Rating: 
Summary: Mission underwhelmed
Review: Having built the pre release hype upto dizzying levels through numerous teasers and the fact that action meister John Woo was directing we were all in for a bit of a treat. I found myself being quite impressed with the slick opening sequence, yep we've got ourselves a nasty piece of work bad guy (Dougray Scott) who likes to make a scene by crashing a whole plane of innocents into the rockies. Then we have the spectacle of Tom Cruise doing a Peter Parker up the side of a sheer rock wall, so far so good. But then things go a bit awry from then on. I'm a big fan of John Woo, there are few directors around who can direct action scenes with such visual flair and inventiveness. Check out any number of scenes from 'Hard Boiled' or 'The Killer' and you'll have your eyeballs treated to scenes edited and shot to perfection. With MI2 though the stunts seem to be just rehashed partly from the original. For example the first film had Ethan Hunt dangling from a cable in a CIA computer vault, this one has him diving from a helicopter into a vent. Bigger, as they say, isn't always better. Other things that annoy are a lack of explanation about why Sean Ambrose has gone totally loony. I mean, are IMF in the habit of hiring fruitcases to be their agents or what! Again, there's no indication of his motivations or Hunt's and Ambroses previous relationship. I'm not saying that there should be a huge chunk of the film set aside for explanations as it's an action film first and foremost and not an episode of sunset beach. A perfect thing to do would be do what Goldeneye did and have the two agents on a mission together and have something tragic happen, at least we could have been draw into the story a tad more. Other characters in the film seem to be totally sidelined, Thandie Newton's character happily hops into bed with Ethan Hunt and is magically transformed into a 'Hunt Girl'. Her task later in the film is to look willowy and defenceless until the hero saves her from the deadly virus (yawn). Anthony Hopkins is criminally underused, he's marginalised to a cameo role to add some form of gravitas to the whole proceeding. Ving Rhames reprises his role of Luther Stickel, the computer hacker, but again he seems to disappear into the background with nothing more than a perfunctory back-up role. Dougray Scott has a rent-a-villain look about him, he sneers, he bullies and yes he kills innocent people before breakfast. What made a nice change this time around was that he wasn't a British bad guy (big sigh of relief), yes he's..wait for it..Scottish! Remember Hollywood, the UK is full of loons (we're not happy about losing the empire you see) Personally I'm waiting for is a Welsh bad guy, that would be worth a fiver in anyone's currency. What really wound me up though was what made the series and in part the first MI film cool, was the element of teamwork. It wasn't about just one person doing the work, it was the IMF team battling the enemy. Not so here, Tom does all the kicking ass (in slowmotion...woohoo) All I have for this are two words...James Bond. I caught myself thinking anytime soon he's going to say 'The name is Hunt..Ethan Hunt' , he did come close though on one occasion. Added to all this there really are some howlers of plot devices. Examples include, applying a face mask of an enemy henchman in a couple of minutes, motorbikes that miraculously change tread without stopping and best of all, flame retardent pidgeons (you'll know the scene). Adding all these points together I really felt let down by the whole MI2 experience. The film does have some excellent stuff in it and John Woo does pull off some magic here and there but sadly he's having what appears to be another bad Hollywood experience. The same thing happened with him on Broken Arrow and Hard Target and it looks like much of the same here. I was hoping that the DVD might contain an alternate cut of the film, but alas there is no mention. In all honesty I'd recommend saving your money and watching x-men instead, much better in every department really. To sum up, Yes, the original is better and another thing..Tom..get you hair cut mate.
Rating: 
Summary: Mission Impossible 2: Mission Accomplished
Review: M:I-2 was a fine action film, of course it was made by John Woo so it was sure to offer solid action thrills. Woo as always crafts superb action sequences which are intense and suspenseful. The film featured an excellent motorcyle chase which was near the end, probably one of the best bike chases next to Woo's other film "Paycheck" which featured another great
bike chase. The one thing that sets this film apart from the first is the action, sure the plot for the first was probably better and the first probably made more sense, but this movie should be a satisfying one just for the action.
As for the plot well it's decent. Essentially a deadly virus called chimera is unleashed and is extremely lethal. He must stop an evil renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott)from unleashing this terror upon the world. He must recruit Ambrose's ex-lover Nyal Hall (Thandie Newton)to assist him on the case in order to lure Ambrose into a trap and stop the virus chimera from spread on to the world. Sure the plot may not be that compelling or so it sounds, but like I said you don't have to worry about that especially if you're an die-hard action fan. Also the always amazing Anthony Hopkins comes in as Hunt's boss and advisor.
Tom Cruise gives a certain edge to role of Ethan Hunt and he sure does play it well. I must say I do prefer this installment over the first Mission Impossible, is it the action or the action? Who knows?
M:I-2 is rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violent Action
and Some Sensuality. The violence includes gunplay, fistfights and explosions. The sexual content is mild, mainly some innuendo nothing explicit or graphic really. No profanity.
Ethan Hunt in a way is an American version of James Bond, he's got the girl, the gadgets (nowhere near as sophisticated or cool as Bond's though) and the ride. If you like John Woo, I highly recommend this one, definetly for the action, the breathtaking bike chase to an intense climactic fight between Cruise and Scott. Worth owning on Video or DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Pharmaceutical industry and terrorism
Review: This is an action film and the main interest is the action itself. The point is that it is well built, entertaining and extremely credible which makes the action all the more acceptable. The acting is also extremely good with a brilliant Tom Cruise. But the film has some depth, some real depth. We are speaking here of terrorism, but the type that comes from global criminals. They are white, European or American, and they only aim at making a lot of money by forcing some not-too-ethical businessmen spit out much money under the pressure of some blackmail, though this blackmail leads these businessmen to making even more money than they are forced to spit out. A « gentleman's agreement » in a way. This type of crime, of terrorism is common and frequent, but most of the time unknown and even well hidden. The topic of the film is even more uptodate than we may imagine. A pharmaceutical firm invents a killing germ and the drug that can stop it. The objective is quite obviously to release the germ into the public in order to sell the drug. But a criminal gets his hands on both the germ and the drug and then can blackmail the businessman. This denunciation of pharmaceutical firms is not unique and it plays on the fear among the public that some new disease should appear and kill millions of people. We know about AIDS. We know about the SRAS. We know about Mad Cow disease. But do we know everything ? That is particularly frightening, though the film tries to reassure us by showing some people who fight against this, even to the death if necessary. A disquieting film anyway. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
Rating:
Summary: WooHoo For John Woo
Review: Asking people about which Mission Impossible is better is hard question. Because the first had more of a plot and development but not as much action. But the second one has less of a plot and development but blistering with highly stylized action. So lets get down to it. In MI2 megastar Tom Cruise is back as super agent Ethan Hunt who hires spy Nyah played by the ravishing Thandie newton where they must both stop terrorist Sean Ambross who is carring a deadly virus. Written by legendary Robert Towne famous for ChinaTown and Without Limits more or less is not tredding new water but old waters. Because although it is clever in some parts. In others it uses old plot twists and stories. In a nutshell it is a glorified James Bond movie. But where the story fails it is made up with highly stylized action sequences from famed action director John Woo. From the opening mountain climbing sequence to the awesome motorcycle chace sequence between Ethan and Sean. The impressive stunts and the rocking soundtrack makes this movie fly but it needs more story.
Rating: 
Summary: boooring
Review: like the star, the film itself is dull and over inflated.
Cruise is the quintessential bad hollywood actor, all bound in his 'super stardom' and hollow inside. years from now his stardom will appear very dated.
Rating:
Summary: Eye candy only! Check your integrity at the door.
Review: What separates MI2 from any of a handful of latter-day generic James Bond films? Not much, really. The concept of the Mission Impossible Force as a a TEAM of members, as in the original series and the first MI film, has given way to creating just another star vehicle for actor/producer Tom Cruise. This movie exists SOLELY to present a buff Cruise as Mr. Action-Movie Hero, a territory he is relatively new to. As with many movies like this, plot and plausibility are secondary to whiz-bang effects and stunts. A good script is the foundation that any good movie with staying-power is built upon. Instead, MI2 is built AROUND something. It is just an action showcase, that's all. That this movie topped the box office in 2000 is testament only to the drawing power of Mr. Cruise and the public's diminishing discriminatory taste in intelligent script fare. The popular media will have you believe that moviegoers' tastes are becoming more demanding and sophisticated, but you'd be hard-pressed to find evidence of that in this latest stunt-fest. But is the DVD worth renting? Sure, for the DVD extras, behind the scenes technical goodies, and the MTV spoof. But the movie lacks any elements to warrant ownership's repeat viewings. Sure, the stunt setpieces are over-the-top and fun, but the minute a new movie can top it (and rest assured one will) MI2 will be just another discarded excess of its time. Lump this movie in the same category as the insulting INDEPENDENCE DAY -- all style, no substance.
Rating: 
Summary: An action movie that will keep you entertained!
Review: This movie is what action movies are all about. It keeps you entertained from start to finish, and it does pretty well in other ways. The story is still pretty good, nowhere near as good as the first one, but it's still good. Some people may say that the save-the-world theme is old, but that's what action movies are about. Give me one James Bond film where 007 didn't do that. Give me any other action movie without that theme. Lord of the Rings had it. Star Wars had it. So does the fact that M:I-2's story revolves around someone saving the world make the movie bad? No way! It's the kind of plot that makes an action movie an action movie. Moving on. Like others have stated, the purpose of action in these movies is not to seem totally realistic, but to be really entertaining and fun to watch. Actually, it still is pretty realistic. What's all this junk about Ethan hitting all his shots (Which is pretty unrealistic, I'll admit)? Didn't any of you watch the Biocyte shootout? How many of his shots hit one of Ambrose's men? Maybe a quarter of them! He's still human and has down-to-earth abilities, not completely unrealistic superhuman stuff that a lot of people criticize. And besides, until the road chase, it is perfectly reasonable that Ethan didn't get shot! Half the time he was behind a wall or lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment to go Splinter Cell on a patrolling guard. Anyway, sorry I lingered. The acting in this movie is great. Tom Cruise gives Ethan Hunt a very human qualities. Thandie Newton, who plays Nyah Hall, also does the same for her character. Ving Rhames returns to the comic-relief character Luther (the brilliant computer programmer from M:I), and continues to give Luther the comical humor from the first movie. John Polson is introduced as the Australian helicopter pilot Billy Baird, and also gives a lot of humor to the movie. And by the way, both Rhames and Polson do a great job of acting besides the humor, and bring the characters to life very well. Dougray Scott is the villain in this movie, and does it very nicely. He gives Sean Ambrose the kind of madman look and nicely combines it with cold-blooded intelligence to make the character a very good villain. And finally, Anthony Hopkins is Ethan's new leader, and does a very good support role. What about the music? Well, if you've seen the first movie, the music is just the same with a little metallic feel to it. And if you haven't, then don't worry, you won't be dissapointed. This is a great action movie that will keep you entertained throughout the two hours of the film, and does well in areas that some action films don't quite succeed in, despite what others say.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow Motion Movie
Review: It seems like 95 percent of the movie is in slow motion. Every so-called action scene is slowed down to a crawl. When the action scenes are slower than the parts where people are just standing around talking, you know it's a bad movie. The behind the scenes action footage of M:I-2 was much better because it was at normal speed. If you hate slow motion, avoid this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: An exception to the "mis-directed Woo" rule.
Review: Maybe it was because I was in the mood for a blockbuster action thriller or maybe it's because I was never a huge fan of the original film in the first place, but Mission: Impossible II satisfied my craving for an adrenaline rush and on that basis alone, I highly recommend it. Put it this way, if you enjoyed the first M:I for its emphasis on teamwork and convoluted storytelling, then don't even bother with the sequel, as the credited director John Woo should give you a damn good idea of what to expect. Tom Cruise returns as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, our intrepid spy who now appears to have a knack for rock climbing and martial arts. His assignment is to recruit thief Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) to go undercover for the agency to spy on renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) and his formidable army of henchmen. Ambrose has plans of becoming a billionaire, but in doing so, could cause great devastation to the population of Australia. Naturally, it's up to Hunt to rescue the girl, kill the bad guy, and save the day. Through and through, M:I-II never feels like anything less than a Woo production. Almost all his signatures are here: balletic slow motion, two-fisted guns a'blazing, flying doves, and a sort-of Mexican standoff. The only thing missing here is the countless gallons of blood we've come to expect. M:I-II, as it turns out, is his first and only PG-13 production, but the lack of ultraviolence didn't bother me in the slightest. What is less forgivable is the almost utter lack of action in the first seventy minutes. Well, that's not entirely true. There is that climbing sequence and the car chase not long thereafter, but Cruise doesn't even stand off against his first true nemesis until after an hour in. What's to hold our attention until then? Maybe the plot, if you're into typical Bond stuff, which is exactly what this story is, typical Bond material. We've got the almost megalomaniacal villain (he doesn't want the world, but he wouldn't mind devastating parts of it to get what he wants), the gorgeous love interests, and a few neat gadgets here and there. When the action hits, M:I-II is almost a non-stop action extravaganza, delivering tense gun battles, a breathtaking and simply awesome motorcycle chase (one of my favorite John Woo action scenes), and a fun mano-a-mano duel to the death. Cruise is completely convincing as a physical action star, he's got the style, the charisma, and the moves. He's the star of the show, which might disgust some, but he capably carries the production. Newton makes for a gorgeous love interest, and Ving Rhames is THE man as Luther Stickell, everyone's favorite computer hacker. Dougray Scott disappoints as the villain, though, he doesn't conjure enough spite and isn't menacing enough. From beginning to end, if there is one consistency to M:I-II, it's how lovely the film looks. Shot on beautiful locations with a great eye, this is a movie that's always nice to look at. As such, the film should be enjoyed for what it is, an action blockbuster in the vein of James Bond. Sure, it probably could have used a tad more action in the first half and Woo does go overboard on the slow-mo by the finale, but M:I-II is purely fun stuff, and when the action's on-screen, it's exhilarating.
Rating:
Summary: Another cliche-ridden vehicle for Mr. Cruise
Review: This is worse than MI-1. This sequel also suffers from the same fundamental weakness that MI-1 suffered from: this is NOT what a "Mission Impossible" movie is supposed to be about. In the original TV series, every mission was accomplished through TEAM work. The TEAM was central to the MI concept; it was not just a backdrop for the exploits of an egomaniac hero. We don't have any teamwork here, the long and syrupy gazes of beautiful T. Newton withstanding. Secondly, the great John Woo is the wrong director for this movie since he transformed this again into an over-the-top martial arts flick, intentionally or not. To some degree his camera and quick editing injected the film with a fresh energy. But, as in the scene where racing cars are DANCING around one another over a cliff, it was so ridiculous that I could not help but laugh out aloud! In scenes like that, the thriller started to melt into a farce. Thirdly, the plot is so convulted, after a point it is best just to give up, quit any hopes of understanding what's going on, and enjoy the predictable mindless mayhem. The ending is as cliche-ridden as the rest of the movie. If you would like to see yet another so-you've-thought-the-villain-was-dead-but-what-do-you-know? ending, this is it. The way our hero reaches for his gun in that decisive moment is another slow-mo John Woo cliche that would make you laugh aloud once more. It is that stale and unbelievable. It makes you wonder if the folks who are making these movies are watching other people's movies at all. If they do, why do they repeat the same patterns and tricks to death?
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