Mission: Impossible 2

Critics Consensus

Your cranium may crave more substance, but your eyes will feast on the amazing action sequences.

57%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 150

42%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 451,881

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Movie Info

Director John Woo brings Hong Kong-style martial arts action to this comic book-flavored sequel that eschews the complicated plot and political maneuverings of its predecessor in favor of pure, adrenaline-charged thrills. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, an operative for the top-secret government agency IMF (Impossible Missions Force). Fellow agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) has gone rogue, stealing a sample of a deadly synthetic virus named Chimera that could rapidly wipe out the world's population. Ambrose's plan is to sell Chimera to the highest bidder in exchange for shares of stock in the winner's company. Summoned by the new IMF chief (Anthony Hopkins in an uncredited cameo role), Ethan is assigned to recruit the help of Ambrose's former lover Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), a gorgeous woman who left Ambrose broken-hearted and who may be able to quickly regain his confidence. Once he meets and spends a night with Nyah, however, Ethan is smitten, and now must both capture Ambrose and keep Nyah alive as she infiltrates a nest of vipers. Sophisticated disguises, gun battles, and high-speed chases are the order of the day, very much in the James Bond mold. Mission: Impossible 2 is based on a story by Star Trek: The Next Generation writers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga, with a script polish by Robert Towne. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Cast

Tom Cruise
as Ethan
Dougray Scott
as Sean
Thandie Newton
as Nyah
Ving Rhames
as Luther
Richard Roxburgh
as Hugh
John Polson
as Billy
Brendan Gleeson
as John
Rade Serbedzija
as Dr. Nekhorvich
William Mapother
as Wallis
Dominic Purcell
as Ulrich
Matt Wilkinson
as Michael
Nicholas Bell
as McCloy's Accountant
Kee Chan
as McCloy's Chemist
Kim Fleming
as Larrabee
Alan Lovell
as Biocyte Security Guard No. 2
Dan Luxton
as Relief Pilot
Christian Manon
as Dr. Gradsky
Karl McMillan
as Biocyte Security Guard No. 1
Lester Morris
as Bookie
Nicholas Papademetriou
as Prison Guard No. 2
Anthony Hopkins
as Mission Commander (uncredited)
Brett Partridge
as Biocyte Security Guard No. 3
Kelly Ons
as Flamenco Dancer No. 1
Natalie Reis
as Flamenco Dancer No. 2
Nada Rogic
as Flamenco Dancer No. 3
Cristina Brogers
as Flamenco Dancer No. 4
Adriana Rodríguez
as Flamenco Dancer No. 5
Sandra Rodriguez
as Flamenco Dancer No. 6
Candice Partridge
as Flamenco Dancer No. 7
Daniel Roberts
as Co-Pilot
Antonio Vargas
as Senor De L'Arena
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Critic Reviews for Mission: Impossible 2

All Critics (150) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (85) | Rotten (65)

  • "M:I-2," as the new Mission: Impossible is tagged, is a slick, expensive, bullet-ridden thriller that is oddly dull -- the last thing you'd expect.

    March 6, 2018 | Full Review…

    David Ansen

    Newsweek
    Top Critic

  • Woo lays on his own particular high-octane stylishness so thick the results edge perilously toward self-parody.

    March 27, 2009

    Dennis Harvey

    Variety
    Top Critic

  • 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.

    October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    Roger Ebert

    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic

  • For all my profound reservations about the whole project, I wound up liking it more, or, at least disliking it less, than I had anticipated. Thandie Newton is the biggest reason.

    April 27, 2007 | Full Review…

    Andrew Sarris

    Observer
    Top Critic

  • Woo's hysterically hyper visuals and boytoy gimmickry can't camouflage the emptiness of the enterprise.

    February 9, 2006 | Full Review…

    Derek Adams

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • Despite Cruise's attempts here to be Byronic, there's something strenuous about his soulfulness; he turns everything, even repose, into calisthenics.

    January 16, 2003

    Peter Rainer

    New York Magazine/Vulture
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (150)

Audience Reviews for Mission: Impossible 2

  • Aug 16, 2016
    The first underwhelmed me, but this one straight-up bored me. Again, of course seeing Hunt climb a mountain without a harness is impressive sure. And I even quite liked the idea behind the villain of the piece (though even that angle was woefully underdeveloped). Even setting it in predominantly Australia was enough to grab my attention, and that's saying something cause I'm pretty biased when it comes to that. I hear tell that Mission: Impossible II is the low point in the series, and that at least is encouraging, because if anything afterwards is much worse than this one, I don't know if I'll be able to make it through to Rogue Nation.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
  • Aug 27, 2015
    Wrongly shouldered with a reputation for being stylish over substantive as if that ends up to be a bad thing in this specific case, the second Mission: Impossible puts action before espionage, but effectively advances IMF from small to big screen with enough sexy cool to keep the team going. Indeed, the eye-popping spectacles leave the convoluted web spun by the first chapter in the dust, successfully setting up a winning template for the more mental and muscular episodes to follow. The only conspiracy here is against time. Clocking in at over two hours, what should've been a lean mean fighting machine overstays its welcome. In this PG-13-rated spy thriller, a secret agent (Cruise) gets sent to Sydney, to find and destroy a genetically modified disease called "Chimera." Sure, more persnickety moviegoers laugh at the balletic ballistics of Hong Kong director John Woo, but the excitement rarely lets up. Going solo after the muddled mission in the first adventure, screenwriter Robert Towne presents a straight-shooting spy game. It's not rocket science but it does make the audience pump their fists and laugh in all of the right places. Bottom line: The Woo Sell Out
    Jeff B Super Reviewer
  • Aug 15, 2013
    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img]
    Directors C Super Reviewer
  • Apr 10, 2013
    Mission: Impossible gets Wooed in this second installment of the franchise. Director John Woo takes the helm and ups the action to the point of nauseum. And, there's so much identity switching and uses of masks that this might as well have been called Face/Off 2. Tom Cruise is also a problem, as he makes it all about his character and showing off his action moves (to the detriment of the film). The style over substance focus even extends to Limp Bizkit's cover of the Mission: Impossible Theme, which is just noise. Still, a lot of the action sequences are impressive and shot well. For a mindless action film, Mission: Impossible II is alright, but it's a disappointing entry into the series.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
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