Product Description

The world's greatest spy returns in the movie event of the year, M:I-2. Top action director John Woo brings his own brand of excitement to the mission that finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) partnering up with the beautiful Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) to stop renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from releasing a new kind of terror on an unsuspecting world. But before the mission is complete, they'll traverse the globe and have to choose between everything they love and everything they believe in.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8076 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2006-04-11
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 123 minutes

Amazon.com
Visually stunning, and a likely must for John Woo aficionados, the second Mission: Impossible outing from megastar Tom Cruise suffers from an inconsistent tone and tired plot devices--not only recycled from other films, but repeated throughout the film. Despite remarkable cinematography and awe-inspiring, trademark Woo photography, the movie offers a tepid story from legendary screenwriter-director Robert Towne (Chinatown, Without Limits) and a host of other writers, most uncredited.

It is, regrettably, as forgettable as the first big-budget, big box-office MI in 1996, and it's clear (as Towne confirms) that the plot was developed around Woo- and Cruise-written action sequences. The film combines equal elements of romance and action, and is best when it features the stunning allure of Thandie Newton as Nyah, a master thief recruited by the sinewy charms of Ethan Hunt (a fit Cruise). Deeply in love after a passionate night, the couple must then combat MI nemesis (and Nyah's former lover) Sean Ambrose (Ever After's Dougray Scott). Ambrose holds hostage a virus and its cure, and offers them to the highest bidder.

Woo's famed mythic filmmaking is far from subtle, with heroic Hunt frequently slow-motion walking through fire, smoke, or other similar devices, replete with a white dove among pigeons to signal his presence. The emphasis on romance is an attempt to develop character and a more human side to superspy Hunt, but still the dreary story proves a distraction from the exciting action sequences. John Polson (as an MI team member) is an Aussie talent to keep an eye on. --N.F. Mendoza

Customer Reviews

M:I-2 = FANTASTIC FILM!
I hadn't even seen the first Mission Impossible movie so didn'tknow 'exactly' what to expect when I went to see the sequel in a UK cinema recently. It was absolutely fantastic. It has a very similar structure, story and similar characters to the recent excellent James Bond films but has more engrossing and awe-inspiring scenes of action and fantastic scenery.

The cast all perform brilliantly especially the supremely talented Mr. Tom Cruise who puts in another outstanding performance. Dougray Scott as the bad guy also deserves credit for his performance as does the rest of the cast.

I recommend this film to James Bond fans and all action/adventure/mystery/thriller fans and fans of similar genres.

All in all, an excellent film!

Phil Pearson

...

Big Disappointment
When I heard John Woo was going to direct Tom Cruise in MI:2, I thought "How could they go wrong?" My question was answered when I saw the movie. When I go see an action movie, I accept the fact that the hero will almost be invincible, but this was totally ludicrous. With a gun pointed at his back, Tom Cruise has time to kick a gun up to his hand, spin around, dodge the bullets, and shoot back with perfect aim! I can accept some exaggeration in movies. I love action movies like Die Hard, Cliffhanger, etc. This was just too stupid.

By the way, what happened to the bad guy in the movie? John Woo always has great villans in his movies. This guy was non-existant (and they wanted him to play Wolverine in X-Men. What a relief that Hugh Jackman got the role instead.)

In the end, I really enjoyed the first Mission Impossible, but the second one is not worth the money they spent on it.

Mission Impossible 2
Don't go in expecting a high brow fully believable film. Go to watch excitement and escapism and you won't be disappointed. Great action, superb direction let the mood take you. Don't try to find flaws in the plot there are plenty, also missing are stupid one liners when someone gets killed (a real breath of fresh air after James Bond etc) and the film takes its characters seriously . Over the top yes but not badly done like Face off and Con Air. Watch and enjoy, this took a lot of hard work to make and had me rooting for the good guy!