Expect the impossible again (Mission Impossible 2 (DVD))

Member Name: MI9to5

Product:	Mission Impossible 2 (DVD)
Date:	08/07/08 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliant stunts and fantastic music

Disadvantages: A couple of filming mistakes

Mission Impossible Two is another film I really enjoy watching and have watched numerous times since I purchased it.

In the search for a hero Belleraphon, Dr Vladamir Nekhorvich has discovered a villain, a monster in Chimera and he needs Ethan Hunt to help him. Out of reach however IMF send a double in his place, Stephen Ambrose and Dr Nekhorvich ends up dead.

Showing off his fitness and climbing prowess Ethan Hunt is on holiday when his mission is literally fired at him and he is called upon to do what he does best. He must now recruit two team-members of his own choice with the third being Nyah, a professional thief and Ambrose's ex-girlfriend. She is however more than a little difficult and so before the real mission can begin he must chase her down and force her onto his path.

Once recruited however she Ethan and the other members of the team, Billy Baird a mad Australian and Luther the tech genius from the previous film, must find out exactly what Chimera is, work out Ambrose's reasons for wanting it and then stop him from using it for whatever he has planned.

To do this Nyah must return to Ambrose and try and work on him from the inside whilst Hunt, Billy and Luther do all they can to protect her, themselves and the rest of the world. That however proves more difficult than it first seems. But this isn't mission difficult, it's mission impossible and impossible is just what Ethan Hunt is best at.

****CAST****
Ethan Hunt - Tom Cruise
Stephen Ambrose - Dougray Scott
Nyah Nordoff-Hall - Thandie Newton
Billy Baird - John Polson
Luther Stickell - Ving Raimes

All in all the film is a thoroughly enjoyable watch, the plot is intriguing and interesting and the characters all very different from one another. Hunt has charm and charisma favouring a stealth approach to an all out war whereas Ambrose is the opposite and knows it. Nyah contrasts and compliments Hunts character by shooting back charming lines and looks that lead to their characters drawing closer. Billy provides a comic interlude and someone for the others to fire jokes off. Luther on the other hand allows us as an audience to delve deeper into Hunt's character as the reunited friendship between the pair provides insight and laughs and adds to great character development.

The stunts and action sequences as in the previous film are also well planned, executed and shot and are complimented perfectly by another top-class soundtrack which includes an appropriate blend of slow and fast paced tracks to suit all occasions. The action on the whole is wonderfully balanced with speech shots and more subtle sequences but I do feel that the motorbike sequence later on in the film is too drawn out and does become a little boring after a while.

Another criticism of mine is that the frequent occurrence of characters doubling for one an other with masks and voice changer can become a little confusing and in my opinion this coupled with an already complex to understand storyline actually has the effect at times of making the film difficult to follow. On other occasions however this is just what the film needs and provides a perfect bluffing tool for the characters and keeps the audience guessing.

The film also contains a couple of continuity errors. The windscreen on the motorbike miraculously fixes itself and the tyres on it change from road tyres to dirt tyres when appropriate. Ethan scars also disappear and reappear at certain intervals. To be honest though 'm just being a little picky now but these are things that I noticed when watching it. These mistakes however do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the film.

All in all however I would highly recommend this film. If you've seen and liked the first Mission Impossible then you are sure to enjoy this one. The acting is excellent on the most part, the stunts brilliant and the overall storyline intriguing. So set cruise control to the limit, settle down and become part of the mission.

Summary: An enjoyable watch