Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13073 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-12-11
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 118 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Visually stunning, and a likely must for John Woo aficionados, the second Mission: Impossible outing from megastar Tom Cruise suffers from an inconsistent tone and tired plot devices--not only recycled from other films, but repeated throughout the film. Despite remarkable cinematography and awe-inspiring, trademark Woo photography, the movie offers a tepid story from legendary screenwriter-director Robert Towne (Chinatown) and a host of other writers, most uncredited.

Following on from the set pieces in the first big-budget, big box-office MI in 1996, it's clear (as Towne confirms) that the plot was developed around Woo- and Cruise-written action sequences. The film combines equal elements of romance and action, and is best when it features the stunning allure of Thandie Newton as Nyah, a master thief recruited by the sinewy charms of Ethan Hunt (a fit Cruise). Deeply in love after a passionate night, the couple must then combat MI nemesis (and Nyah's former lover) Sean Ambrose (Ever After's Dougray Scott). Ambrose holds hostage a virus and its cure, and offers them to the highest bidder.

Woo's famed mythic film making is far from subtle, with heroic Hunt frequently slow-motion walking through fire, smoke or other similar devices, replete with a white dove among pigeons to signal his presence. The emphasis on romance is an attempt to develop character and a more human side to superspy Hunt, but still the story proves a distraction from the exciting action sequences. John Polson (as an MI team member) is an Aussie talent to keep an eye on. --N.F. Mendoza

M:I-2 DVD Extra Features

With more and more DVDs coming out with an extra DVD full of features at a slightly more expensive price, it's nice every so often to see a disc that offers not only a great movie, but a bundle of features on it as well.

The M:i-2 DVD does just this, and features not only the widescreen presentation, but also a number of behind-the-scenes footage, a spoof documentary, breakdowns of some of the stunts and even a music video to boot.

Although the breakdown of scenes has that "Tom really did do it all, honest" feel to it, some of the elements are genuinely interesting. The biggest surprise of all though is the inclusion of the six-minute spoof documentary that was done for the MTV awards with Ben Stiller. All in all, a well presented disc and set of extra features. --Stuart Miles

Special Features
2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Commentary Track
Behind The Mission Cast And Crew Interviews
Stunts Featurette
Metallica Music Video
Alternate Title Sequence
English

Synopsis
This is the action-packed sequel to the 1996 blockbuster, which in turn was based on the popular 1960s television show of the same name. Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt, leader of the IMF team that is responsible for embarking on top secret, dangerous missions that will maintain world peace and stability. Their mission this time is to track down and destroy a deadly virus that is on its way to falling into the wrong hands. With the clock ticking, Hunt and his cohorts must save the day before it's too late.

Customer Reviews

Mission just passable
.
I didn't rate the first film and was only attracted to the second because of John Woo. This is a typical Woo action film and in that respect it is done well, with enough cracking photograhic trickery, explosions and stunts to suit all Woo fans.
But what about us Mission Impossible fans? I am talking about fans of the clever series of course. Well there is not much for us in that respect. The plot is simple, the baddies are just 2 dimensional baddies and you know there will be few surprises or twists in this plot almost from the outset. Remember, this is a just an action film. It's fast and fun and shallow.
I am just a bit fed up with the "Jason" or "Friday 13th" endings where the baddy, thoroughly killed, by anybody's standards, rises to attack the relaxing hero one last time. Yawn.

If you like your bumps, bullets and bangs at vari-speed, you will probably like this film. If you like your characters to have depth, the plot to.....exist, the dialogue to be interesting then this may not be for you.

Mission: Impossible II
Polished, stylish and slick are all adjectives you could use to describe Mission Impossible II, but at the end of the day strip away all the gleam and gloss and designer costumes, you've basically got a James Bond film with American accents.

That's not to say the film isn't good. As I say it is extremely professionally executed. The scenes and sets are visually stunning, whether it's Tom Cruise hanging from finger tips from the mountains, or the helicopter fly pasts over Sydney Harbour or even the sultry Latin heat of Seville you really can't criticise the imagery.

Likewise you have to respect the thrilling stunts. Unbelievable and implausible they maybe, but they do work and ensure an edge of your seat ride. The gadgets and gizmos and similarly fantastic but are also great fun even though they open more holes in the plot than provide explanations to story development.

The performances are good, Cruise proves he can play the all action hero as well as anyone else and at least his winning smile is more attractive than the grimaces of most the bunch of all-action actors. I found Thandie Newton slightly too underdeveloped to be a credible female interest character, but I did think the chemistry between her and Cruise worked well. Dougray Scott and Richard Roxburgh make suitable baddies, although the less said about the dodgy accents the better, and it's always great to see Anthony Hopkins whatever the role.

So if all this is so good why have I only given it three stars? Well basically, we've seen it all before, there's no real new hook to grab the viewer and to be quite frank, some of the stunt sequences simply go on too long. Once the face-ripping off trick has been shown in the plane, you just know it's going to re-appear several times and it's uses are neither surprising, or in this age of superb special effects, stunning.

If you like James Bond, you'll love this. If you like car chases and shoot outs, you'll love this. If you like suave designer clothes hung of beautiful people, you'll love this. For anyone else this is a fun way to spend a couple of hours, but nothing more.

Possibly the very worst major studio action film ever made
Okay, so De Palma's film wasn't Citizen Kane, but at least it had its moments when Cruise's insatiable vanity was kept in check in favour of some well-executed set-pieces (even if one was stolen lock, stock and barrel from Topkapi). Woo's disastrous sequel - at the time the most expensive film ever made - is like an endless hairspray commercial, with the ever limited Cruise (who used to be able to act but now just runs off a checklist of six annoying expressions) constantly flicking his hair in glowing slo-mo - you keep on expecting him to say 'Because I'm worth it.' Unfortunately, they're so busy making him look pretty that they forget to include any of the basics of a Summer movie. The action scenes are few and far between and not worth the wait; the script is another lazy and lifeless stinker from Robert Towne that rivals his Love Affair for banal inconsequentiality; and the Brits in the cast let the side down even more than Woo, Cruise and Towne combined - Thandie Newton seems semi-comatose, Hopkins hams it up and cashes the cheque, while Dougray Scott demonstrates just how dull an actor he can be even when mugging relentlessly. The only good thing that came of this film was the over-runs keeping Scott from playing Wolverine in X-Men: judging from his subsequent performances on screen and stage, if being boring on screen was an Olympic sport, this guy would win Scotland gold every time.

Possibly the most tedious vanity production ever made. Good extras on the DVD, but that's the best that can be said for it.