Mission: Impossible II is the first sequel to the franchise that premiered back in 2000. Directed by John Woo, the film stars Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandiwe Newton, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson,
Rade Šerbedžija, and Ving Rhames. With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This, mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.

Add this to the list of movies that I thought was awesome as a kid and then grew up to realize how bad it is. Notoriously known as the worst one in the franchise, I often see this near the bottom of anyone’s ranking. Even with 5 sequels to come after it with another one on the way, I’ve wondered if it’s simply just bad or if it’s bad compared to the other entries. Without a doubt, this is a byproduct of its time where it’s style helped pave the way for DVD sales. This is the very first one I ever saw, but if I started with the franchise all over again with this being the first one I ever saw, it’s still simply a bad movie.

Under director John Woo’s direction, you can see where Tom Cruise felt like he would be the perfect fit in this role. Woo has a way with his direction to immerse you in with the action. The problem here is that the action is so over the top with so much cheese that nearly everything comes off as a parody over anything else. With slow motion action sequences and dramatic scenes with birds flying, I think Woo’s main objective here is to make sure you feel like you’re the coolest guy for seeing it instead of delivering a cohesive film that feels like it earns its place in the franchise.

Over the years, I have noticed how Tom Cruise fits in with the times. The guy appears to be quite intelligent as he tries to deliver on what audiences want. He does that time and time again, and I think this one is no exception. Here, it feels like he’s trying to deliver what audiences want for its time. It’s overtly suggestive and corny. Ethan Hunt is not the same person he was from the first movie. Any sort of characterization he has or could have had in this movie is thrown out the window. Instead of showing a side-by-side comparison of what he could be if he became a villain, he is instead someone who is able to learn nothing from this mission as he womanizes over another woman he just met. HR must have their work cut out for them with this guy.

One thing that has not aged well at all is how overtly suggestive the film is. I can’t stand the romance between Cruise & Thandiwe Newton. This romance is clearly inspired by James Bond and fails miserably. The action Cruise takes is not only out of character for him, but it does nothing to make his character grow. He literally just met her! There is no sort of connection between the two. It’s a shame that Newton is just a love interest instead of character with a real arc that I believe the franchise has gotten right over time. I never understood why she didn’t return to the franchise when I was younger. Now, I know why.

Dougray Scott as the villain is actually not that bad. He’s doing the best with what he has and the problem, much like the rest of the film, is within the script. I remember my dad and I seeing 2007’s Hitman and getting excited to see him in the film. He is a talented actor that feels like he has gotten the short end of the stick. Disguising as Ethan Hunt in the beginning shows potential of what Hunt could be if he had different motives. Instead, that sort of arc to help develop this dynamic between the two is completely lost. Again, the film is focused more on the cool factor than developing any sort of arcs or themes.

It is easy to understand why I would have liked this as a kid. It is all style and no substance. With a killer soundtrack from Metallica & Limp Bizkit, they are still songs that I revisit today, but that’s not to say the soundtrack is completely harmless. There are still questionable songs throughout that are beyond me as to why they felt like it fit in with certain songs from the actions presented on screen.

The action has moments of delivering some cool scenes that I think helped the franchise grow and get better at it. From sliding on the side of a motorcycle on the ground to being able to have fake masks on them at all times, it is not just realistic. It’s laughable. I can see where others may enjoy this than myself, but there’s still plenty of reasons as to why it’s at the bottom of nearly everyone’s rankings.

Overall, Mission: Impossible II is a huge misfire for the franchise. The action set pieces are so over the top that make them laughable. Any sort of characterization is thrown completely out the window. There are hint of greatness throughout that I do believe makes the rest of the franchise develop and get better and better.

VERDICT: 1.5/5 (Very Bad)