Rating: 
Summary: Action movie is in need of a script! Read all about it!
Review: John Woo disappoints again (another previous disappointment being Broken Arrow) by making a big budget movie with a very slow and badly realized screenplay. This movie seems like it wants to be too many cliches, and departs so much from the original Mission Impossible concept as to be deemed a James Bond wannabe. It does have some of those awesome action scenes one would expect from Woo, but many of these, unfortunately suffer from pointlessness.The relationship between Cruise and Ms. Newton is a nice addition to the story as it brings a very human aspect to Cruise's character development, but it detracts from the orginal concept, making it look (dare I say it again), more Bondish, in it's one main super character and a babe against the world type of formula. This makes for relatively slow and boring cinema, and it's a true shame. It is a shame to see so much talent wasted on this script (i.e. Anthony Hopkins in a very poorly written cameo). In conclusion, this movie doesn't know what it really wants to be. The first movie was better executed with a better script. If you enjoy John Woo films, it certainly has the shots and the action although more pointless and limited than in other films of his. I recommend that you rent this movie first, and if you really must have it, then buy it. You'll find that it only passes as momentary entertainment and as another hollywood example of wasted resources (actors, director, etc.).
Rating: 
Summary: ..i thought it was good movie...
Review: From the other reviews I've read, I can see this movie will not sell very good. I liked it, in the beginning it was boring, and pointless, but then when Ethan sneeks in that big building to get back the virus thing, thats were it really gets intersting. I think this movie was more about the relationship of ethan and maiya, or whatever her name was, since towards the end you can see how ethan wants to rescue her from being killed by that virus. I didn't mind, I liked that. I think if you are really intersted in buying this movie you should, although I would recommend more that you rent it, and see what you think. I'm sure if you really want it, you'll enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Impossible to believe
Review: The purpose of this silly action adventure flick seems to have been to live up to its name. The malarkey they want us to swallow is so utterly impossible that this film could easily be one of the most laughable movies of 2000. Fifty bad guys shoot 10,000 bullets at Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) with automatic weapons, but never even wing him. Hunt, armed only with pistols, kills a bad guy with every bullet he fires, often killing them three at a time while somersaulting through the air. John Woo (Broken Arrow, Face/Off) is a veteran of action adventure films and his expertise in this area is evident throughout the film. It contains stupendous action sequences throughout, though I thought Woo's attempt to turn Tom Cruise into Jackie Chan was a bit much. Woo also chose some breathtaking locations and the photography was first rate. Ronald Moore's (Star Trek: Generations) story was an utterly unoriginal excuse to keep half of Hollywood's stunt actors employed. The screenplay by Robert Towne (Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, Armageddon) was even worse. The dialogue was wretched. If one more character ripped off his face, I would have stomped the DVD. The acting was nothing special. Cruise really had nothing intelligent to say or do, so the best I can say about him is that he was in great shape and showed us what a good athlete he is. Thandie Newton (Beloved) was initially very dynamic and sassy, but by the end of the film, she was reduced to a quivering jellyfish. Dougray Scott was fair as the villain, but lacked the wickedness to make him truly hateful. This film did well at the box office grossing over $200 Million, a testimonial to the American public's inherent need to see stuff blown up without the burden of having to lug their brains to the movie theater. I rated this film a 6/10 on the strength of Woo's fabulous action sequences. Wear earplugs (to protect your ears from the loud explosions and the insipid dialogue) and don't expect to be mentally stimulated.
Rating: 
Summary: This movie is ... awfull.
Review: Its just plain stupid. I got it out for the climbing scene, which isnt worth seeing and the rest is sooo dull. It takes itself way too serious to be worth seeing just for some cheap action. Tom Cruise you are no Timothy Dalton and you cant direct to save yourself. Eugh
Rating:
Summary: Good action movie, wrong idea...
Review: Mission Impossible, based on the TV series, should be about a team of spies destroying or an organization or government. Both MI1 and MI2 are not even close. The first one was a major disapointment when Jim turned out to be a bad guy (??). What is this deal about the bad guys also wearing mask...MI-2 is sort of like a "James Bond" sequence. I hope the producers will sit down a watch the original series again, before making a third MI will be done more properly.
Rating:
Summary: What were they thinking?
Review: I don't know why you would give this a thumbs up. I thought this had to have been one of the worst movies I've seen at a theater. I was ready to walk out towards the end. Sure, some movies you have to take it at face value for unbelievable action sequences, but since when did Tom Cruise become Bruce Lee? The MI series revolved around all the characters and not just one man. In here, Ethan Hunt is James Bond and Ving Rhames becomes a two scene side-kick doing whatever James Bond wants. The story was the same old recycled stuff, why not develop that more on the terrorists, etc. The last fight scene and chase were so unbelievable and long (felt like an eternity, especially the bike scene....year right, drive on your shoes off the bike?), I was half out of my seat towards the door, but my girlfriend wanted to see the ending. If you want to spend $20, spend it on Gladiator or the Patriot because this will just gather dust in your collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Mission Implausible
Review: Wow, what a letdown. Even Tom Cruise can't save this big-budget impracticality. Almost everything in this film is garish and amplified, the outrageous stunts and computerized effects in particular. This film supersedes the original not because it is more entertaining, but because it will be long remembered for its over-the-top tackiness and implausibility. Tom Cruise returns as the dexterous Ethan Hunt, and gosh, we just didn't know this guy was brave enough to FREECLIMB on the tallest rock formations known to man! How unreal is this? His character seems less smug than in MI and too smarmy in this one. This completely takes away from the audience taking him seriously. There are bouts when you think the old Ethan will return with his arrogant charisma and ineffaceable intelligence, but his unbecoming romanticism competes and eventually wins and his adventurous spirit is forever lost in the opaque plot. Jon Voigt was a sophisticated rogue in MI, but this time 'round the bad guy Sean Ambrose is overly dramatized by Scottish thespian Dougray Scott, the charming prince in the Drew Barrymore vehicle "Ever After". This disappointed me more than surprised me, for Scott is too dignified of a dramatic actor to submit himself to such cinematic smut. Thandie Newton, a Zimbabwean-British bi-product that has graced such films as "Besieged", "Beloved" and "The Journey of August King" is Nyah Nordoff-Hall, a ravishing kleptomaniac that becomes enraptured by Ethan's debonair appeal and acute prowess. They, of course, end up in bed together but the problem is that it happens in the first ten minutes of the film. Where's the sexual tension that existed between Ethan and Claire (Emmanuelle Beart) in the original? There's no build-up here - Newton and Cruise tumble immediately after she is recruited. Boring! This is not the first time Thandie has appeared in a film with Cruise, although she was not the object of his desire in the other. Her name was Yvette, the beautiful, busty servant that Brad Pitt remorsefully drained in the anemic adaptation of Anne Rice's re-popularized novel "Interview With The Vampire". Now if you think the acting was bad, get a load of the outlandish plot. The basis of MI2 is the eradication of a deadly virus known as Chimera, a powerful microbe that survives in the bloodstream and decimates blood cells, depleting the body's defenses and rendering them helpless against certain death in a mere 20 hours. Other details given in the movie make it sound vaguely familiar to a plague in the South American countries known as Ebola. The plot of MI was a lot more palpable and exciting, I think. It provided more intrigue and suspense. MI2 simply makes a flashy cabaret of everything. Where as Brian DePalma saved face by turning a favorite sixties suspense show into a crowd-pleasing exploit, we now have slow-mo king John Woo taking charge, a veteran of such projects as the Travolta/Cage frolic "Face Off" and 1996's espionage thriller "Broken Arrow". The problem with this is that Woo prolongs a great deal of screen time by slowing frames unneccessarily and showcasing Cruise's acrobatics with exaggerated enthusiasm. So Tom did a cartwheel - so what? Even though Thandie is a beautiful woman, almost every shot of her is a slow saunter, her ebony locks whipping in the ubiquitous ocean breezes. I kept waiting for them to play some cheesy love theme whenever this happened. David Koepp and Steve Zaillian should've been recruited again for writing credits, but instead we have Bruce Geller (who wrote for the original MI series) and Ronald D. Moore (a writer for the WB series "Roswell") as the head honchos. Robert Towne reclaims his credit of the screenplay, but I think he lost a great deal of his creative freedom by honoring veteran writer Geller with zealous leeway of the text. I think all the dollar signs in Geller's eyes blinded him from the genius he once had, aloowing himself to get carried away with today's innovative movie magic. This is how the inconceivable stunts were birthed, a prime example being the scene with the dueling motorcycles. Perhaps Geller watched too many Schwarzenegger flicks before coming into the project and was highly disillusioned by them. Overall, MI2 is a far-fetched sequel to the impressive inauguration of a TV series into film, but my decree of a two-star rating is more than adequate. I give it mostly to Ving Rhames, who loses none of the appeal he gained in the first MI. Anthony Hopkins as Mission Commander Swanbeck was merely a name. He wasn't even credited for his appearance! If you want a good action flick that is believable for the most part, watch DePalma's creation. MI2 is a cinematic burnout.
Rating:
Summary: Woo & Cruise--Do It Right
Review: Forget 1996's often-confusing series kickoff. (Mission: Improbable was more like it.) Even without the lit match and fuse, this sequel is a distinct improvement. Sure, Cruise flashes those pearly whites for all he's worth, but this Mission gets spectacular when director Woo, who can add the right action tonic to most anything ordinary, sets fire to the screen. He's a perfect coconspirator, introducing enough gadgets, stunts and effects to keep the pace pumping along and the audience's collective breath held tight. The plot is nothing new--very much of the 007 variety--as Polson and too-cool Rhames help Cruise try to derail the dissemination of a killer flu virus by the bad guys. But Newton, normally seen in reserved period pieces, certainly has enough sex appeal to keep the boys--both on the screen and in the theater--rapt. A sexy thrill a minute flick.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, but with some minor generic action scenes
Review: This movie is a great action movie, and in my opinion, even better then the first Mission: Impossible Movie. The movie has awesome explosions, fight scenes and chase scenes, but also contains some generic "action movie type" scenes. Nevertheless, this movie is still worth buying, and once you get bored of the movie itself, the DVD's extras, such as a short about the making of the film, will keep you watching.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect Action
Review: OK, this ain't Olivier doing Richard III. Still, I found the plot reasonably complex without being confusing. I thought the romance was well done--with both Cruise and Newton coming across as intelligent and sincere--and Woo gives us a VERY atmospheric rendition of their meeting. Dougray Scott was great as the villain, and I thought he displayed an intellect on par with the IMF team--he never fully trusted Nyah, and he was one step ahead of Cruise when he broke into the pharmaceutical company. Great cameo by Hopkins, awesome cinematography throughout, and a decent score. And as far as the action goes--this is vintage Woo. The motorcycle chase is completely fantastic. The opening climb is awesome--and the hand to hand and gun fights are Woo doing what he does best(doves included, of course). Another thing that I liked about this movie is that it was PG-13, and thus a lot of the violence was toned down. I can understand the point of graphic violence in a movie like Schindler's List or Platoon--but in a summer popcorn action movie, what's the point? I appreciated the fact that this movie focused a lot more on atmosphere and mind-blowing action rather than the sadistic and graphic violence that seems so common in most action movies today. This movie doesn't aspire to be a serious artistic statement--but for a summer movie/DVD action-fest---it rules! As far as the DVD goes--the extras are fantastic. Tom Cruise certainly did some pretty dangerous stuff doing this film, and all the different stunt coordinators commented on how he really put himself out there for this film--to the point that Woo admits that he was often terrified that Cruise was going to die and he was going to get blamed! Also, the Ben Stiller parody is totally hilarious--I've watched that about 5 times already. Great Metallica video, and nice commentary by John Woo. A great DVD overall.
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