Mission: Impossible II

"Mr. Hunt, this isn't mission difficult, it's mission impossible. "Difficult" should be a walk in the park for you."

Ethan Hunt's (Cruise) vacation is interrupted by IMF (Impossible Missions Force) command with a new mission.  His old friend Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich (Serbedzija) contacted IMF for help, and was intercepted by rogue agent Sean Ambrose (Scott).  Sean and his team kill Nekhorvich and steal his valuable cargo.  Ethan needs to assemble a team and steal it back.

Ethan is free to choose the members of his team, but it must include civilian thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Newton).  He also brings in his old friend, computer expert Luther Stickell (Rhames), and Billy Baird (Polson) to complete the mission.  They quickly learn that Nekhorvich and his partner created a super virus in their quest to find the perfect vaccine.  Can they prevent an epidemic?


After the success of Mission: Impossible in 1996 (despite fan outrage over the changes from the 1960s TV show), a sequel was inevitable.  Screenwriter Robert Towne returned to write the screenplay, but director Brian De Palma turned down the offer to direct the sequel.  John Woo was chosen to direct the sequel.  Changing directors became a staple for the franchise and each subsequent film has a different director (Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation).

This is clearly a Woo film... it bears all of his trademarks, while still keeping the Mission: Impossible trademarks.  This is the only film in the series (so far) to show Ethan Hunt working for IMF without him being on the run.  The plot is very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, but it still works.  The plot is less convoluted than the first and has more action.

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, once again doing many of his own stunts.  Ving Rhames also returns as Luther Stickell, the only other cast member to appear in all the Mission: Impossible franchise.  Billy Baird is funny as the third member of their group.  Dougray Scott is a good choice for the villain, and is a solid match for Cruise's Hunt.  Thandie Newton is good as the female lead.  It's a decent action film and a good entry in the franchise (but definitely not my favorite).

Mission: Impossible II (2000) 123 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action and some sensuality
Director: John Woo
Starring: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Dougray Scott as Seam Ambrose
Thandie Newton as Nyah Nordoff-Hall
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Richard Roxburgh as Hugh Stamp
Roland Krönmeyer as Jon Tomson
John Polson as Billy Baird
Brendan Gleeson as John C. McCloy
Rade Serbedzija as Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich