Mission: Impossible II

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Mission: Impossible 2
Directed by	John Woo
Produced by	Tom Cruise Paula Wagner
Written by	Robert Towne
Starring	Tom Cruise Dougray Scott Thandie Newton Ving Rhames
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Editing by	Christian Wagner Steven Kemper Stuart Baird
Distributed by	USA Theatrical and Worldwide DVD/Video Paramount Pictures Non-USA Theatrical United International Pictures
Release date(s)	May 24, 2000
Running time	123 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$125 million
Preceded by	Mission: Impossible
Followed by	Mission: Impossible III
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Mission: Impossible II, or M:I-2 as it is also known, is a 2000 film directed by John Woo and starring Tom Cruise, the film's producer. It is a sequel to Brian De Palma's 1996 film Mission: Impossible with Cruise returning as IMF agent Ethan Hunt.

The film finds Hunt teaming up with former partner Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), professional thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton) and helicopter pilot Billy Baird (John Polson) in order to thwart the plans of former IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott). The film also stars Brendan Gleeson, Richard Roxburgh and Anthony Hopkins in an uncredited role as Hunt's overseer Swanbeck.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Box office 4.1 Box office totals 5 Music 5.1 Score 5.2 Soundtrack 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Plot

The movie's plot involves a virus which is named after the Chimera creature from Greek mythology. Sean Ambrose plans to release the virus and then make money from selling the antidote. Several characters use the mask disguises as in the first Mission: Impossible film. The pre-title sequence involves a Boeing 747 seized over the Colorado Rockies where the virus is taken from the scientist bringing it to Atlanta. Hunt is recruited for the mission by helicopter after rock climbing to the top of a cliff. He later goes to Seville to recruit Nyah Nordoff-Hall, and sets up her false arrest so that Sean Ambrose will rescue her. The second half of the film takes place in Sydney with scenes at a race track and later at a research facility which Hunt must break into to take the virus. Ethan destroys the culture and two of three refined virus samples, before Ambrose catches him and wreaks havoc in the lab. In the end, Nyah injects herself with the virus so that she will become valuable. The finale involves a long motorcycle chase where Ethan races for the North Head where they have tracked Nyah on the GPS chip, and a final encounter in the beach with Ambrose, who is knocked unconscious after a short fight but reappears again and is shot to death by Ethan.

[edit] Cast

• Tom Cruise ... Ethan Hunt
• Dougray Scott ... Sean Ambrose
• Thandie Newton ... Nyah Nordoff-Hall
• Ving Rhames ... Luther Stickell
• Richard Roxburgh ... Hugh Stamp
• John Polson ... Billy Baird
• Brendan Gleeson ... John C. McCloy
• Anthony Hopkins ... Mission Commander Swanbeck (Uncredited)
• Rade Šerbedžija ... Dr. Nekhorvich (as Radé Sherbedgia)
• William Mapother ... Wallis
• Dominic Purcell ... Ulrich
• Mathew Wilkinson ... Michael
• Nicholas Bell... Accountant
• Cristina Brogers ... Flamenco Dancer
• Kee Chan... Chemist
• Kim Fleming ... Larrabee
• Natallie Eaton ... Barbie
• Sam Jones... Plane Passenger

[edit] Production

Production of the film was troubled and was shut down for several weeks as the script was re-worked. As a result both Dougray Scott and Thandie Newton lost the chance to appear in starring roles in other films. Cruise and Woo had reportedly clashed several times throughout filming over creative differences, but both walked away from it on good terms.

[edit] Box office

The film was a financial hit and grossed close to $215 million in its domestic American release and approx. $330 million abroad. It is the highest-grossing movie of 2000.

[edit] Box office totals

• Budget - $125,000,000
• Marketing cost - $37,200,000
• Opening Weekend Gross (Domestic) - $57,845,297
• Total Domestic Grosses - $215,409,889
• Total Overseas Grosses - $330,492,673
• Total Worldwide Grosses - $545,902,562

[edit] Music

[edit] Score

Main article: Mission: Impossible II Score

The original score was composed by Hans Zimmer and performed by Lisa Gerrard.

[edit] Soundtrack

Main article: Mission: Impossible II Soundtrack

The Mission: Impossible II Soundtrack includes Limp Bizkit's rendition of Lalo Schifrin's Mission: Impossible theme, "Take a Look Around".

[edit] See also

• Notorious, an inspiration for part of the plotline in Mission: Impossible II

[edit] External links

• Mission: Impossible II at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview with screenwriter Robert Towne

v • d • e The Mission: Impossible franchise Television: Mission: Impossible (original series) · Mission: Impossible (1988 TV series) Films: Mission: Impossible · Mission: Impossible 2 · Mission: Impossible III Characters: Jim Phelps · Ethan Hunt · Luther Stickell Video games: Mission: Impossible (NES) · Mission: Impossible (N64, PS1) · Operation Surma Soundtracks: Mission: Impossible II soundtrack  · Mission: Impossible II score  · Mission: Impossible III soundtrack

v • d • e Films directed by John Woo 1970s Fist to Fist (1973) • The Young Dragons (1974) • The Dragon Tamers (1974) • Princess Chang Ping (1975) • Hand of Death (1975) • Money Crazy (1977) • Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1978) • Hello, Late Homecomers (1978) • Follow the Star (1978) 1980s From Riches to Rags (1980) • To Hell with the Devil (1981) • Laughing Times (1981) • Plain Jane to the Rescue (1982) • The Time You Need a Friend (1984) • Run Tiger Run (1985) • Heroes Shed No Tears (1986) • A Better Tomorrow (1986) • A Better Tomorrow II (1987) • The Killer (1989) • Tragic Heroes (1989) 1990s Bullet in the Head (1990) • Once a Thief (1991) • Hard Boiled (1992) • Hard Target (1993) • Broken Arrow (1996) • Once a Thief (1996) • Face/Off (1997) • Blackjack (1998) 2000s Mission: Impossible II (2000) • Windtalkers (2002) • Paycheck (2003) • All the Invisible Children (2005) • Red Cliff (2008)