Contents



Expect The Impossible Again

2000



Mission Impossible: 2 (2000)

Directed by 
John Woo    
  
Writing credits (WGA) (in credits order) 
Bruce Geller   (television series Mission: Impossible) 

 
Ronald D. Moore   (story) & 
Brannon Braga   (story) 

 
Robert Towne   (screenplay) 
  
Cast (in credits order) 
Tom Cruise ....  Ethan Hunt  
Dougray Scott ....  Sean Ambrose  
Thandie Newton ....  Nyah Nordolf-Hall  
Ving Rhames ....  Luther Stickell  
Richard Roxburgh ....  Hugh Stamp  
John Polson ....  Billy Baird  
Brendan Gleeson ....  McCloy  
Rade Serbedzija ....  Dr. Nekhorvich  
William Mapother ....  Wallis (as William R. Mapother)  
Dominic Purcell ....  Ulrich  
Matt Wilkinson ....  Michael (as Matthew Wilkinson)  
Nicholas Bell ....  McCloy's Assistant  
Kee Chan ....  McCloy's Chemist  
Kim Fleming ....  Larrabee  
Karl McMillan ....  Biocyte Security Guard #1  
Alan Lovell ....  Biocyte Security Guard #2  
Brett Partridge ....  Biocyte Security Guard #3  
Dan Luxton ....  Relief Pilot  
Christian Manon ....  Dr. Gradsky  
Lester Morris (III) ....  Bookie  
Kelly Ons ....  Flamenco Dancer #1  
Natalie Reis ....  Flamenco Dancer #2  
Nada Rogic ....  Flamenco Dancer #3  
Cristina Brogers ....  Flamenco Dancer #4  
Adriana Rodríguez ....  Flamenco Dancer #5  
Sandra Rodríguez ....  Flamenco Dancer #6  
Candice Partridge ....  Flamenco Dancer #7  
Nicholas Papademetriou ....  Prison Guard #2  
Daniel Roberts ....  Co-Pilot  
Antonio Vargas (I) ....  Senor De L'Arena  
rest of cast listed alphabetically  
Anthony Hopkins ....  Mission Commander Swanbeck (uncredited)  
  
Produced by 
Terence Chang   (executive)  
Tom Cruise    
Paul Hitchcock   (executive)  
Paula Wagner (I)    
  
Original music by 
BT    
Lalo Schifrin   (theme)  
Hans Zimmer    
  
Cinematography by 
Jeffrey L. Kimball    
  
Film Editing by 
Steven Kemper    
Christian Wagner (I)    
  
Casting 
Gregory Apps   (as Greg Apps)  
Deborah Aquila    
Sarah Finn   (as Sarah Halley Finn)  
  
Production Design by 
Thomas E. Sanders    
  
Art Direction 
Nathan Crowley (I)    
Kevin Kavanaugh    
Michelle McGahey    
  
Set Decoration 
Kerrie Brown    
Lauri Gaffin    
  
Costume Design by 
Lizzy Gardiner    
  
Production Management 
Deborah Alleck ....  assistant production coordinator  
Anne Bruning ....  production manager: Australia  
Kevin De La Noy ....  unit production manager  
Paula Jensen ....  production coordinator  
Susan Towner ....  production supervisor  
  
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director 
Arthur Anderson (I) ....  first assistant director  
David Arnold (V) ....  key second assistant director: second 
unit (as David K. Arnold)  
William H. Burton (I) ....  second unit director  
Joan Cunningham ....  second assistant director  
David Pearson (VI) ....  first assistant director: model unit 
(as Dave Pearson)  
Sophy Robertson ....  additional third assistant director  
Julian Ryan ....  second second assistant director  
Paul Sullivan (III) ....  third assistant director  
Fiona Winning ....  second second assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
Cesar Aguirre ....  utility sound technician  
Todd Bassman ....  boom operator  
Paul 'Salty' Brincat ....  production sound mixer (as Paul Brincat)  
Craig Heath ....  sound recordist (as Craig "Pup" Heath)  
Matthew Iadarola ....  music re-recording mixer
temp mix  
Tony Lamberti ....  sound effects editor  
Art Rochester ....  production sound mixer  
Mark P. Stoeckinger ....  supervising sound editor  
  
Special Effects 
Jessica Abroms ....  technical director: Pacific Data Images  
Ted Andre ....  visual effects compositor  
Richard Bain ....  digital compositor: Double Negative Ltd  
Justin Burdine ....  system administrator  
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh ....  special effects consultant  
Richard Clarke (V) ....  CG Animator: CFC  
Phillip Cory ....  second unit supervisor  
Carole Cowley ....  visual effects producer: Cinesite  
Adrian De Wet ....  compositing artist: CFC  
Tom Debenham ....  compositing artist: CFC  
Paddy Eason ....  digital visual effects supervisor: CFC  
Ian Fellows ....  digital paint artist: CFC  
Walter Garcia ....  visual effects  
Verity Grantham ....  visual effects coordinator: CFC  
Darrel Griffin ....  digital lab data: CFC  
Robert Hall (XIII) ....  digital paint artist: CFC  
Pete Hanson ....  studio manager: Double Negative Ltd  
Jan Hogevold ....  digital lab producer: CFC  
Les Hunter ....  visual effects producer: Pacific Data Images  
Merrin Jensen ....  digital lab I/O: CFC  
Matt Kasmir ....  digital paint artist: CFC  
Matthew Kok ....  computer playback supervisor  
Henry L. Labounta ....  visual effects supervisor: Pacific Data Images  
Kymber Lim ....  visual effects co-ordinator  
David Lingenfelser ....  digital compositing supervisor  
Justin Martin (II) ....  CG Animator: CFC  
Alberto Menache ....  character technical director  
Peter Menich ....  senior computer graphics artist  
Kama Moiha ....  visual effects compositor  
Stephen Murphy ....  CG Animator: CFC  
Mark Nelmes ....  compositing artist: CFC  
Alison O'Brien ....  visual effects producer  
Dominic Parker ....  supervising CG animator: CFC  
Rachael Penfold ....  visual effects producer: CFC  
Dan Piponi ....  research & development  
Matthew W. Plummer ....  producer: Double Negative Ltd  
Dominic Sidoli ....  visual effects coordinator: CFC  
David Simmons (II) ....  first unit supervisor  
Janek Sirrs ....  digital effects supervisor  
R. Bruce Steinheimer ....  special effects coordinator  
Jon Thum ....  lead compositing artist: CFC  
Gavin Toomey ....  compositing artist: CFC  
Mark R. Wilkins ....  technical director: Pacific Data Images 
(uncredited)  
Kevin Yagher ....  special makeup effects  
Richard Yuricich ....  visual effects supervisor  
  
Stunts 
Keith Campbell (I) ....  stunt double: Mr. Cruise  
Jimmy N. Roberts ....  stunts  
Brian Smrz ....  stunt co-ordinator  
  
Other crew 
Thomas Betts ....  set designer (as Thomas F. Betts)  
Gary Capo ....  director of photography: second unit  
Trevor Carey ....  rigger: model unit  
Colin Chase (II) ....  electrician  
William Chiu (I) ....  model maker (uncredited)  
Matthew D'Angibau ....  motion control assistant: model unit  
Jim Davidson (VI) ....  production accountant  
Kevin De La Noy ....  production manager  
David Diaz (II) ....  transportation dispatcher  
Bob Diebilius ....  rigger: model unit  
Jannine Dixon ....  assistant accountant  
Deb Eastwood ....  construction accountant  
Vanessa Edwards ....  accounting clerk  
Andrew Eio ....  computer effects supervisor  
Barbara Fiorentino ....  casting associate  
Micky Flynn ....  electrician: model unit  
Richard Foreman Jr. ....  still photographer  
Robert Gaskill ....  driver: Los Angeles shoot  
Peter Graffham ....  additional rigger: model unit  
Jose Granell ....  unit supervisor: model unit  
Matthew K. Grigsby ....  first assistant accountant  
Barrie Hemsley ....  production co-ordinator: model unit  
George F. Henfling ....  assistant accountant  
Emmanuelle-Claude Heroux ....  production secretary  
Brandon L. Hull ....  production assistant  
David Israel (I) ....  location manager: USA  
Angela Kenny ....  assistant accountant  
Alex Kreuzwieser ....  script supervisor: USA  
Philip Le Masurier ....  still photographer  
Julian Ledger ....  property maker (uncredited)  
Belinda Lowson ....  assistant accountant  
William Mapother ....  special consultant  
Alan Meyerson ....  music scoring mixer  
Victoria Mielewska ....  dialect coach  
Rick Mietkowski ....  motion control operator: model unit  
James G. Mitchell ....  voice-over: Mr. Cruise  
Steve Morgan ....  grip: model unit  
Danny Mormino ....  production assistant  
Annette Piggot ....  assistant accountant  
Dave Poole ....  senior special effects technician: model unit  
Lori M. Roberts ....  first assistant accountant  
Adam Rogers (II) ....  junior electrician: model unit  
John Rogers (III) ....  gaffer: model unit  
Fiona Searson ....  unit publicist  
Mark Sexton ....  storyboard artist  
Phil Shearer ....  illustrator: concept  
Ron South ....  assistant editor  
Andrew Stevens (II) ....  focus puller: model unit  
Nigel Stone ....  director of photography: model unit  
Nigel Trevessey ....  model supervisor: model unit  
Mark Weingartner ....  green screen supervisor: USA
motion control supervisor: Australia  
Kylie Wilkie-Smith ....  payroll accountant  
 
  
 
 

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

reviewed by
Steven Bailey


Paramount Pictures seems quite intent on turning Mission: Impossible into a franchise along the lines of James Bond or Lethal Weapon. Judging from the vast improvement in the plot of Mission: Impossible 2 (as opposed to the incomprehensible original), they might be well on their way.

The movie begins with an ominous dose of testosterone, as we see superspy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) spending his "vacation" hanging from a cliff by his fingertips. Then Hunt's bosses find his vacation spot and shoot a missile at him from an overhead helicopter. The missile contains special eyeglasses that display his secret mission and then self-destruct at the end of the message. Doesn't anyone do anything low-key in the spy business?

The new mission involves Hunt linking up with, natch, a sultry brunette (Thandie Norton) who used to be the villain's lover. The plot is far clear than in the first M:I, but never mind it anyway--the plot's catalyst is a MacGuffin that Hitchcock wouldn't have been ashamed of. The story's main conflict is between Hunt and himself, for he ends up bedding and falling in love with his partner (who is improbably named Nyah Norduff-Hall) and then feeling guilty for sending her back to the ruthless villain as a ruse to get his secrets.

This is the movie's most poorly established plot element. Hunt and Hall do a spy version of Meet Cute and then fall quickly into bed. And though their mutual attraction is never established as anything more than physical, Hunt feels terrible that he must send his new love back into the lion's den. Didn't Hunt read the James Bond Handbook's chapter about not getting emotionally involved with your cohorts?

Then there's the movie's much-ballyhooed director, action master James Woo. His stock in trade seems to be (a) slow-motion shots and (b) high kicking. At first, the slo-mo shots are meant to show lurking danger, but then they proliferate so much, it starts looking as though everyone in the movie has his own slo-mo camera. Then there's this kicking business. Not even Billy Jack used his feet for fighting as much as Hunt does. And every kick that lands is played like a moment of ecstasy for Hunt. Cruise seems ready to quit making movies and try out for a road show of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers .

But I know I'm quibbling. The Bond movies aren't exactly hyper-realistic, and at that popcorn level, M:I 2 certainly works. The stunts are eye-popping, and there's a plot twist near the end that had the audience gasping in delight. Original twists don't happen often in any movie, so give famed screenwriter Robert Towne his props for revving up a familiar genre in a unique way.

Dougray Scott makes for the juiciest screen villain in a long time. The rest of the cast is merely serviceable. Thandie Norton is on-screen mainly to look good on-screen; any decent acting she can do is just extra gravy. And as Hunt's boss, Anthony Hopkins does the old "I've won an Oscar, so I give class to anything I do just by showing up" routine.

Tom Cruise is good, but he takes a while to get going here. At the movie's start, he relies far too much on his familiar smirk, which isn't quite as fetching as it was 15 years ago. Even when he's in a popcorn flick like this one, he's capable of more than just playing to the audience, and he seems to discover that later in the movie. One hopes that Cruise's continued success doesn't turn him into a Robin Williams, playing to the audience with old tricks that don't work quite as well once age starts creeping in.

Mission: Impossible 2 is rated PG-13 for adult language, graphic violence, and explosions.

Submitted by: Steven Bailey http://pages.hotbot.com/movies/skad13

Steven Bailey, a movie reviewer for The Beaches Leader newspaper in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., has movie reviews posted in The Internet Movie Database at: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Steven+Bailey

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.



Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: Mission: Impossible 2 is a great summer action film that lives up to its predecesor and actually surpasses it in many ways. The first film was a more tense, suspenseful and often tedious film, but Number two is definately more action orientated. There are lots of great action scenes, although a few of them will leave you shaking your head saying.... yeah.. right. One great scene was the motorcycle chase scene near the end. I thought this film could have used one real great tense scene like the one in the first movie that had Tom Cruise infiltrate CIA headquarters using the harness from the ceiling in the computer room. There were a little too many uses of the rubber mask, but it looked good and real when they would pull it off. John Woo, the director of the film uses slow motion just a bit too much. Also, one of the other small problems of the film is that the television series of Mission: Impossible was that it was supposed to be a group of spies, but this film centers mainly on Than Hunt played nicely by Tom Cruise. Ving Rhames is a nice supporting character as Ethan Hunt's friend, Luther Stickell, but his part was too small. Other good supporting characters are Nya, a thief that Ethan gets the hots for and Ambrose, the main villian which is a former IMF agent and former boyfriend of Nya. I think Tom Cruise can become a new action hero from this series, because I'm sure there will be a third movie. Some people loved this film while others hated it. I thought it was pretty good, better the the first, but could have used work in some areas.

I give Mission: Impossible 2 3.5 out of 5 stars
Review written June 12, 2000
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