Mission almost 2 impossible to enjoy this (Mission Impossible 2 (DVD))

Member Name: JacintaZoo

Product:	Mission Impossible 2 (DVD)
Date:	29/11/00 (7 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The beginning was good

Disadvantages: Just gets worse

Tom Cruise isn't really my cup of tea but as for the film I found it to be a weak, patronising, humourless pile of old nonsense.

Whatever happened to the good old fashioned blockbuster? We don't ask for much to be entertained - a witty, strong lead character with a few classic lines, some depth to the protagonists and a good story line are all we ask for, Terminator 2 or Lethal Weapon (barring no.4) being good examples.

The first 5 minutes of M12 were by far the best in terms of spectacle, but the rest trawled along as one long anti-climax.

Tom Cruise and the character Nyah were one of the most humourless, dry faced couples ever to hit the big screen. All she did was make eyes at him and he responded with large inane grins. Pardon moi, but I don't think his smile is nice enough for me to lose my intellect over, OR my desire to be wooed convincingly right along with her character.

I laughed at the absurdity, the sheer boldfaced idiocy of the scene where she, a supposed 'professional thief of considerable skill' even dared to attempt to steal the jewels not knowing who Cruises' character was supposed to be, whilst he watched on. He, of course, turned out to be the head of security - and yet we are meant to believe that she will have any skill that will be useful for the mission when she has dismally failed the first test of her talent. Was there some irony I missed here?

Also, the question must be asked: if they could locate her with such ease for the mission why was she not arrested previously given the length of crimes for which she was wanted?

As it turns out we are to worry not about her lack of skill (sigh of relief), for all she is good for is sleeping with her ex boyfriend (ah! of course, she being a woman that must be her role, right?), employing no more of the skill of a common pickpocket. Did John Woo even attempt to explore how she felt about sleeping with a known psych
o? No. It was bang bang bang and on with the action. He obviously missed the classes on Hitchcock in film school because there was a pitiful lack of suspense worked into the plot.

This lack of suspense was aided by perhaps the most patronising element of the film. As most scriptwriters plot and weave their stories on paper, they reach a point at which you, the viewer are meant to ponder and wonder: "what on earth will they do now?" Those moments where you lean upon the storytellers to dazzle and amaze you with their creativity and intellect are the makers or breakers of great film.

Well, sadly we never get to ask that question here. For with any sign of trouble, what happens? The character merely peels off their face mask and becomes someone else, in a manner which was frustratingly, annoying unbelievable. Granted, the first time this trick was employed it was mildly entertaining, even appropriate, but when a second, third and fourth ensued I was left with no choice but to stifle a yawn.

The first instalment in this saga was said to have been too hard to understand. Well, there was no such trouble with the sequel, with the dumbing-down seeping a little far down into the film.

However, one word of praise: the title of the film is apt. Yes, it's a mission almost too impossible, and that is for any level-headed film lover to exit feeling anything less than disappointed.

Summary: