MI:2 @ Odeon, Manchester

STARRING: Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott

VERDICT: Will this be the challenge to Bond we have been waiting for?

Overhyped?... Yes
Any good?... No

The first ten minutes are great, an all out action extravaganza, then the plot, average for a "super-spy stylie thriller", takes center stage. It then hogs the centre stage for 50 minutes, making the audience feel thicker than a doorstop sandwich.

The storyline in a nutshell is, a killer virus has been stolen by a rogue IMF agent who has turned bad (dramatic sigh), but not to fear, MI agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) recruits the world's top thief (who just happens to be the stunningly beautiful Thandie Newton) to steal back the virus by 'wooing' her, involving comments that would make 007 blush.

Once this is settled, the film finally transforms into the amazing action fest that you wanted from start to finish. It has it all - skydiving on a winch from a helicopter down a skyscraper, double gun battles, the typical trademarks of Hong Kong Kung Fu veteran John Woo.

However, this really is too little, too late and you'll be bored out of your brains before you get to the action extravaganza, which is a problem as the action is the only reason why anyone would want to watch this mediocre effort.

If you liked this, you'll love:

The World is Not Enough

Mission Impossible

Austin Powers Interntational Man of Mystery

by ChrisM