The plot of this episode of the Mission: Impossible story is less convoluted than the 1996 installment. Our hero must again save the world, this time from a greedy villain looking to capitalize on possession of the antidote for a deadly virus. Don’t worry. I haven’t wrecked anything for you; this has been established in the first 15 minutes. The only major gripe I have with this movie is that the same identity trick is used too often and too predictably.
Of course, as with any big-budget summer-fare, M:I-2 has the obligatory love story. Thandie Newton plays her part adequately, but her potentially interesting character soon becomes nothing more than a damsel in distress. Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt and goes through the motions as the action hero who prefers fighting his enemies to shooting them. Ving Rhames is back with his unusual blend of tough-guy comic relief, and Anthony Hopkins joins the team in a role that is little more than a cameo appearance.
John Woo paces the film well, giving us time to catch our breath in between action scenes and taking the time to establish relationships. His use of slow motion is more understated here than it was in Face/Off (1997), which I believe to be a positive step. I have enjoyed all of his movies that I have seen. I respect John Woo as an action movie maker, but is will take more than sparse imagery to make me respect him as a serious filmmaker.