# Mission Impossible 2 is a terrible movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [February 1, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996 "2021-02-01T15:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/1 "2021-02-01T15:14:28Z")
Yesterday I was flipping through Amazon Prime and I noticed that they had a bunch of Mission Impossible movies available for streaming. I thought I had seen them all and I remember generally liking them: they’re silly but they have some interesting stunts and action sequences. I’ve seen the first M:I film several times, but I couldn’t remember what happens in M:I 2. Well, either I hadn’t seen it or I had blocked it out of my mind, but it was a really bad movie. Tom Cruise has shaggy hair like Garth Brooks in his “Chris Gaines” alter ego, and 75% of the movie consists of Cruise doing various kinds of flipping moves in slow motion with his hair whipping around. All the John Woo stuff (like doves flying around and melodramatic music during slow-mo action sequences) just looked dumb, not cool. Supposedly the first cut of the movie was 3.5 hours long, so they cut out huge chunks of plot. So the opening romance between Cruise and Thandie Newton takes about 5 minutes. I presume it’s supposed to be flirty and sexy, but it just seems lame and creepy. Did they really need a camera shot down the front of her shirt into her cleavage? And did they really put in “bow-chicka-bow-wow” music? And then what finally seduces her is when he causes her to get into a car accident? How much money did they have to pay Anthony Hopkins to get him to spout lines like: > [@](#): > > To go to bed with a man and lie to him? She’s a woman - she’s got all the training she needs. It blows my mind that this was the highest grossing movie of 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/2 "2021-02-01T15:32:53Z")
I’ve seen a lot of movies with miscast actors, but IM2 is a blatant case of a miscast _director_. John Woo has his talents, but he was completely wrong for the Mission Impossible franchise. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/3 "2021-02-01T15:33:11Z")
Agreed. The worst one, by far. I begrudgingly accept the first one (I still consider their treatment of Jim Phelps blasphemous, it’s still a “good movie” on its own merits though), and they have gotten steadily better since 3. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/4 "2021-02-01T15:35:48Z")
I thought 3 was the best one, actually, though the ones since have been quite good. 2 was horrible. The OP nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/5 "2021-02-01T15:38:47Z")
About a year ago I picked up the dvd collection of them for cheap and to binge watch. MI2 is definitely the stinker of the bunch. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/6 "2021-02-01T15:39:59Z")
Yes 3 is quite good. Not my favorite (that’s probably 4 but I haven’t really thought about it much), but right up there. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/7 "2021-02-01T15:46:23Z")
The only one I can remember with distinction is the first _Mission: Impossible_ film, and that is only because of Jean Reno and the fact that they _Executive Decision_ the still popular Emilio Estevez in the first five minutes of the movie. Oh, and the “red light-green light” gadget was used effectively if absurdly. All I can recall from the second film was Tom Cruise and Dougray Scot literally gun-jousting and low-siding their motorcycles in a scene that would seemingly never end. The last time I watched it I had the voice of Sterling Archer in my head complaining that nobody was counting bullets because both characters got at least fifty rounds each out of a 15 round magazine without any chance at reloading. The subsequent movies have been even more generic than the Brosnan-era Bond films and pretty much serve as an opportunity for Tom Cruise to get his extreme thrill buzz on at the expense of a several hundred million dollar movie. Who says Scientology doesn’t work? Of course, none of the movies have anything thematically or otherwise to do with the original show, which was all about careful planning, coordinated teamwork, and professional improvisation put to Lalo Shifrin’s now classic 5/4 time score. Even the techno-inspired incidental music on the movies is terrible, often becoming so obtrusive you can’t make out what pointless piece of dialogue one character shouted at another. One Honorable Schoolboy for the entire lot, and that is only because Simon Pegg realizes how stupid his role is and hams it up accordingly. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/8 "2021-02-01T15:53:02Z")
What I liked about the original 1960s series was how the team worked together. And what I didn’t like about these recent movies was how they’ve turned into star vehicles for Tom Cruise. Plus it’s very annoying seeing him on talk shows talking about how he does all of his own stunts. (Yes, I don’t like him but for whatever reason people around the world pay money to see him in movies, so studios still work with him.) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/9 "2021-02-01T16:07:16Z")
I just find it strange that the entire team is disavowed at the beginning of every movie. When do they actually work for IMF and not against it? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/10 "2021-02-01T16:30:03Z")
They aren’t disavowed in the 6th until later in the movie. And that was just a trick to fool the bad guy into letting his guard down. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/11 "2021-02-01T16:32:20Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > When do they actually work for IMF and not against it? In Mission Impossible 2, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/12 "2021-02-01T16:32:38Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I just find it strange that the entire team is disavowed at the beginning of every movie. When do they actually work for IMF and not against it? That’s JJ Abrams for you. I’m morally certain he sits in each initial pitch meeting and says, “Hey, you know what would really be great this time? If Ethan Hunt were _disavowed_ and had to work against his own government! Then we can have someone on his team double-cross him! It’ll shock the audience!” That guy is total [one trick pony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDylgpGHcic). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/13 "2021-02-01T16:48:06Z")
You know, I like them all (well, maybe not III, but I haven’t seen it since it was new. So it’s forgettable, at least), even II, but taken cumulatively, you’d think at some time, Ethan is actually going to go rogue. I mean, how many times can his own bosses doubt him, hunt (no pun intended) him, each time with him proving that he was a good agent, until the next movie, when they don’t trust him again, before he says “fuck it. Why am I busting my balls for this government, when they undemine me at every turn? They keep thinking I’m bad? I’ll show them bad!” In other words, the story arc of Michael Weston. Plus this whole recurring thing that his precious wife must be sooo protected that they faked her death, but then Thandie Newton is just out there somewhere working in a diner or something? Despite that, they’re better Bond movies than anything that came out in the last 30 years, excepting Casino Royale. (They’re just not MI movies.) ---
**Author:** ![Scarlax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlax/32/2927_2.png) [@Scarlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlax)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/14 "2021-02-01T17:46:26Z")
Lol OP rails on MI2 but fails to mention Limp Bizkit. Btw, MI Fallout is the best\* action movie ever, for values of best that may be unique to me. Loved it and have enjoyed the overall evolution of the franchise. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/15 "2021-02-01T19:15:57Z")
> [@Scarlax](#): > > Lol OP rails on MI2 but fails to mention Limp Bizkit. An action movie having crappy rock music in the background is not something that pings my radar. The only music I remember is the “bow-chicka-bow-wow” from this scene: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NvUZx-rhXMA/hqdefault.jpg "Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) - Stealing Necklace Scene with Ethan Hunt and Nyah Nordoff Hall") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvUZx-rhXMA) Skip to 1:45 if you want to look down a woman’s top while staring at Tom Cruise’s grinning face. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlax/32/2927_2.png) [@Scarlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlax)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/16 "2021-02-01T19:37:13Z")
Hard to notice Thandie’s girls when all I can see is Tom’s middle tooth. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/17 "2021-02-01T21:51:12Z")
We went through them all a couple of weeks ago, and came to the same conclusion as the OP. However, I will add a giant caveat - MI2 is _hilariously_ bad. I’d watch it again just to laugh through the ridiculousness, and I’m going to hope and pray that the extended version comes out at some point. I know that Tom Cruise takes himself far too seriously these days, but somehow, someone got ahold of him before 3-6 and managed to convince him to make these movies a little more tongue-in-cheek than normal. It pokes fun at the entire franchise throughout the last couple installments, and it makes it work. I can’t wait for the next one. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/18 "2021-02-01T22:01:19Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > MI2 is _hilariously_ bad. I have to admit that it was impossible to watch the motorcycle jousting without laughing. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AzIQg6Ly_Rw/maxresdefault.jpg "Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) - Motorcycle Chase Scene (8/9) | Movieclips") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzIQg6Ly_Rw) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/19 "2021-02-02T01:50:43Z")
As I understand the tale of the movie’s development, they had planned out the action sequences _first_, including the infamous motorcycle sequence, and then wrote the rest of the movie around them. Hence the plot literally serves to string together the action. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996/20 "2021-02-02T05:36:12Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > All I can recall from the second film was Tom Cruise and Dougray Scot literally gun-jousting and low-siding their motorcycles in a scene that would seemingly never end. The last time I watched it I had the voice of Sterling Archer in my head complaining that nobody was counting bullets because both characters got at least fifty rounds each out of a 15 round magazine without any chance at reloading. I dunno, they found time to mount new tires, coulda reloaded then. 🤪 While I agree II is the low water mark, I’d call Rogue Nation the best. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-impossible-2-is-a-terrible-movie/931996.md?page=2)