Gay Today: Entertainment

Mission: Impossible II

Film Review by Warren D. Adkins

The abbreviation for this film, M=I-2 , looking like some sort of algebra equation and used in media advertisements, isn't the title shown on the big screen: Mission: Impossible II. Tom Cruise, after playing—in two previous movies—somewhat unlikable guys, is back to being at least a decent sort. Its unfortunate, really, that the same can't be said for M=I-2 itself. People poured out of the theatre complaining.

Tom Cruise (top) and Ving Rhames star in Mission: Impossible II

Cruise (Ethan Hunt) portrays quite a physically adept IMF agent. Unfortunately, M=I-2 will not be remembered except for this one factor. It certainly won't be remembered for Cruise's romance with a burglar named Nyah (Thandie Newton), hired by the IMF because she was once the villain's girl. There's a legit question here too as to whether romantic dialogue belongs in an action-packed feature.

Originally, M=I-2 was slated for an Xmas release, but a host of vulgar difficulties plagued the set, including soaring costs, production problems and, reportedly, stylistic differences with the cinematographer Andrew Lesnie—who split in mid-make. You know how it is.

Cruise's phony adventuresome exploits—the 'Impossible II' parts — kindle in his male 'action flick' audiences a host of dipsy macho illusions, not unlike Andrew Sullivan's testosterone rushes, perhaps.

Or they might bring to mind those trinket-laden bikers who ostentatiously and ominously rev up their engines while standing still at traffic lights. Usually they're wanna be's, not nearly as fierce as they hope.

The film was penned by the world's foremost creator of the'action-porn' genre, a writer who gave to humanity the original Mission: Impossible film. Woo. But remember this: it usually follows that any second-in-a-series-film disappoints its audiences. Do you really need this? Or are you only in the theatre to see Tom Cruise?

Cruise's bod looked good, nevertheless, even if his nose didn't. Well, I seldom much pay attention to bods, you see, especially if a bod's inhabitant turns out to be a Scientologist. Someone tells me, however, that Cruise is now no longer a card-carrying member. There's hope. Real hope. Maybe someday I'll be able see the physical perfections attributed to Tom Cruise in a kinder, gentler light.

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Mission: Impossible 2 Offical Site
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M=I-2—mind you—is yet another stolen-germ-warfare-secrets movie. Cruise must keep former IMF agent Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from peddling a world-threatening disease that could not, I hope, be worse than this interminable movie.

Scott fails as a film villain, however. Convincing villains who seem as interesting as the movie's hero are all too rare these days. In this film, the villain's menace-quotient is zero.

There's been some talk that one of the best scenes in this flick was ripped off from another movie. But since action flicks often fail to deliver the kind of emotional experiences capable of fetching this reviewer's action-jaded attention, there's no telling which movie that might have been.

What I'm saying—no, begging-- is this: If I'm going to watch a motor chase again, please please make it believable, Mr. Woo. What is seen, I'm afraid, is—well, impossible.