Monday Sequel Spotlight: Mission Impossible II

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. In this series, I’ll be taking a look at some famous (and infamous) sequels to see how they compare to the original. I'll do my best to alternate between the greats and the best forgotten. Leave your thoughts or a suggestion for a spotlight in the comments!

Mission Impossible II
Directed by John Woo
Released May 24, 2000



Over a decade before “Ghost Protocol,” a sequel was made to the remake of the 1960s television series, which was released in 1996. That first film may have included its share of improbabilities, but the second took it much, much further. The most memorable element of “Mission Impossible II” is the face mask that nearly every character seems to wear, an asset repeated in successive films but emphasized incredibly in a way that just didn’t seem authentic anymore in this second installment. The film was all about action, featuring Tom Cruise with long hair, a seductive Thandie Newton by his side, and Dougray Scott, once in line to play Wolverine in “X-Men,” which was released the same year, as the villain. The plot wasn’t nearly as strong as the first (or third) film, and though it was indisputably an exciting film, it wasn’t as all-around competent as the others in the series. It definitely looked good, though, and Ethan Hunt is a pretty damn cool spy, no matter how you spin it.