Mission: Impossible II (2000)

User Review

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  TheMovieDiorama

  5 / 10

  Mission Impossible 2 is set on slow-motion "Tom Cruise" control. De Palma's film adaptation of the television series knew what it was. A fun, slick spy thriller that acknowledged how ridiculously crazy it was. Woo comes along for the sequel, with his more serious tone, and instead of chanting "woo hoo" he sees audiences chanting "booooo hooooo". Completely unrelated to its predecessor, Ethan Hunt is tasked in bringing down a thug who plans on releasing a dangerous virus for money.
  
  A generic story that could've come from an earlier Bond flick, but atleast it's functional. Occasionally engrossing, especially after the tediously dull first half which sees a woman being used as bait, with consistently good performances from everyone. Cruise harnesses the physical prowess of an IMF agent, and Newton is just stunning. Their romance is somewhat underdeveloped and all too forced, however it gets the job done. Zimmer's score also seems a little out of place during certain scenes, almost acquiring this spiritual vibe. Small criticisms here and there.
  
  The major critique however is the film's pacing. When the most exciting scene for the first hour is a one minute montage of Cruise climbing a cliff, something is not right. The action, or lack of, is then diminished entirely by the obnoxious use of slow-motion. Nearly. Every. Thing. Is. So. Damn. Slooooow. The plot is about an hour, yet the film is dragged out for two hours just so we can see Cruise twist and twirl in the air in choppy slow-mo. The style is fine for certain scenes, but to overuse it actually detracts from the thrilling action, consequently making it boring. If anything it made me admire Cruise's luscious locks as it slowly flows in the gentle breeze. The antagonistic rogue IMF agent, played by Scott, wasn't exactly memorable and weirdly concludes with a showdown on a beach. Mano-el-Mano. No wait, sorry. Manooooo-el-Manooooo. Thankfully the preceding motorbike chase was filmed well, so there is something to take away. Everyone knows this is the weakest in the series. Limited action and a long drawn out generic plot isn't exactly a success...

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