Mission: Impossible II Blu-ray offers solid video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
The world's greatest spy returns in the movie event of the year, M:I-2. Top action director John
Woo brings his own brand of excitement to the mission that finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)
partnering up with the beautiful Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) to stop renegade agent Sean
Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from releasing a new kind of terror on an unsuspecting world. But
before the mission is complete, they'll traverse the globe and have to choose between
everything they love and everything they believe in.
Every search for a hero must begin with something that every hero requires -- a villain.
What a difference a movie makes. 1996's Mission: Impossible is
a
smart, crafty, and stylishly-intense Thriller that relies on brains over brawn to sell its bill of goods.
The sequel, Mission: Impossible II, is absolutely nothing like the first film. In fact, it
takes
the completely opposite approach, offering a ho-hum plot and surrounding it with relentless,
flashy,
and exhilarating action. M:I II is filled with gunplay, explosions, hand-to-hand combat,
and
fast chases, playing in stark contrast to the deliberate yet engrossing game of espionage that
defines the first entry. It's sleeker yet grittier, with a louder, more in-your-face attitude that
makes
it barely recognizable as the successor to the first entry. At first glance, that might be a bad
thing;
many fantastic films have seen the devolution of their series over time thanks to painfully inferior
successors that seem to forget what made the original a quality film. Fortunately, M:I II
does not succumb to that stigma. Although it is no match for the smarts of the first film, its
often
mesmerizing and highly entertaining action sequences make it a fun if not slightly disconcerting
watch, particularly when viewed in close proximity to Mission: Impossible.
'Top Gun,' 'Days of Thunder,' 'Mission: Impossible II:' do I sense a trend?
Tom Cruise (Top Gun) returns as
Impossible Missions Force operative Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible II, this time
charged with an assignment that could quite literally save the world from an outbreak of a deadly
pathogen. When a top scientist for the Biocyte Corporation attempts to transfer the virus in his
own body, rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott, Ever After) has him killed and
leads an effort to secure the virus, known as "Chimera," and its antidote, "Bellerophon" for his
own profit. IMF tasks Hunt with bringing the full extent of Ambrose's scheme to light, using the
agent-turned-criminal's
former girlfriend, Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton, Norbit) as bait. Along
with quirky Australian pilot Billy Baird (John Polson) and former co-worker and computer wizard
Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, Dawn of the Dead),
Hunt must use more than the guile that got him through his last mission if he is to succeed --
and survive -- an encounter with a determined and intelligent enemy.
More than any other factor, it is the presence and influence of Director John Woo (Face/Off) that makes
M:I II so vastly different than its predecessor. The film marks the famed Hong Kong
filmmaker's third major American motion picture, and it his unique style and eye for progressive
and
dazzling action -- more so than even the script -- that molds the film into the final product on
display. Woo's trademark style is seen in all its glory here; M:I II sees a tremendous
amount of slow-motion action sequences, punctuated by acrobatic stunts and practically
impossible
maneuvers that turn ordinary action into a finely-tuned ballet that is nothing short of an Action
lover's delight. Actor Tom Cruise seems to fully embrace the style of the filmmaking and the
approach to the series. Long gone is the svelte, clean-cut agent Hunt of the first film. Taking his
place is a longer haired, more muscular, somewhat less serious, and seemingly much more
deadly agent that often
turns to his Beretta first and asks questions second. Granted, the story line lends itself to more
gunplay, but the character is certainly a completely different animal this time around. About the
only thing that connects him to the Ethan Hunt of the first film is his name and the presence of
colleague Luther Stickell.
Ving Rhames once again plays his under-utilized role wonderfully.
The only price that is paid by the influx of action into the film is its radical departure from the
themes and style of the first entry. Not only does intellect take a back seat to the guns-blazing
approach, but there is a decidedly lighter tone to parts of the movie, too. Several scenes border
on comedy, with a few visual gags and several doses of lighthearted banter between the
characters, particularly early on, occasionally taking the foot off the accelerator before it's floored
for an explosive final act. In the midst of the action, M:I II does manage to offer viewers
a bit of character development, though once again the radically different style somewhat
dampens the effect. It's difficult to add to the mythos of the Ethan Hunt seen in the first film
when the character is practically the same one in name only in this film. This is not a complete
re-imagining
of the character, but it often seems like it may as well have been. Nevertheless, Woo and Cruise
make for a fine one-two punch. Although they have taken the series in a completely different
direction, their dedication to making it work allows for a generally smooth transition between
styles.
Mission: Impossible II comes to Blu-ray with an MPEG-2 encoded 1080p transfer framed in
its original 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. The most striking aspect of this transfer is its level of
detail that is far superior to that seen in this film's predecessor on Blu-ray disc. Up-close shots of
human faces, for example, reveal fine textures and nuances that seem dull in Mission:
Impossible. Colors are more vibrant and pleasing in this outing as well. The print is fairly
grainy and noisy in spots, but does not see the abundance of speckles that were prevalent on the
previous disc. However, a hint of edge enhancement is to be seen in places. Blacks occasionally
take on a dark shade of blue in many shots with a slight bit of pixelation in some of the darker
corners of the screen. Flesh tones also fluctuate in the film, ranging from a nice natural shade to
featuring a slightly red tint. Overall, Mission: Impossible II offers a sharper, more
pronounced image than its predecessor on Blu-ray, but it is not without its own set of drawbacks.
Once again, Paramount brings a Mission: Impossible film to Blu-ray with no lossless audio
option. M:I II offers a more pronounced and efficient track than that which was heard in
the previous film's Blu-ray presentation. It's generally explosive and a well above-average effort in
the world of lossy soundtracks on Blu-ray. The track is often dynamic, with excellent directional
effects and atmosphere, those of both a subdued and aggressive nature. Quieter scenes offer
impressive atmospherics; the subtle rolling waves as heard briefly in chapter eight help to create
what seems like a virtual environment that places the listener in the midst of the locale. Bass is
more robust and satisfying both in the presentation of the music and hard-hitting sound effects.
Of course, as a more action-oriented film, M:I II features plenty of more opportunities to
sparkle, and it rarely disappoints during shootouts and vehicle chases. While not quite as robust
and clear as such scenes may have been with a lossless presentation, they are generally engaging
and exciting. Furniture often rattles and gunfire erupts with a nice bit of punch throughout.
Dialogue discernment is never a problem. M:I II delivers a fairly good listen, all things
considered.
Mission: Impossible II offers viewers the chance to gather behind-the-scenes data on the
film via several supplemental features. Headlining the package is a commentary track with
Director
John Woo. Woo provides an informative, engaging track where he shares the history of his
involvement in the film, lending to the film a more modern appearance, the film's budget
constraints, its themes of love and action and his desire to tone down the body count while
keeping
the level of action and excitement high, the difficulties of shooting certain scenes, his love for
slow
motion, and more. Woo delivers a fine track; he's occasionally difficult to understand, but context
clues will fill in any gaps. Behind the Mission (480p, 14:28) is a basic making-of piece
that features cast and crew interview snippets with a look at the challenges of producing the film,
the contributions of Director John Woo and Screenwriter Robert Towne, the running themes of
the film, a look at the characters, the action, and more. The piece relies on plenty of movie clips
to move it along. Mission Incredible (480p, 5:12) looks briefly at the amazing action
sequences and stunts
as seen in the film. Impossible Shots (480p, 34:17) examines the ideas behind and
making of 11 of the
film's most important scenes. Next up is a music video by Metallica, entitled I Disappear
(480p, 4:33), followed by an alternate title sequence (480p, 0:37). Concluding the supplements
are two features that also appear on the first film's disc, Excellence
in Film (480p, 9:15) and Generation: Cruise (480p, 3:36).
M:I II is a film that must be viewed in the proper context. Because of the radical departure
of styles, fans of the first film may find this one too dramatic a change to accept, while those turned
off by the first film's complexities may find the easier-to-digest plot and more relentless action more
palatable. Either way, there is no denying that Mission: Impossible and Mission:
Impossible II barely connect with one another; aside from the title, the familiar refrain, and the
presence of Cruise and Rhames, these may as well have been completely unrelated films. If
nothing else, they make for a rather intriguing study in cinematic juxtaposition. Paramount's
Blu-ray release of M:I II is a cut above that of its predecessor. This disc offers a superior
transfer, a much more aggressive yet still lossy soundtrack, and a decent supplemental package.
Though a prime candidate for a "double-dip" down the road, Mission: Impossible II is worth
picking up at the right price.
All countries
