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M:i-2 review
:. Director: John Woo
:. Starring: Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton
:. Running Time: 2:03
:. Year: 2000
:. Country: USA
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According to the Law of the Series, the adaptation from the TV to the big screen always spells catastrophe. Mission Impossible 2 confirms that rule.
Succeeding Brian De Palma, John Woo (The Killer, Hard Boiled, Face Off) directs this new episode of secret agent Ethan Hunt's adventures by bringing his personal touch. At the beginning, Cruise's idea was interesting: entrust each film to a John Woo with a different style, thus judiciously distinguishing Mission Impossible from that Other spy franchise. Unfortunately, after the heartburn inducing psychological manipulations of Mission Impossible, M:i-2 is even less convincing given that he opts for unbridled action unhampered by any sense of realism.
Woo, the champion of choreographed shoot-outs, as in the finale of Face Off burns his fingers on the dollars of his mega budget. Explosions and unreal chases abound in a style closer to Ahh-nold S. than Chow Yun Fat. It's clear that Hollywood has corrupted the John Woo from Hong-Kong even though he defends himself to the contrary. In order to crush the box office, already a given, Woo cedes to the muses of PG13 and tones down the violence that made his reputation. He offers us overcharged, leaden shoot-outs with heavy slow motion, far from the grace of his classics. The excess of slow motion and the softening of the violence mark the cruel absence of rhythm and aestheticism of these scenes. The presence of the habitual doves, here without significance, veers towards self caricature. Only certain passages like the wild motorcycle chase denote the choreographic talent of his camera. The film is not a total fiasco as some strong moments are able to conceal, but he tends to overly amplify the commercial success of his predecessor and other films of the same genre. So, another massive and sometimes successful use of masks, the only survivors of the mythical series, and the recycling of the famous suspended acrobat scene, Woo shamelessly pumps the car chase scene from Goldeneye. As for the psychological side emblematic of the TV show, here it's sacrificed to an absent story where non-action sequences prove a certain bore.
The only real attraction of this Tom Cruise film is that in doing most of the stunts himself he brings in a dose of suspense and unexpected realism to this predictable film. His level of implication in the physical interpretation of the role is impressive and procures rare spurts of adrenaline. While the film permits him to demonstrate his physical feats as an actor, it also confirms his talents as a producer. Regarding making Cruise look good, one notes that in the role of the thief a la Catherine Zeta-Jones (Did Woo see b>Entrapment?), Thandie Newton spends most of the film prancing around in a t-shirt sans bra. As for Anthony Hopkins, he makes a furtive appearance, just long enough to cash his check.
If there is an impossible mission, it's rendering homage to the 60's cult series. The two films that it's inspired only darken the memory of the show and as a result should have a different title. While it's clear that the title M:I-2 is a catchy marketing slogan, it at least has the advantage of attaching itself too the brand name of the series.
M:i-2 renounces its inspirer and consecrates Woo's alienation by Hollywood.
Fred Thom
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