Have an Account?
| Register Now
Movie Poster
View Photo Gallery

Remove ads with our VIP Service Facebook logoTwitter logo
Mission: Impossible 2
Tom Cruise is back as Special Agent Ethan Hunt in this second installment, directed by actioner John Woo (Face Off). With computer genius Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) at his side and a beautiful...  View more >

Starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Dougray Scott...  View more >

Add Movie to Favorites

Seen It?

How would you rate this movie?
[--- See Now! ---] [--- Good ---] [--- Wait for Rental ---] [--- Stay Away! ---]

Reviews Summary


Please Note: Reader Reviews are submitted by the readers of The BigScreen Cinema Guide and represent their own personal opinions regarding this movie, and do not represent the views of The BigScreen Cinema Guide, or any of its associated entities.

[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
May 25, 2000
"Mission: Impossible II" should have titled "Mission: Too Predictable"

There are no surprises. No plot twists. You will see everything coming five miles away and have time for a cup of tea while you wait for it to arrive. Even the villian sees it coming! No, I'm serious. He'll even tell you exactly what Cruise will do. Sad. Just so sad.

Now for an action film, that might be just fine. However, "Mission: Impossible" wasn't an action TV series. It was about intrique, suspence, Murphy screwing things up, dealing with what Murphy screws up, and being invisible, clever, and if you can get away with it, devious. Except for one little (and I do mean little) scene, "Mission: Impossible II" is none of these.

"Mission: Impossible II" is about mental anguish (you'll get to see a lot of Tom Cruise's face and the "emotions" on it), slowwww plot development (after the opening action scene, feel free to go and get a refill of that large soda, go to the bathroom, chat with the theater staff, etc.), scenes that are rip-offs of James Bond films (including the female lead), and far-fetched super-tech (such as band-aids that enable you to sound just like someone else -- so much for the traditional scenes of "Mission: Impossible" where this was one of their biggest handicaps and something they had to always work around).

And then there's the action scenes. After a slow boring middle, I guess John Woo finally decided to return to the set after leaving it at the beginning of the movie. However, while this reviewer has enjoyed John Woo films in the past, even here there wasn't anything original. John Woo must be either burnt out or didn't care. The Hong-Kong-style fight scenes (be them with hands and feet, guns, or motorcycles) are too run-of-the-mill, over-the-top and in the realm of fantasy. There is no build up of the suspension of disbelief to enable these fight scenes to be accepted as possible. Guns can be throw into the sand, become buried in sand, kicked out of sand, and yet no sand gets in the barrel. A person can race on a motorcycle and fire at and hit the motorcycle chasing him using one's rear view mirror. Oh, then there's also the John Woo trademark flip through the air while firing one's gun at (and naturally hitting) someone. You'll either yawn and laugh at these fight scenes.

Overall, "Mission: Impossible II" was a boring, predictable, laughable (at, not with) movie that one should avoid. Even when it eventually airs for free on network television.
[--- See Now! ---]by  
May 27, 2000
Truly an action packed thrill ride! I know, sounds a tad cliche...but this movie is a lot of fun and a must see for those who enjoy action films. This is one of those spy thrillers (a la Bond) that keeps you saying "No Way!"

Open your imagination for a couple of hours and lose yourself in a magnificent piece of work by John Woo! Have fun with it!!!
May 28, 2000
Wow. This movie is actually worse than "Battlefield Earth". I didn't think it possible, but this summer movie season is shaping up to be the worst I can remember.

John Woo seems to be in love with overly dramatic, unrealistic scenes. He even has a worse grasp of Physics than L. Ron Hubbard! For example, if you are speeding down the street on a motorcycle, put one hand on one handlebar, the other on a gun, and your feet to the speeding asphalt, are you going to neatly slide on your rubber heals, giving you ample time to shoot and always hit the bad guy? But I guess this is "Mission Impossible", so anything goes, no matter how impossible.

Towards the end, I think my knees were on the sticky floor at some time, incoherently shouting to any god that would hear me, "Please -- let it end?" I'm not sure; I was so bored, I may have been hallucinating. It was so incredibly cliche that I may have well been watching an info-mmercial. If I wasn't with a friend, I probably would have walked out of the theater and taken up smoking.
[--- Wait for Rental ---]by  
May 29, 2000
Mission Impossible 2 does not live up to all the hype you'll be bombarded with in the next couple of weeks. Much of MI2 seems to have been borrowed from other movies (Face/Off, Terminator2, James Bond movies, etc.)

It can be summed up also as a long-running stunt rather than a movie. Some of the stunts are impressive, while others are too beyond belief (how many times can someone be kicked in the head with a flying drop kick before they quit fighting, for example) Thandie Newton is there only for eye candy, and shows can't do much with her part. I think Tom Cruise is much better than this movie shows.

The right time to see this movie is at the budget. If you can get in for $2 or $3, then you'll be ok. But don't pay $7 because its not worth it.

*** out of *****.
[--- Wait for Rental ---]by  
May 29, 2000
Big disappointment. The plot takes too long to unfold and is made unnecessarily complicated. Too many extremely unrealistic situations (such as changing faces and voices numerous times by many characters) that cross the line between impossible but can be done and impossible but can be only imagined.

The acting is strained as is the soundtrack. The girl should have had her seatbelt on! Cruise should see an orhodontist to take care of his gum disease.
[--- Wait for Rental ---]by  
May 29, 2000
this movie is very slow even the action scenes are so-so if you like to see
slow-motion close-ups of Tom Cruise face this is the movie for you
[--- Good ---]by  
May 30, 2000
So many reviews here said wait for rental. People just keep waiting for the killer movie that they will talk about forever and will change their lives. The idea here is entertainment.

This movie is not going to find new procedures for curing Cancer. It is however, entertaining and that's the whole point. If one always gets caught up in the small flaws of a movie, best to just rent a depressing true story and stay at home.
May 31, 2000
While Mission: Impossible 2 is not the greatest action movie of all time, it is a little over two hours of very entertaining fare.

From the very beginning of the movie, you know that this is a showcase of Tom Cruise's talents. This is probably the best vehicle Mr. Cruise has had since he lip-sync'd Bob Seger in his underwear!

While I enjoyed John Woo's flair in Face Off (with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage), I found the signature elements of choreographed martial arts and gun violence tiring after a while. The best two scenes of the movie come early on when Tom is enjoying a little freestyle rock climbing for fun and relaxation, and when he is recruiting beautiful thief Thandie Newton by racing sports cars in the Spanish mountain roadways. After that, get used to slow motion kicks, jabs, and gunfire.

Some have said that the nice thing about the sequel is that it wasn't nearly as difficult to understand as the first movie. Well, anyone who walks out of this movie confused wasn't paying attention, since most of the sequences are telegraphed or explained (literally) for you.

But if you went into Mission: Impossible 2 looking for a cerebral film, you've been watching the wrong trailers. Everything about this movie says that it is supposed to be Tom Cruise beating the bad guys using techno-gadgets, clever disguise, and his personality. You get what you pay for, and then some.

Grab your big tub of popcorn, your super-size Mountain Dew, and have fun with a group a friends by seeing the first action movie of the summer. It's worth the price of admission!
[--- Good ---]by  
May 31, 2000
Out of all of John Woo's movies, this one I would have to say is the best I have seen. Unlike MI1, the plot was a little more easier to follow, an action movie, is not supposed to be confusing and mysterious, it is supposed to be just pure action.

I enjoyed the movie very much, and would recommend others to see this movie, but be forewarned, don't expect it to be all suspicous and keep you guessing what is going to happen next. If that's the kind of movie you want don't waste your time here.
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Jun 2, 2000
Terrible movie. I usually dont waste time writing reviews but I feel like I have to warn all who hasnt wasted 7 bucks of this crappy movie.

I like movies that have cool action shots but they no matter how far fetched the scences are, they have to be somewhat possible.

DONT WASTE MONEY ON MOVIE NOT EVEN WORTH A RENTAL
[--- See Now! ---]by  
Jun 2, 2000
This movie was incredible! I am not usually a 'Mission Impossible' type of movie person, so I can say, with absolutely no pregidous, that this was a well done and entertaining movie.

I enjoyed the special effects almost as much as in 'The Matrix!' I saw things I've never seen before. Tom Cruise and Woo should team up again.
[--- Good ---]by  
Jun 3, 2000
This movie was filled with encredible action.

It wasn't the greatest action flic like a Matrix, but it was good. I give an A+ to the beautiful female co-star.
[--- Wait for Rental ---]by  
Jun 5, 2000
Mission Impossible 2 was a big disappointment. It did not live up to all the hype that the press gave it.

I entered the movie expecting to see high-tech gadgetry's, intrigue, suspense, and espionage. Things that make a spy movie great. Instead, I saw a typical Woo action flick that was too predictable.

The worst things in the movie was the beginning car chase and the ending motorcycle battle. John Woo had these vehicles doing some incredible unbelievable things that made that made the movie suck even worse.

Hey John Woo, E=mc^2. MI-1 was definitely the better movie.
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Jun 8, 2000
Mission Impossible II is nothing but a showcase vehicle for Tom Cruise. Now if you like Tom Cruise, so be it. To each his own. But that doesn't make this a good movie.

In my opinion, Tom Cruise doesn't know how to act. He never fits into a role, he always brings his persona to the role. As an example, do you believe Gladiator would have been as good if Tom Cruise starred in the place of Russell Crowe? Of course not!

What really bothers me is that the TV series was always about a TEAM effort and an extraordinay plan. Mission Impossible II has none of this. Why don't they call the movie "Ehtan Hunt: Super Spy" or something? They try and make up for this lack of indentity with the TV series by trying to spice up the movie with some action scenes that are either superfluous to the main plot of the movie (hanging off a cliff at the beginning), or are impossible to believe (motorcycle chase/fight).

To me this movie doesn't work on any level. The plot is weak, the writing is weak, the acting is bad and the action is stupid. Save your time and money.
[--- See Now! ---]by  
Jun 9, 2000
This Movie was awsome and Tom Cruise was definatly at his sexyest!!!! I loved it soo much that despite the lines i went and saw it 3 times already!!

I first i went by myself and then i had to bring my freinds and finaly my boyfreind!! I loved the movie and hope that another just as action packed one comes out soon!
[--- Wait for Rental ---]by  
Jun 11, 2000
Writer Towne and Director Woo take some chances with the burgeoning Mission Impossible franchise and I'd like to say they pay off handsomely. Fact is, they might owe you some change back. The pair, under the supervision of producer Tom Cruise, have tried to make the movie more intimate, cutting down the multi-character team concept of the series and previous film, into an american version of the Bond franchise. It's a star turn for Cruise and he projects a sinewy sexiness with the material at hand. It's just a shame he didn't have more to work with.

In paring down unessential elements, Towne neglected to strengthen what was left. Relationships are left one sided and motivations are murky. They've tried to make a humanistic spy film, but stopped short of fleshing out the characters. Even the main story is simplistic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Sean Ambrose is unremarkable in his villainy. He is simply a petulant, greedy and clever man. He isn't given any idiosyncrasies that make him particularly fearsome or memorable. Seeing Hopkins brief visage, I couldn't help but think of the menace of his Hannibal Lechter character and how this film could have benefited from such a chill inducing villain. Instead we're treated to meglomaniac-lite.

Cruise and Newton not only are requisite gorgeous to look at, they draw you in with their "you are my soul mate" looks they give each other. They share a primal attraction that is tastefully shown. There are no shots of bare breasts, or lingeringly filmed, titillating sex scenes. They don't seek to learn much from each other, content to bask in each other's presence. If not for the strength of Cruise's personality and the waif-like vulnerability of Newton, the scenes, wispy as they are, could have fallen flat. As it stands, there is a certain charm to watching their interaction. Heaving a huge stone into pond of their relationship is the revelation that Nyah once was Ambrose's lover. Instead of this fact causing a ripple effect with later events, it makes nary a splash.

At times, the scenes of exposition with the characters becomes clock watchingly slow. Fortunately the action scenes, which are back loaded at the end of the movie are gripping, beautiful and just plain fun to watch. Hunt breaks into the pharmacy company in a sequence that whispers of the memorable Pentagon break-in scene in the first Mission Impossible movie. Hunt, time and again, dispatches foes with Woo's trademark, slow motion, ballet style martial arts. Here's where the film really flexes it's muscles.

Woo throws it all at us, explosions, car chases, motorcycle chases, two fisted gun battles underscored by classical music, each done in his distinctive style. Older time Woo fans will smile knowingly at his usage of religious backdrops and birds on the wing. There's an engrossing fight between Hunt and Ambrose that is thrilling not just due to the camera work, which shows you the impact of each blow, but the lack of music. It's a mano a mano fight where all that is heard for periods are the sounds of kicks landing and grunts of pain. Hunt doesn't dispatch Ambrose easily. It's fight in which there is a sense of failure on Hunt's part, no mean feat.

MI:2 is a fun, thrilling to watch film when it's not dragging itself through the mire of exposition. With the talents behind such films as Chinatown (Towne), the Killer and Face/Off (Woo), I expected a bit more. It's entertaining fare, but hardly the stuff of memorable movie going.

Review by Scott Hunt. Visit me at Movie Hunt http://netdirect.net/~hunt/index.html
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Jun 12, 2000
With the "quality" of the movies being put out (ie Mission Impossible to Watch II and Battlefield Earth: The Comedy) I think Hollywood is finally showing us (the "regular" people) what they really think of our intellect.

This summer's "action blockbuster" is such a mindless ego ride for "Top Gun" Cruise (much like BE was for Travolta) that I can't even list a single thing I liked about it. Woo has been destroyed by Hollywood cinema, this film proves it.
No plot, bad acting, ripped of scenes and boring you to sleep dead spots make this another movie that has the ability to mentally exterminate you. I think I have had irrepairable damage done to the analytical area of my brain from seeing this and Battlefield Earth within the same year.

Thanks Hollywood for living up to "our" expectations. (Of course while reading this you have to imagine the "finger quotes" guy from SNL). Leave this picture well enough alone if you value your time and money.
[--- Good ---]by  
Jun 12, 2000
MI2 - my idea of a perfect escape movie. This one got our [four of us] complete attention with the adrenaline high from start to finish. Commentators have complained that this is all Tom Cruise - yeah, and ? That's why we went to see it. The action bits were better than "Take Down" 'wrassling' effects.

MI2 is an adult Speilberg/ Lucas/ Star War's/ Dinosaur special effects movie. The plot was even pretty much one we could follow. Thandie got my attention in "Beloved," she is thin- gorgeous, weird, with the world's most perfect come-on pout. Woo did a spectacular job with the photography and for us symbolist seekers, his use of fire from beginning to end was very well done. Fire to cleanse, fire to denote sexuality, fire to destroy, all tied together with visions of fire out of control and under control and reflected in the eyes of the beholder. Again, graphically beautiful.

You're not going for the latest meaningful movie, you going to see great action, Tom Cruise shirt on, shirt off, close ups etc. And, the villain hates 'Ethan' - Tom because of that smile that he keeps flashing, nice bit. Settings are lush, Thandies' clothes are too. I didn't even mind the 'Face Off' stuff that Woo imported from his other movie of the same name. Suspend disbelief, go and enjoy.
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Jun 15, 2000
Boy, was this a big disapointment. I loved MI-1, and was looking foward to the sequel.

Except for the first half hour, the movie sucked! There was no suspense or mystery as to what was going to happen, and the constant rip-off of Face Off, was overly done to extreme.

Cruise even had a motorcycle chase scene that looked like Top Gun. The chemistry between Cruise and his sexy love interest was good, but other than that, there was nothing... just alot of slow-motion fights.
[--- See Now! ---]by  
Jun 20, 2000
I think this a Fantastic movie and Tom was just as good as if not better than the first Mission Imposible. If you don't go see it, too bad, your loss..
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Jun 20, 2000
Can we say " MATRIX WANNABE". Yes we all love the Gap commercials and The Matrix made action sequences state of the art but.....Do we have to use it for EVERY SINGLE FIGHT!! TOOO MUCH SLOW MOTION TOM....
[--- Wait for Rental ---]by  
Jun 23, 2000
For a movie with so much potential, few movies will leave the viewer with so little enthusiasm.

The movie drags from the start. The "love interest" is about as convincing as Tom's gravity-defying motorcycle escapades. The action is exciting, (when its in full swing) but even then it feels contrived and unoriginal.

I rather enjoyed the first installment, even though it was somewhat muddled and confusing. What made the original enjoyable and is so glaringly missing in this sequal is the element of mystery. The plot is as shallow as it is intellectually incomplete.

The only clever facet to this movie is the name given to the virus/anti serum - Chimera/Belerophon. So, much like the mythological past, this movie is best left to the archival shelves of the movie store.
Jun 26, 2000
Alternatively titled 'Ethan Hunt: James Bond Wanna Be'

There was no Impossible Mission. This was just a vehicle for Tom Cruise' ego. I remember the original MI series (And the first half of the first movie) being about a 'Team' of people, all experts in particular skills, who would come together and, as a 'Team' would tackle an 'Impossible' mission.

This was nothing like either the series, or even MI-I. Ethan Hunts 'Team' consisted of a communications expert who loses contact with him, an Australian (Presumably cast because it was filmed here) helicopter pilot and an internationally notorious thief who couldn't even pick a pocket properly.

Action fans won't be too disappointed as Mr Hunt manages to kill all the bad guys from every manner of impossible position and situation whilst defying both gravity and physics. Fortunately in order to accomplish this he has acquired a gun that never needs reloading or cleaning and that is magically attached to his hand by an invisible force.

Most filmgoers will be disappointed though as this movie is filled with clichés, bad acting from most of those with more than 10 minutes screen time, scenes copied from other movies and total plot cop-outs.

In conclusion I would say that after the success of MI-I Mr Cruise & Woo saw us coming.

5/10 glenk@foxit.com.au
[--- Good ---]by  
Jun 27, 2000
This movie follows in MI 1 footsteps. So everyone that is bad mouthing the movie should have expected it.

Of course there is a different bad guy and better action scenes. I was a little put off by all the karate moves and other impossible things that happened, but that is also the draw of this movie.

It is like a Bond movie. So if you are looking for an action movie, I think you will get your moneys worth here!
[--- Good ---]by  
Jun 28, 2000
Action and a little romance, this movie has something for both genders. Tom Cruise shows he has some good martial arts moves and the special effects are top of the line, almost as good as Matrix.

While the plot was average, and sometimes took awhile to get going, I thought I had spent a good $7.00 as I walked out of the movie. I recommend seeing in the theatres for the full screen effects and sound, but this is a definite renter too.
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Jul 2, 2000
Could it be POSSIBLE that a movie could be so blatantly predictable... IMPOSSIBLE. Each new scene left absolutely nothing to the imagination. A 10 year old child with the accumulated knowledge of his/her age could literally come up with the next line to this movie before it was even spoken.

Actions speak louder than words, but a blind man sitting in the theatre would have got up and left....there is literally nothing in this movie to see, unless you are truly infatuated with the incredible overacting of Tom Cruise. He tried his hardest to make something of this movie, but failed miserably. For those who only want to see Cruise.....GET A LIFE.....He may still have his looks but talents have diminished....acting with his wife has made him soft.
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Jul 11, 2000
This movie sucked. It was SOOOOOOOOO predictable! I predicted nearly half the movie.

The last fight scene was ABSOLUTLY AWFUL! It was about a half hour too long! It went on forever and got old VERY FAST!

Do NOT see this movie!! Its a waste of time and money!
[--- Good ---]by  
Jul 13, 2000
This was a good movie. Not a classic and not deep and meaningful, but it did what I wanted it to do - give me a couple hours of fun, some decent car chases, a little romance and just let me escape a bit from reality on a nice Summer day.

Looking for more opinions?

Check out our Featured Movie Reviews for Mission: Impossible 2.




New Movies - Box Office - Favorite Movies - All Movies
Coming Soon - Search



Home - About Us - Feedback
News Headlines - Theaters - Movies - Reader Reviews - Movie Links
Your Account - VIP Service

The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a service of SVJ Designs LLC. All graphics, layout, and structure of this service (unless otherwise specified) are Copyright © 1995-2024, SVJ Designs. The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a trademark of SVJ Designs. All rights reserved.

'ACADEMY AWARDS®' and 'OSCAR®' are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Find Us on Facebook
Find Us on Instagram