Mission Impossible 2 (Blu-Ray) (2000)

"Woo is a master of movement and chaos.  Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"...a believe your eyes thriller...[that] has what the Bond films have long lost: the ability to surprise.  Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"Tom Cruise sizzles in a blast of thrills and suspense.  Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"It's exhilarating! M:I-2 is a pure kinetic adventure! Thumbs up!  Roger Ebert, Ebert & Roeper At The Movies
"Moves with terrific energy, alternating riveting action sequences with intimate material in a manner that's pure Woo.  Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian

Editor's Note John Woo raises the action bar in this violent, romantic sequel to Brian De Palma's 1996 original. Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, this time battling wits with rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott). Hunt is ordered to recruit Ambrose's former lover, Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton), to infiltrate his hideout. But Hunt never expected to fall for the lovely young thief he must use for bait. The romantic triangle that ensues gives the film a unique emotional balance that is unusual (and most welcome) for an action picture. Ambrose is after the killer Chimera virus and its antidote, Bellerophon; in the old days Ambrose would have been after world domination, but in this new world order of day trading and Internet stocks, all he wants is to corner the market and make a fortune. Woo outdoes even himself with a flurry of martial-arts fights, fiery shootouts, thrilling mountain climbing, and blazing motorcycle chases that lead from the beautiful peaks of Utah through the busy streets of Sydney. All of this is set to a booming hard-rock soundtrack that battles with the explosions and blasting guns for ear space. And he doesn't fail to include his trademark birds fluttering like peaceful interludes in the most threatening of moments.

	Dougray Scott
	Thandie Newton
	Tom Cruise
	Ving Rhames
	Bruce Geller - Based On Television Series Created By
	Hans Zimmer - Original Music By
	Jeffrey L. Kimball - Cinematographer
	John Woo - Director
	Nathan Crowley, et. al. - Art Director
	Robert Towne - Screenplay
	Steven Kemper, et. al. - Editor
	Terence Chang - Executive Producer
	Thomas E. Sanders - Production Designer
	Tom Cruise - Producer

John Woo raises the action bar in this violent, romantic sequel to Brian De Palma's 1996 original. Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, this time battling wits with rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott). Hunt is ordered to recruit Ambrose's former lover, Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton), to infiltrate his hideout. But Hunt never expected to fall for the lovely young thief he must use for bait. The romantic triangle that ensues gives the film a unique emotional balance that is unusual (and most welcome) for an action picture. Ambrose is after the killer Chimera virus and its antidote, Bellerophon; in the old days Ambrose would have been after world domination, but in this new world order of day trading and Internet stocks, all he wants is to corner the market and make a fortune.

Woo outdoes even himself with a flurry of martial-arts fights, fiery shootouts, thrilling mountain climbing, and blazing motorcycle chases that lead from the beautiful peaks of Utah through the busy streets of Sidney. All of this is set to a booming hard-rock soundtrack that battles with the explosions and blasting guns for ear space. And he doesn't fail to include his trademark birds fluttering like peaceful interludes in the most threatening of moments.

"Well, this is not Mission: Difficult, Mr. Hunt, it's Mission: Impossible."----Anthony Hopkins to Tom Cruise

Hollywood Reporter
"...Tons of action....The most spectacular film Woo has ever directed..." p.87

USA Today
"...[John Woo] directs action the way others stage Wagnerian operas..." -- 3 out of 4 stars 06/16/2000 p.11E

Rolling Stone
"...Woo generates explosive excitement....Cruise sizzles in a killer blast of thrills, suspense and delicious sin..." 06/22/2000 p.139-40

Total Film
"...Cruise's rock climbing antics set your blood pumping early..." 08/01/2000 p.80

Los Angeles Times
"...[Woo] is a master of movement and chaos....Woo's marvelous visual sense is always an asset..." 05/24/2000 p.C1

Uncut
"M:I2 is a heady triumph of adrenaline over common sense." 08/01/2000 p.115

Reel.com 8 of 10
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to ignore all the hype, all the predictable plot twists, and -- most of all -- all the doves flapping about, and enjoy Mission: Impossible 2 for what it is: a slick, fast-paced, shoot 'em up overflowing with fight scenes, Tom Cruise and Thandie Newtown glamour shots, and cool gadgets...It's quite easy to buy the love aspect of the movie -- Cruise's intensity and Newton's Audrey Hepburn-like mix of smarts and elegance make for some pretty powerful on-screen chemistry. But, whether Woo agrees or not, M:I-2 is really all about the stunts and action sequences, from Cruise's death-defying dangle off a sheer cliff in the opening shot to the high-kicking fistfight near the end. Packed with plenty of Woo's signature style -- lots of slow-mo, a two-guns-at-once shot for Cruise, and, of course, doves and pigeons everywhere -- M:I-2 isn't as original or inventive as Woo's Hong Kong films (or even his first big stateside blockbuster, Face/Off), but it certainly entertains. - Betsy Bozdech

Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
If James Bond is still around at the end of the 21st century, he will look a lot like Ethan Hunt. The hero of the "Mission: Impossible" series is a 007 for our time...For Tom Cruise, the series is a franchise, like Mel Gibson's "Lethal Weapons" movies. "M:I3" is already on the drawing board, again with John Woo as director, and there's no reason the sequels can't continue as long as Cruise can still star in action scenes...As for the movie itself: If the first movie was entertaining as sound, fury and movement, this one is more evolved, more confident, more sure-footed in the way it marries minimal character development to seamless action. It is a global movie, flying no flag, requiring little dialog, featuring characters who are Pavlovian in their motivation. It's more efficient than the Bond pictures, but not as much pure fun. But in this new century, I have a premonition we'll be seeing more efficiency and less fun in a lot of different areas. The trend started about the time college students decided management was sexier than literature. - Roger Ebert