Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

3/3.5** out of 4

Starring: Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames, John Polson, Richard Roxburgh, Anthony Hopkins

Director: John Woo

Time: 123 mins

Ah...At long last, a film set in Sydney, my home town. This is probably the first US-backed film I've seen that is set in Australia's renowned harbour city. There have been many that were shot in Sydney (The Matrix, for example), but the city in those films was usually a nameless, generic metropolis with gleaming skyscrapers and traffic jams. Mission: Impossible 2 has no qualms about where it's located. The whole film is interspersed with gorgeous day and night shots of famous landmarks like the Opera House, the Centrepoint Tower, and the Harbour Bridge. Of course it helps that the Olympics is coming here this year, and one must wonder whether there isn't some coincidence in that. The fact that Tom Cruise owns a house here is also a plus. If you're starting to think that being set in Sydney makes MI:2 a better film, you're quite correct (even if I am biased!). The setting shouldn't make a film, but the spectacular vistas of the harbour and ocean cliffs at least add a visual appeal that offsets some of the weaknesses in the script. Yes, MI:2 has a few problems, but it is far more entertaining than the incredibly cryptic original (also starring Cruise).

Now, there might be a few who would say that Mission: Impossible (1996) was easy to follow, but they would be in the minority. To be sure, not every film has to be mindless trash like Armageddon (1998) and Con Air (1997). But, heck, a film that was supposed to usher in the thrill-ride summer of 1996 came out framed like a Mensa puzzle. I don't mind a film that makes you think, but the original MI had many scenes that just made no sense. Indeed, it would have been worthless had it not been for the silent break-in and Chunnel sequences. MI:2 is much improved in this regard, with a story that could have been lifted from a good James Bond film. The similarities with Bond don't end there - our hero Ethan Hunt (Cruise) romances a beautiful woman, drives sleek cars, and has an array of amazing gadgets. And he actually does some real spy work, something the Bond franchise seems to have forgotten. I think highly regarded internet reviewer James Berardinelli (ReelViews) summed it up best when he said that MI:2 "could easily double as Bond 20."

The story is quite simple: a group headed by Sean Ambrose (Ever After's Dougray Scott) steal the antidote to a highly lethal man-made virus named Chimera. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is charged by supremo Commander Swanbeck (Hopkins, in an unbilled performance) to retrieve it, with the help of computer whiz Luther Stickell (Rhames, returning from the original), Billy Baird (Polson), an IMF member from Australia, and the beautiful thief Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton). The added complication is that Nyah is a former lover of Ambrose. The expository scenes take a while, but once the adrenalin kicks in, the last half hour is just wall-to-wall action.

This is where Hong Kong maestro John Woo comes in. A director of stylish action fare like Face/Off (1997) and The Killer (1989), Woo weaves his trademark tricks (the use of slow motion, doves, and high-powered shootouts) again, infusing this sequel with a dash of cool sophistication. The original was cold, dark, and serious; this follow-up is lighter and brighter. There are a few jokes and laugh-worthy scenes thrown in for good measure, though more than once the laughter was for the sheer outrageousness of some of the stunts. My partner and I weren't the only ones who burst into chortles when Cruise does some incredible manouevres on a motorcycle that make the many outlandish James Bond chase scenes look believable by comparison. Do these stunts make it a lesser movie? No. As mentioned above, MI:2 is basically a Bond film, but one that outdoes most Bond films. And it achieves it with that poetic John Woo style. The action might be improbable, but it sure looks dazzling.

By now, we should know a bit more about Ethan Hunt's character. The super spy who anticipates (and seemingly knows) everything has longer hair this time, as well as a few martial arts moves (well, it is a Woo film). Cruise is fine, though he doesn't have the suave charisma that a Bond like Sean Connery exhibits. He's at his best during his first encounter with Newton, when a delicious medley of double entendres fly to and fro between them. Newton is also not bad, but other than for her beauty, doesn't really stand out. Rhames, the other returning character, provides plenty of humour as Luther, though he isn't in the film very much. Scott adds a bit of intensity as the chief villain, and it's nice to see his display of emotion when he finds out he's been betrayed. Movie villains are usually devoid of feeling, except for a bit of megalomania or mental instability. It's good to see someone who shows another side to his persona. Australian actors Polson and Roxburgh are saddled with thankless roles - Polson having to deliver the most common Australian sayings like "No worries, mate!" every time he's on screen (not that there's anything wrong with this, but after a while I was almost expecting him to say the time-honoured "Put another shrimp on the barbie!"), and Roxburgh having one of the weirdest accents I've ever heard on film, sounding like a combination of Russian and Irish. But at least both are memorable.

If you're looking for an entertaining time at the movies, MI:2 delivers plenty. It's not terribly exciting, and the characters are workman-like, but there is the art of John Woo on show. Most of what happens during the finale may be improbable, yes, but, hey, it's meant to be fun and diverting. You could do a lot worse with your $12.50.

** A qualifier to my rating: the film on its own rates a 3 out of 4 - it's fun and entertaining - but I added an extra 0.5 for the Sydney location. Bravo!

(c) Joe Wong (4 June 2000)