MISSION IMPROBABLE (Mission Impossible 2 (DVD))

Name: C_Padd

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Product:	Mission Impossible 2 (DVD)
Date:	06.02.02 (146 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good action, Good pergormance from Cruise

Disadvantages: Lacks story and other poor people

‘This is not mission difficult, this is mission impossible.’

Not a bad quote from the film, after all this is supposed to be the best of the best in the spying world. Mission Impossible 2 follows on from the original film, with Tom Cruise as the best spy in the world facing the toughest assignments. Just the film does not turn out to be the best of the best in the film world, despite some decent stunts and Cruise in there it just does not cut it among the best.

Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt, top spy for the IMF to bust worldwide terrorism and anything wrong with the world. This time he is out to stop former colleague and spy Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from unleashing a new and deadly killer virus on the world. Their fiendishly brilliant plan this time is to release the virus that unless treated within 20 hours results in cell destruction in the blood leaving a very unpleasant and quick death. In league with Ambrose and his henchmen is one of Australia’s leading drug making company that will be the only one able to produce an antidote. Simple really and big money to be made. All Ethan Hunt has to do is foil the plan and get back a sample of the virus and the antidote. Cruise is helped by the very beautiful Nyah Hall played by Thandie Newton who was also Ambrose’s former lover.

None of the actors are really inspiring. Cruise is the star, and really does play the cool and action packed spy with conviction. Sadly he is the only one to do really well. Dougray Scott or Ambrose does not do the arch villain really well, the other blonde bad guy is more the cold and hard really bad guy that does well though he gets his comeuppance. The love interest Thandie Newton does not really do much, not as attractive as some she does little to impress.

The one part that really does lift it into life is some of the really good action scenes throughout the film. The film opens with Hunt on holiday relaxing. His sort of re
laxing is rope free climbing up sheer cliffs and jumping from one outcrop to the next. Some great stunts, Cruise does get a lot of credit from people involved in the making for his role and action. There is the standard car chase that is good, and going for the spectacular entrance to break into the lab to rescue the antidote. Fighting also is large part, Ambrose and Hunt go fist to fist, and there are several gun battles. Good light hearted and breathtaking action would sum this up, but there is little to back up to the film.

Eventually the film ends, with the mission a failure. Hunt was instructed to recover a sample of the virus and antidote, but ends up either using or destroying all the supplies. Maybe good for the world, though not what he was asked to do. All the chases and fighting to end up with nothing doing. Not the most satisfying film and a feeling that the story should not have ended.

The DVD version is also out in the shops, priced around £19.99. The DVD side does light up an otherwise poor package. There is plenty to explore and they are good quality all of them. They include:

- Cast interviews, always good and there is the usual talk about the film.
- Stunt Shots, explaining 11 of the best action scenes in the film with the stars, director and stunt coordinator Brian Smrz. Very interesting and good viewing
- Music video from Metalica ‘I Disappear’
- Director Commentary, from John Woo, very nice but the standard fare
- Alternative title sequence
- Mission Improbable, reasonable funny spoof involving Tom Crooze, a fictional stuntman. Funny enough though not hilarious.
- Lots of DVD-ROM stuff links and computer graphics and fun spy stuff.

All good, especially the explaining of the stunts is my personal favourite, they also look very good in the DVD drive. Subtitles in English with and all in Dolby 5:1 surround and anamorphic widescreen 2:35:1. The film is rated 15, running time a
pprox 118 minutes.

Overall no better than an average rating, knocked up one mark if you get the DVD version with all the extras. The original is better by far, although there are some good action shots there is little to back up the storyline and other members of the cast are uninspiring aside from Cruise.

Summary: