[6]
Well, at least it’s better than the first one. Tom Cruise returns as secret agent Ethan Hunt, tasked with apprehending a fatal new virus called “Chimera” before the bad guys (led by Dougray Scott) unleash it upon the world. Mission: Impossible II still feels quaint in comparison to any James Bond film, but director John Woo (Hard Boiled, Face/Off) gives some unique flair to the action. The climax is easily the best part of the sequel, featuring Cruise and Scott firing guns at each other while racing motorbikes on the picturesque shores of Sydney, Australia. The film also benefits from stronger character relationships than the first film. Thandie Newton plays Cruise’s partner and love interest, a bold thief who is also the bad guy’s former flame. Cruise and Newton have good chemistry — at least enough that we care what happens to them. Even though the plot is otherwise fairly paint-by-numbers, Mission: Impossible II skates by on personality and style.
With Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Sherbedgia, and Anthony Hopkins as Cruise’s new boss.