Product Details

• Actors: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh
• Directors: John Woo
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: May 1, 2001
• Run Time: 124 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (473 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005AACC
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,476 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #8 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Tom Cruise
  #8 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Directors > John Woo
  #93 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Espionage

• This is item 2 in The Mission: Impossible Feature Films Series.

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

It should have been a treat. The director is John Woo, the man who took the gravity out of gunfights. The screenwriter is Robert Towne, who wrote half of the movies that made Jack Nicholson a star, and the leading lady is Thandie Newton, whose face could make a thousand ships do pretty much anything she wants. But this much-vaunted sequel to "Mission: Impossible," which hops from Australia to Spain and back again, is neither happy nor hip. It goes through the motions of the multinational action thriller, and, although those motions are as flamboyantly excessive as you would expect, the result is more gruelling than pleasurable. If the new flick has a core, it is Tom Cruise, who reprises his role as the leader of a team of spies. The sense of teamwork, however, has dropped away, and the plot-indeed, the whole movie-becomes an homage to the grim cockiness of Cruise, and, in particular, to his indestructible physique. The first film was merely incomprehensible; this one is unnecessary. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars "Mission-Stay Awake", November 13, 2000

By	The Dapper One (Dallas, Tx USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mission - Impossible II (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

This movie in a word, dissapointing. I expected so much more from director John Woo, whose earlier film Face Off was outstanding and action-packed. MI2 though suffers from a deplorable lack of action, at least early on anyways. Although, it's visually stunning at times, there's really nothing here to grab you. I thought this film had very little to do with the Mission Impossible series, and more resembled John Woo's normal action films. The main problem with the film, is that it's main character, Ethan Hawke, played by Tom Cruise, gets involved in a very, long and drawn out relationship with his female co-star. The film spends far too much developing the relationship between the two, and far too little time giving us action. I also don't agree with the other reviewer's opinion that the first Mission Impossible was forgettable. The first film was much truer to the series, and was a very sharp, smartly-acted film. It had action when it was necessary, within the bounds of the story. I'd highly recommend the first film, and only recommend this one, if you need it as a companion piece. This is definitely not a film you'll watch over and over.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mission: Tom Cruise's Ego, October 18, 2001

By	James C. Dascoli (Millburn, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mission - Impossible II (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

This movie was made for two reasons and two people only: Tom Cruise and his ego. From the opening unrealistic scene of Tom Cruise mountain climbing and jumping from rock to rock in the arizona desert you knew this movie was all about Cruise. Jump to Cruise chasing after some beautiful woman in a fast car (completely ripped off from James Bond) and he of course he falls in love with her 5 minutes after he gets her in the sack. And shock shock his boss needs Cruise to 'use' her to get his man. Now we get to see the anguished Cruise, followed by the superhero action Cruise.

Why even bother naming this movie Mission Impossible? It was cocktail/top gun/days of thunder with high tech gadgets. Last I checked the actual series and even the first movie was supposed to be about a team. There were at least three requisite pulling off the fake face routine and by the third time not only was there no suspense it was obvious for even a third grader to figure out.

As far as the directing is concerned, yes John Woo is a great director, but he must have shot half the movie in slow motion which made the movie seem ponderous and self indulgent. It's incredible that off all the movies John Woo made this is the only one that is obviously controlled by the star, and the funny thing is I like a lot of Tom Cruise movies. The one star is for the music but even that got on my nerves by the end. For Tom Cruise fans only.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Plot is ripoff of Hitchcock's Notorious, December 17, 2000

By	Michele Chubirka "me_in_dc" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mission Impossible 2 (VHS Tape)

Am I the ONLY person who noticed the similarity in plots between this movie and Hitchcock's Notorious?! It's basically a remake. Why didn't any of the critics notice this? Save your money and buy that flick instead. I'm still underwhelmed by John Woo's direction. And that stupid motorcycle jousting scene at the end, PLEASE!