MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2

In many ways, MI-2 is the ultimate John Woo movie. All his stylistic flourishes are here: the super slo-mo, the two-guns blazing shootouts, and the white doves. All this and Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, that unforgettable character from the first Mission Impossible movie. Sarcasm aside though, character is not what this film is about. Woo and Producer Cruise have simply set out to make the most stylized action film of all time. And for the most part, they succeeded.

Let’s go back a second. I was one of fifteen people who didn’t absolutely hate the first Mission Impossible. It had certain energy along with some fun set pieces. But compared to MI-2, it was like an episode of Father Dowling Mysteries. This film is a non-stop amusement-park ride from the first frame to the last. Plot? Who gives a shit! It has something to do with a deadly virus and the antidote that’s worth billions. It makes more sense than the plot of the first MI, but not much more. What the film is really about is action. And it delivers in spades. From the mountain climbing opener to the epic fistfight at the end, MI-2 serves up the high-tech thrills in giant portions. The motorcycle chase alone, will blow you away! Is any of this stuff realistic? Not even close. Is it fun? You bet.

There are some quieter moments in MI-2, mostly involving Thandie Newton as a woman Hunt recruits to get close to her ex-boyfriend, the main villain Dougray Scott. It’s an homage to Hitchcock’s Notorious, I suppose, except none of the leads will make you forget Cary Grant or Ingrid Bergman (or even Claude Rains) any time soon. But MI-2 isn’t vying for “masterpiece” status here. The plot simply serves as a way to connect the action sequences. Now, that would be a serious flaw in a “serious” film. But MI-2 succeeds precisely because it’s not a serious film. It revels in it’s own non-seriousness; just when you thought it couldn’t get any cheesier, it does, reaching almost comic proportions at times. But all this is done in good fun… with a self-depreciating tongue firmly in cheek. In fact the film openly lampoons both Cruise and Woo. That’s cool! So is Jeffrey Kimball’s cinematography which is reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut in its’ saturated graininess. (Same film stock, if you’re interested.)

Ultimately, like its producer and star, MI-2 succeeds in spite of its weaknesses; perhaps even because of them. It’s not smart, original, or clever, but it looks great and it’s packed with the kind of stylized action that elevates dumb summer movies into the strata of blockbusters. Don’t take it too seriously and you’ll definitely enjoy the ride.