Mission: Impossible II ***1/2 (PG-13)

Reviewed By George O. Singleton

Woo wowed me and Cruise delivered a slam dunk action flick

Ethan Hunt: Tom Cruise	Nyah Nordoff-Hall: Thandie Newton
Luther Stickell: Ving Rhames	Sean Ambrose: Dougray Scott
Director: John Woo

30 Second Bottom Line: A top M:I agent is given an assignment to capture the remaining vials of a deadly virus stolen from a pharmaceutical company. Someone has plans to unleash the virus in a large city.

Story Line: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is the M:I-2 agent assigned to find Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), then capture and return the remaining vials of virus to M:I headquarters. Ethan is to recruit Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), a professional thief, to become part of his team. He later learns that six months prior, she initiated the break up of an intense affair with Sean. Nyah will have to reconnect with Sean as part of her mission, knowing that he is a real agent of evil.

Nyah goes undercover to reestablish her relationship with Sean and the hunt is on with double crosses, mind games, and thrilling action scenes that make you sit up and pay attention, and from time to time get a good laugh. We know before the movie begins that the impossible mission will be accomplished. Even though the ending is predictable, the ride there is not.

Tell Me More About It: Director John Woo brings an exciting and unique style to action films. In the Mission Impossible television series, switched identities were stock and trade. Woo raises the concept to the academy award level. In his film Face/Off, faces were literally exchanged. In M:I-2 Woo uses that technique, familiar to M:I fans, as well as action sequences in an artistic style, at times almost balletic, or with the ferocity of lions fighting in the wild.

The James Bond-like gadgetry and action is combined with a somewhat logical plot to support it. Thandie Newton is indeed a beautiful woman whose character is smart, sensitive, skilled and courageous. In the Bond movies the women tend to be efficient bureaucrats, bimbos, or beautiful non-realistic villains. Ving Rhames is an able macho sidekick with a sense of humor that allows the film to not be taken too seriously.

To become a hero, there must be danger. Tom Cruise did over 95% of the stunts, to include the rock climbing scenes and my hat is off to him. I'm sure there were some interesting discussions with the insurance company about the risks he was taking since he is M:I-2. The intensity that he puts into his roles is admirable. He won't get an Academy award nomination for this as he did for Magnolia, but he's just as good.

It does take a leap to conceive of a company first developing an antidote and then have trouble creating the virus that it can kill. Action with style, supported by a fairly solid plot and character development elevates M:I-2 to the top echelon of action films. Where most have nothing but explosions and car chases at the end, Woo delivers emotion within the action. M:I-2 is rare in that the sequel is better than the original. John Woo knows how to combine an action picture with a solid story line.

Tom Cruise: Magnolia	Thandie Newton: Beloved
Ving Rhames: Bringing out the Dead	Dougray Scott: Deep Impact
John Woo: Face/Off