) makes plans to steal the deadly Chimera virus and unleash it on the world. One problem - in an attempt to steal this virus and its antidote, Ambrose and his team and only able to steal the serum, a rather useless chemical without the corresponding virus. With both, they would be able to market their antidote to the world and become rich beyond their wildest dreams. Enter Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to put a stop to Ambrose's plans for economic world domination.

In order to put a stop to the madness, Hunt must find a way to get close to Ambrose. Hunt is pointed in the direction of Hyah Hall (relative newcomer Thandie Newton), a skilled thief and former lover of the duplicitous Impossible Mission agent. While trying to recruit her for the mission, however, Hunt falls for the charming beauty, making it all the more difficult to send her into danger. Once she is in place, though, Hunt and his reassembled team must break into a top secret lab and destroy all evidence of the virus. Only then, with the threat of chemical warfare eliminated, will they be able to turn their attention towards Ambrose and his band of terrorists.

John Woo excels in the realm of action films, and Mission: Impossible II is no different. Some high-flying motorcycle stunts and car chases, as well as Woo's traditional gunplay, make the film's action scenes truly special. They are made even more so with the knowledge that Woo allowed Cruise to do most of his own stunts, including some particularly daring ones involving mountain climbing. Had Woo stuck mainly to the action, the film may have been fine. Unfortunately, someone felt that a love triangle was necessary, even though it comes across as trite and detracts from the story immeasurably. With the gargantuan financial success of Mission: Impossible II, though, star-producer Tom Cruise will surely have at least one more chance to get the formula right.

Certification: Rated PG-13 for violence.
Running Time: 123 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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