High-Octane (Mission Impossible 2 (DVD))

Member Name: Slim Lee

Product:	Mission Impossible 2 (DVD)
Date:	23/02/01 (77 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The stunts, the motorbikes!

Disadvantages: Dodgy plot, dodgy acting

Your mission dooyoo'er ... should you choose to accept it ... is to watch this film and not laugh.

I failed in this on the first scene with Cruise dangling from the rock face. Sorry, but it just looked so silly that I had to laugh out loud at it. It’s so over the top that you cannot take it too seriously.

That, in a nutshell, is the best way to approach this film. If you want to dissect the plot and critique the acting then you are not going to have a good experience. If, on the other hand, you want a cracking action film, full to the brim with outrageous stunts and explosions then you will have a blast.

It follows on from the previous MI film with only two of the characters reprising their roles, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt and Ving Rhames as Luther Strickell.


The Plot
******


It’s not really all that important in the scheme of things (hey, when was a James Bond plot ever intricate??) but I’ll explain the basics of it anyway.

A new, devastating virus has been commercially engineered called “Chimera”. An antidote to this virus, “Bellerophon” has also been created alongside it, with the ultimate aim of making a huge profit from peddling the cure. Both of these items are highly valuable and dangerous, so when one of them goes missing from a scientist on a crashed flight, the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) is recalled. Ethan Hunt has to get together a small team to recover the stolen virus, but first has to recruit Nyah, a thief with a background to the suspected instigator of the theft.

Hardly an original plot it has to be said, with many large gaping holes. The locations that the film uses include Seville, Spain and Sydney, Australia. Could’ve used anyway really but does provide a few good views of Sydney.


Cast
****


Ethan Hunt – Tom Cruise
Nyah Hall – Thandie Newton
Sean Ambrose – Dougra
y Scott
Luther Strickell - Ving Rhames
Hugh Stamp - Richard Roxburgh
Billy Baird - John Polson
McCloy - Brendan Gleeson
Dr Nekhorvich - Rade Sherbediga

Tom Cruise as ever puts in an adequate performance. Maybe I’m just a bit over critical of him but he never really seems to play varied characters anymore. The role of Ethan Hunt can’t have been to testing for him. Fun, yes I’m quite sure it was, but difficult, I doubt it. One thing he is different for though is the amount of stunts that he performs himself. A lot of safety precautions are naturally taken but there is always an element of risk so he has to be commended for that part.

Thandie Newton, a relative newcomer to the silver screen, is a British actress. This is very obvious from the first line she speaks as her accent stands out. I personally found it quite annoying and forced, but it may just be a side effect of her education at Cambridge University (sorry, cheap dig that!). She isn’t really given a lot to do in the film but comes across well enough as the love interest (well who wouldn’t be interested??). Interesting fact: she has starred with Tom Cruise before … as one of his victims in “Interview with a Vampire”.

Dougray Scott puts in probably the best acting performance of the film as the villain Sean Ambrose. He manages to come across all bitter and twisted pretty well. Good at screwing his face up and looking like he is about to boil over with rage. Ving Rhames is as good as the script lets him be, as again (similar to the original MI) they don’t give his character all that much involvement. Richard Roxburgh, as the South African henchman to Sean Ambrose is a very stereotypical character with one of the most exaggerated accents. John Polson, as the helicopter pilot for the IMF is also as upsetting with his Australian twang. Quite a mixture of accents for a Hollywood film!

Strangely, Anthony Hop
kins is not credited for his performance as Ethan Hunt’s superior in the IMF. It was only a very small role granted, but he did get a few minutes of screen time. He also had the best line in the film, when they are talking about Hunt recruiting Nyah for the mission.


Behind the scenes
*************


The first, and most important person to note here is John Woo, the Director. Anyone familiar with his previous movies will know pretty much what to expect with MI2. Never heard of him? You’re joking! Never seen “Face Off”?? Okay then, what about “Broken Arrow”? What about his Hong Kong movies such as “Hard Boiled”, “A Better Tomorrow” and “The Killer”??

If you haven’t seen any of these films then you are missing some great action films. John Woo has probably the best reputation in movie directing for high-octane action films, and doesn’t disappoint here with MI2. You can see his influence everywhere, particularly in the gun battle in the laboratory and the final fight scene. John Woo’s style is very distinctive, using techniques that create a slow-motion “ballet” like style and of course the infamous two-gun shots. Without Woo at the helm, this movie would certainly been unrecognisable from the slick choreographed movie it is.

The film is co-produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner. Not much of a surprise as most of the film centres on Cruise. One hell of a big ego trip for him I suspect …

The musical score for the film is by none other than Hans Zimmer (remember the Gladiator score?). This time around though I don’t think he really put his heart and soul into MI2. There are a few similar parts where he uses the vocals of Lisa Gerrard too but it just doesn’t work. The rest of the musical score is pretty standard fare, and is often drowned out by the gunfire and explosions anyway!


Ver
dict
******

MI2 contains some of the best stunt sequences I have seen for a while, particularly in the motorbike chase scenes. Looked at purely as an action film and ignoring the frailties of the plot and acting, then this is a must see. If you find it hard to ignore these elements then it is still a rewarding movie but you will find yourself picking quite a few faults with it.

The masks make a comeback in the sequel, with the same criticism as they had in MI. It is a bit unrealistic it has to be said, but so many aspects to this film are. It is only entertainment after all so I can figure it these technical faults.

All in all it’s a typical John Woo film, the action sequences don’t let up for too long and the 118 minutes just seem to fly by. I’m still a bit in awe of how they managed to do one of the motorbike stunts, where it slides across a road on its front wheel in front of a moving car! That’s the sort of thing you get with MI2.


In summary, I think one of the quotes from the back of the DVD of MI2 sums this film up pretty well:

Joel Siegel, GOOD MORNING AMERICA
“Put your mind on cruise control and fasten your seat belts”

It’s a great action flick, but if you want something to tax your brain then it isn’t the one for you. Overall, I still rate “Face Off” as a better, rounder film by John Woo.

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