Sorry for the delay on this review, but I had my wisdom teeth removed last Wednesday and wound up rewatching Mission: Impossible II a little later than I anticipated. Since we've passed the midway point of 2018, I'l be recapping my favorite and least favorite films of the year fairly soon in addition to providing an updated ranking of the Marvel films once I've seen Ant-Man and the Wasp. I also recently posted something very different from my usual content called Jurassic World vs. Westworld: Escaping The Park if you're interested in checking that out. In the meantime, you can look forward to Throwback Thursday Reviews of Mission: Impossible III, and Mamma Mia!, Triple-R Reviews for Sicario, Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and reviews of new releases Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Skyscraper, The Equalizer 2, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.
'Mission: Impossible II' Review
In Mission: Impossible II, Ethan Hunt must recruit a team to help him find and destroy a genetically modified virus called "Chimera" before its unleashed on the populous city of Sydney, Australia by a former IMF agent-turned-terrorist.
Mission: Impossible II is often looked down upon as the worst in the series, but I feel it only holds title by default. It's not "bad" so much as it's simply not as good as the rest. The beauty of Mission: Impossible as an action franchise though is that new directors are continually brought in so each film has its own flair while conforming to the franchise's formula. This keeps things feeling fresh, and Woo's stylistic tenancies make for an exciting addition to the franchise. M:I 2 is actually the epitome of an early 2000's action film, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing...
The plot is simple and the action is packed full of slo-mo, explosions, Limp Biszit's music, and Tom Cruise's luscious, flowing locks. Woo definitely overdoes it in regards to employing these elements, but it doesn't make the whole affair any less enjoyable. In fact, M:I 2 actually has plenty of the series' most iconic moments such as the infamous knife in the eye scene or Cruise dangling off a cliff 2,000 feet off the ground. This film is pretty much the point where Tom Cruise decided he'd attempt as many death-defying stunts as he possibly could for our amusement. Sick and twisted? I know it is, but I can't help but respect and admire the man's willingness to go to these extremes...
Mission: Impossible II is the second installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise and set the precedent of bringing in a new director for each successive entry (a tradition which will be broken by Mission: Impossible - Fallout later this month). John Woo, a Chinese director best known for his elaborate action sequences, filled in for Brian De Palma while Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga wrote the spy sequel's story and Robert Towne stuck around as the sole screenwriter from the original. The changes behind the scenes apparently were quite noticeable though, since M:I 2 had a very mixed critical reception. However, in spite of being the lowest rated film in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDB, it's still the highest grossing Mission: Impossible domestically.
In all seriousness, someone should probably check on Cruise because this knife was actually a quarter of an inch away from his eyeball thanks to a precisely measured cable... The fact Cruise agreed to this stunt at Woo's dismay and then requested the stuntman to apply as much force as possible when thrusting the knife to make it look legitimate is deeply concerning. The craziest thing is that this stunt looks fairly tame in comparison to many of the things he's done in the time since. Let's just hope he doesn't takes it too far and kill himself for the sake of a stunt in Mission: Impossible 39.
The action across the board is actually quite exhilarating though with high-speed chases galore, numerous instances of hand-to-hand combat, and a stealthy infiltration sequence well worth mentioning. Woo's knack for capturing frenetic action keeps things moving at a breakneck-pace and the simple plot ensures everything's easy to keep track of. Compared to Mission: Impossible, Woo's grip on the tension is short-lived but the sheer audacity of the set-pieces make up for it. It also probably doesn't hurt that it's all accompanied by a Hans Zimmer score.
At the center of this star vehicle, Tom Cruise's demonstrates that he's committed to more than just the insane stunt work as his charming demeanor dominates the screen. Everything he does just oozes coolness and Cruise pulls it all off effortlessly. Opposite Cruise, Thandie Newton makes for a fitting femme fatale, has palpable chemistry with Cruise and Scott, and is quite convincing as the center of such an intricate love triangle. I wish Newton was more than simply a damsel-in-distress, but I suppose it's just indicative of the time in which this film was made.
Unfortunately, since this franchise started on Cruise-control, the ensemble's scarcely given an opportunity to shine. Even though another IMF team is assembled to pull off a second impossible mission, Ving Rhames' hacker Luther Stickell and John Polson's helicopter pilot Billy Baird don't have much to do aside from help Ethan in their respective team roles. Anthony Hopkins and Brendan Gleeson also each have brief appearances worth mentioning. Their roles aren't very substantive, but they both leave an impression thanks to their experienced screen presence.
In the antagonistic camp, Dougray Scott chews the scenery as Sean Ambrose and ultimately serves as a sufficient villain in the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile, his stooges played by Richard Roxburgh, Dominic Purcell, and William Mapother are reasonably threatening whenever they engage in combat. Roxburgh's Hugh Stamp is easily the most memorable one on account of a particularly noteworthy unmasking sequence though.
Stuffed full of show-stopping set pieces, Mission: Impossible II is literally the most explosive entry in the franchise. It's up to you whether that means you'll accept this mission or not, but I'll say it has my full endorsement as a good time.
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