MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II

“Mission: Impossible II” has a few things going for it. First off, Ethan Hunt—Tom Cruise—goes from the clean-cut look in the first movie to free soloing cliffs with long, flowing hair in the sequel. It’s like he fully steps into the suave, action hero role, becoming his own brand of James Bond. Thandiwe Newton is a great addition too—she takes on the femme fatale role really nicely and has great chemistry with Cruise. And I love that they brought back Ving Rhames as Ethan’s tech guy. He’s always a solid presence.

But honestly, that’s kind of where my love for the movie stops.

John Woo’s directing style just doesn’t work for me here. The slow-motion fight scenes, the weirdly choreographed action, and seriously—so many birds. It all gets a bit distracting. Plus, I didn’t find Dougray Scott’s villain all that compelling. He’s supposed to be this rogue IMF agent, which is a cool idea, but the execution just falls flat.

What really bugs me is how underused some of the other great actors are. Anthony Hopkins shows up, but his dialogue is odd and repetitive, and he barely gets any screen time. Brendan Gleeson is there too, but playing a character that doesn’t feel right for him. It’s just a waste of talent.

And unlike the first film, which had a memorable set piece in every act, this one doesn’t really leave you with much. All I really remember is Tom Cruise on a motorcycle and a ridiculous number of mask reveals. After the third or fourth face rip, the whole gimmick loses its impact.

I get that John Woo has a very distinct style, and if you’re into that, you might enjoy this one more than I did. Brian De Palma’s style in the first film—those dramatic split diopter shots—actually felt like it fit the spy genre better. “Mission: Impossible II” leans way more into flashy action and style, but kind of forgets about the espionage and substance that made the first one so compelling.

VIEWED ON
Monday, May 19, 2025
Vudu