Mission:Impossible II (2000)

Twenty-five years ago, director John Woo (Hard Boiled, Face/Off) joined this franchise to helm this long-awaited sequel to the first cinematic adaptation from '96.  And whereas the first film was a paranoid espionage thriller, he and star/producer/mastermind Tom Cruise decided to shift THIS entry in the direction of ramped up operatic action mixed with forbidden romance.  Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back for his next mission where he must prevent a now disavowwed former IMF-rival Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from doing something nefarious with a mysterious bio-weapon/virus nicknamed "Chimera."  And to get closer to this new villain's burgeoning operation, Ethan must enlist a beautiful jewel thief named Nyah (Thandiwe Newton) who has a past with Ambrose but....the ONE thing he didn't count on was falling in love. :o 

And what results is a rip-roaring, mostly-set-in-Australia action EPIC filled with rock climbing, fast cars, roundhouse kicks, and.....DOVES.  This was a major smash upon release and remains one of the more successful films in this long-running franchise....however a backlash has developed since then with many now calling it the WORST of the Mission: Impossible saga.  Our mission - should we choose to accept it - is to determine as to whether it lives up OR down to the hype!

See below for a link where you can hear the rare instrumental version of this movie's theme song, cited within this review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfBiktIrDnQ

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II – 2000

Directed by John Woo

Starring Tom Cruise, Thandiwe Newton, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Serbedzija, William Mapother, Dominic Purcell, and Anthony Hopkins

Genre: Action Thriller (Audio clip)

I don't care what any one says, I still dig this movie even though it's BARELY a proper Mission Impossible movie. I actually consider it more of a looney John Woo early '00's approximation of a Bond movie with a bunch of '90's cheesy techno-thriller thrown in. This is basically The Cruise Missile's most overt full-on ego trip vanity project as MOVIE STAR projecting all of the big-swinging-d@&k energy he can muster from that opening credits sequence of him free solo-ing onward - that sheer cocksure smirk just as he's traversing that peak REALLY sells that. This is very much HIS Cobra or Bad Boys II. And as flawed as those movies are, they are still VERY watchable just like this.

Nothing about this movie is subtle and Woo just wouldn't have it any other way - this was his big budget follow-up to Face/Off and while it's nowhere nearly as entertaining nor as bonkers as that all-time Travolta/Cage two-fer, it has a good amount of the same operatic flair he brought to that movie. For one thing, Cruise and co-star Thandie Newton (playing Nyah the thief Ethan has to recruit) are almost always framed as the two most beautiful people on the planet. (Which they might have been at the time.) Their courtship of spinning in cars next to each other on the edge of a Spanish cliff is of course ridiculous though still beautifully shot thanks to DP Jeffrey Kimball....who predictably lensed several early Tony Scott films including Top Gun. 🤔

If nothing else, this MIGHT be the best-looking MI entry and it arguably also has the most simplistic plot of the bunch. The MacGuffin this time is a super-flu virus inadvertently created in a lab (Qanon types must LOVE this movie) called Chimera and former IMD agent Sean Ambrose is trying to sell it....and a potential cure in an effort to cash in on a manufactured fatal pandemic. And Nyah is Ethan's (and IMD's) way in to infiltrate Ambrose's criminal enterprise.....and that's pretty much it. Oh and there is the convenient use of absurdly realistic (and surprisingly duplicatable) masks throughout to add more potential intrigue....

As the villain Ambrose, Dougray Scott is all steely eyes and sweaty intensity....he seems at points to be attempting to out-Cruise Cruise and is generally fun to watch. I always get a kick out of the way he so bitterly spits out the greeting "HUUnt!!" whenever he sees Cruise as if he's just calling him the C-word! His overall plan is kind of ridiculous but at least he comes off as a worthy physical opponent to Cruise.....especially during their extended final boss battle on the beach.

And speaking of the action....it's really good though this being Woo, I still would have enjoyed the R-Rated version of this more - his gunplay just plays more effective with blood squibs. 

Overall, this is still a VERY flawed movie: the dove stuff gets comically distracting during the climax, and Cruise's attempt to channel Mohican's DDL at one point is laughably bad when he declares to Newton, "I WON'T lose you!!!!" 😄 The positives just happen to outweigh the negatives here as I haven't even mentioned Anthony Hopkins's too-brief but fun acid turn nor Hans Zimmers' muscular score. (Love those classical guitars) Newton still also remains the best overall love interest for Cruise in this franchise and....yeah.. seeing her replaced by Michelle Monoghan in the trailers for Part III several years later pretty much prevented me from seeing that one in theaters. 🫣 

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

Now….if there was ever at least ONE concrete rule for this category, it might have very well been NO Nu Metal band from the late ‘90’s/early ‘00’s would EVER qualify….sorry personal preference here but that was one musical genre that I just could NEVER stand….even though I was in my early ‘20’s when these bands broke big which might have been the right age…..I’m talking about Deftones….Papa Roach…..Stained…..LINKIN PARK….and probably the all-time worst…LIMP BIZKIT.  Well Limp Bizkit, the little Nu-Metal band that could hailing from Jacksonville, Florida….not a fan of their music and especially never a fan of their lead singer Fred Durst.  Nowadays it just feels TOO easy to make fun of Durst as he’s now gotten into film directing….oh yeah….so I’ll just leave it that.  But needless to say, the LB were in fact hired to perform an original new song for this film’s soundtrack….and to reconstruct the Mission Impossible theme into a Nu Metal version…..now the song itself with VOCALS….it’s called “Take A Look Around” and when the chorus kicks in……NOPE, not good! (Audio clip)

HOWEVER….when you remove the vocals, the rest of the band including drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, and bassist Sam Rivers…..they ACTUALLY constructed a pretty kick-ass modern rock version of the Mission Impossible theme!  This theme was ALL over the trailers, we hear it sprinkled throughout the movie….and I get the sense that studio in the end agreed with me…..because we BARELY hear the Durst’s actual vocals during this song until the VERY VERY end of the closing credits.  I have to admit that I have always just found this very catchy especially Borland’s high-pitched guitar riff which has since then kind of become iconic, the SECOND best version of Lalo Schifrin’s original theme…..which isn’t faint praise at all.  It’s pretty cool when we hear JUST that riff during Cruise’s opening scene at the top of that cliff….so yeah I’m going to worm my AROUND that rule by choosing the INSTRUMENTAL version of this theme – Limp Bizkit MINUS Fred Durst – I don’t think it was ever released as a single or included in the actual soundtrack, only on YouTube so I’ll include a link in the notes for this episode. (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film): 

Like I said previously….of all of the Mission Impossible films – and this now even includes the latest Final Reckoning – this is by far the LEAST team-oriented.  The IMF team in this movie technically comprises FOUR if we’re counting Nyah who’s going undercover LITERALLY with Ambrose.  Besides her, there’s ONE other new member Billy Baird played by John Polson – he’s a local helicopter pilot and gets about four lines of dialogue, honestly it’s not even that clear if he IS part of the IMF or just a local pilot they contracted with.  The whole movie is pretty much Ethan, Ambrose, and Nyah….and it kinda, sorta works on that love triangle level but that’s just NOT really what a Mission Impossible movie is supposed to be.  So who gets the SHORTEST stick out of this?  Sadly after stealing much of the first Mission Impossible movie, Ving Rhames’ Luther is pretty much wasted here as he's portrayed as more of a bumbling techie who’s reacting to stuff than helping to formulate any plans…..very disappointing. (Audio clip) 

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

Tough call here but I kind of LOVE the whole Seville sequence where Ethan and Nyah first meet as ridiculous as it is….it’s pretty much the third scene in the movie and is KIND of a tone setter for the sort of lush, Hitcockian, romantic thriller which John Woo was aiming for…and it seems that most OTHER parts with this sort of tone were likely forced edits ordered by the studio – there was originally a 3+ hour cut for this movie which not only apparently included more of the romantic narrative but was ALSO R-rated….I would love to see that.  Regardless, it’s still a blast to watch the beginning of this scene as Nyah and Ethan are circling each other around a flame-lit performance of flamenco dancers….the way it’s cut with the music, great stuff! (Audio clip) 

And this of course then immediately leads to Nyah sneaking off to attempt to steal some sort of diamond-filled necklace hidden within a VERY complicated massive case…..and she’s starting to pick the first lock, WHO should come upon her than Ethan. Folks start to wonder nearby so they both then HIDE together within…..the large bath tub which happens to be RIGHT next to this case….hey it’s a movie. (Audio clip)

So these are now pressed upon each other – both looking AMAZING – there’s some flirtation, some frustration, and then….an alarm goes off, uh-huh!  Look on paper, it’s a ridiculous sequence…..well on film too….but it’s sexy, clever, and funny.  Now there’s at least one of my favorite podcasts which dismissed this whole sequence as ripping off “Out of Sight” - which came out just two years priori - and THAT film’s fantasy bath sequence between Clooney and J-Lo….and to that I respond…..AND?? Previous episode Out of Sight remains one of my all-time favorites…and no this scene nor this movie doesn’t hold a candle to it when you’ve got real talent on-board here…if you’re gonna borrow, why not borrow from the best?? (Audio clip) 

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):

Now I’m sure are some listening to this wondering as to why I DIDN’T’ choose the whole crazy motorcycle chase/beach fight climax for the previous category….make no mistake I love that sequence too, I just would have preferred the R-rated version….ESPECIALLY Ambrose’s final death where it is just SO obvious they had make some cuts to preserve the PG-13. (Audio clip) 

Along those lines regardless, the motorcycle stuff is bonkers action and as beautifully shot as it is…..it’s now STUNT-ERA Cruise who really still sells it - you could definitely cite this movie as the true kickstart for his latter career as the American Jackie Chan. ;) And just think of the lunacy of that knife-in-the-eye close-up towards the end...apparently that was ALL Tom, apparently at his insistence to shoot it all in-camera no less! (Audio clip) 

As previously stated, this was in retrospect Tom Cruise’s ULTIMATE ego-trip movie….however at the end of the day, he still had both the chops and crazy go-for-broke risking-life-and-limb attitude to follow through with it.  At the end of the day, this is more of a Tom Cruise movie than a John Woo movie OR a proper Mission Impossible sequel and because he delivers a full-on entertaining performance to keep things interesting, The Cruise Missile is the MVP.  

Final Rating: 3 stars out of 5 

Compared to the rest of the franchise, this still doesn't hold a candle to 'Rogue Nation or Ghost Protocol but it remains a very entertaining watch.  Happy 25th Anniversary to the loopiest mission of the bunch!

Streaming on Prime Video, Paramount Plus, hoopla, & kanopy

And that ends another MISSION DIFFICULT review!