A scientist at Biocyte Pharmaceuticals has developed a biological weapon called Chimera in order to profit from a cure they’ve also developed. Rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (played by Dougray Scott) confronts the scientist under the guise – literally – as his old friend Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and steals the cure in a plane crash. The IMF Director enlists the real Hunt to recruit Ambrose’s ex-girlfriend Nyah Mordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton) to play nice until they steal the antidote back in order to prevent Ambrose from releasing the disease into the general population.
The film features a scene early on of Cruise rock climbing while on vacation. This movie should’ve fallen off of that rock to a miserable death. Director John Woo tries to use a samurai film feel at times and it doesn’t work. Hunt and Mordoff-Hall develop feelings way too fast and it doesn’t work. The story is predictable yet convoluted and it doesn’t work. There are so many aspects of Mission: Impossible 2 that don’t work that it’s actually a stain on Cruise’s otherwise impeccable resume.
Between the scientist, the theft, the IMF, the previous love affair, the current love affair, the location changes and the Chrimera vs. cure aspects, this movie never gets into a rhythm. Every time the audience settles into one aspect, a new one is introduced. And then when that one settles in, there’s a callback to the cold open, etc. It’s exhausting, feels every bit of the two hour runtime and doesn’t give you any reason to root for any of the characters, Ethan Hunt included.
Make no mistake, this is not a Mission: Impossible movie. This is a poorly made, cookie cutter, stereotypical 90’s action film made five years too late. The entire M:I franchise prides itself on clever writing, plot twists and subtle easter eggs that inform the story but keep the audience guessing at the same time. All of those elements are completely missing here. If this is your introduction to the Mission: Impossible series, you’d have zero motivation to see any of the others. And that’d be a shame.