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Mission : Impossible 2 [2000]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Visually stunning, and a likely must for John Woo aficionados, the second Mission: Impossible outing from megastar Tom Cruise suffers from an inconsistent tone and tired plot devices--not only recycled from other films, but repeated throughout the film. Despite remarkable cinematography and awe-inspiring, trademark Woo photography, the movie offers a tepid story from legendary screenwriter-director Robert Towne (Chinatown) and a host of other writers, most uncredited.

Following on from the set pieces in the first big-budget, big box-office MI in 1996, it's clear (as Towne confirms) that the plot was developed around Woo- and Cruise-written action sequences. The film combines equal elements of romance and action, and is best when it features the stunning allure of Thandie Newton as Nyah, a master thief recruited by the sinewy charms of Ethan Hunt (a fit Cruise). Deeply in love after a passionate night, the couple must then combat MI nemesis (and Nyah's former lover) Sean Ambrose (Ever After's Dougray Scott). Ambrose holds hostage a virus and its cure, and offers them to the highest bidder.

Woo's famed mythic film making is far from subtle, with heroic Hunt frequently slow-motion walking through fire, smoke or other similar devices, replete with a white dove among pigeons to signal his presence. The emphasis on romance is an attempt to develop character and a more human side to superspy Hunt, but still the story proves a distraction from the exciting action sequences. John Polson (as an MI team member) is an Aussie talent to keep an eye on. --N.F. Mendoza

M:I-2 DVD Extra Features

With more and more DVDs coming out with an extra DVD full of features at a slightly more expensive price, it's nice every so often to see a disc that offers not only a great movie, but a bundle of features on it as well.

The M:i-2 DVD does just this, and features not only the widescreen presentation, but also a number of behind-the-scenes footage, a spoof documentary, breakdowns of some of the stunts and even a music video to boot.

Although the breakdown of scenes has that "Tom really did do it all, honest" feel to it, some of the elements are genuinely interesting. The biggest surprise of all though is the inclusion of the six-minute spoof documentary that was done for the MTV awards with Ben Stiller. All in all, a well presented disc and set of extra features. --Stuart Miles


A shocker
Review date: 2007-12-16 Rating: 2 out of 10

The film is very poor, easily the weakest in the series. It has a plot so thin it's translucent and rather than being seen as a film, it should be regarded as a rather meaningless sequence of quite ridiculous set-pieces and special effects. Dougray Scott proves here in this film once again that he quite simply cannot act, he merely leanrs words and delivers them and even Tom Cruise just doesn't seem interested. On the strength of this,if you're planning to make a ridiculous martial arts flick where story and performances just don't matter then John Woo is the director for you, otherwise please don't let this man near a film camera again!

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Reviews


Possibly the very worst major studio action film ever made
Review date: 2007-12-08 Rating: 2 out of 10

Okay, so De Palma's film wasn't Citizen Kane, but at least it had its moments when Cruise's insatiable vanity was kept in check in favour of some well-executed set-pieces (even if one was stolen lock, stock and barrel from Topkapi). Woo's disastrous sequel - at the time the most expensive film ever made - is like an endless hairspray commercial, with the ever limited Cruise (who used to be able to act but now just runs off a checklist of six annoying expressions) constantly flicking his hair in glowing slo-mo - you keep on expecting him to say 'Because I'm worth it.' Unfortunately, they're so busy making him look pretty that they forget to include any of the basics of a Summer movie. The action scenes are few and far between and not worth the wait; the script is another lazy and lifeless stinker from Robert Towne that rivals his Love Affair for banal inconsequentiality; and the Brits in the cast let the side down even more than Woo, Cruise and Towne combined - Thandie Newton seems semi-comatose, Hopkins hams it up and cashes the cheque, while Dougray Scott demonstrates just how dull an actor he can be even when mugging relentlessly. The only good thing that came of this film was the over-runs keeping Scott from playing Wolverine in X-Men: judging from his subsequent performances on screen and stage, if being boring on screen was an Olympic sport, this guy would win Scotland gold every time.

Possibly the most tedious vanity production ever made. Good extras on the DVD, but that's the best that can be said for it.



Slick polished but slippery
Review date: 2007-04-12 Rating: 6 out of 10

Slick polished but slippery..thats the path that Mission Impossible2 follows.John Woo has his style of cinema which would go down well in any franchise except that of both Mission Impossible and James Bond. Photography is stunning but the name just seems to be cheaply borrowed for such a high budget film. The weakest of the trilogy by far.

Oi! Cruise - NO!!!!
Review date: 2006-07-26 Rating: 2 out of 10

I saw this in the cinema on release and was tempted to ask for my money back.The diminutive Cruise over-acted throughout as per usual and Dougray Scot was totally unconvincing as the vllian. The gossamer-thin plotline could have come straight from a comic book and the ham fisted attempts at identity switching to add 'complxity' were laughable. All in all, 1 star for the effects and zero for everything else. Not a patch on the original series with Peter Graves (and that was out long before any decent special effects).

Terrible...
Review date: 2006-07-13 Rating: 2 out of 10

I did see this movie after a bunch of years after its presentation. I can just say I could have waited more or forever. It is really not a movie for normal IQ people and the plot is clear after few minutes. Great stunts and actions...nothing more. The whole movie is full of really implausible stuff; living viruses, physics laws ridiculed, 4X4 faster than motorbikes...too much. Even for me who I DID enjoy movies like MI 1 or Terminator or the Matrix series. I think that even with science fiction you need to be clever in order to appear reliable. If you are a fan of the old and CLEVER MI series and are looking for a good movie, please choose another one! Otherwise you will just remember this review.....

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Richard Roxburgh
Dougray Scott
Thandie Newton
Tom Cruise
Ving Rhames

Creators:
Tom Cruise (Primary Contributor)
Dougray Scott (Primary Contributor)
Amy Stevens (Producer)
Michael Doven (Producer)
Paul Hitchcock (Producer)
Brannon Braga (Writer)
Bruce Geller (Writer)
Robert Towne (Writer)
Ronald D. Moore (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Entertainment
EAN: 5014437804532
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2000-12-11
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 118 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2000-05-24
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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