"It was my assumption that the movie was trying to build a wall of confusion and that everything would be resolved in the end. I was wrong. Not only does the ending feel like a cheat, it asks more questions than it answers...I felt ripped off by this movie; it's far too complicated to be any fun."

Maybe superstar Tom Cruise learned from the mistake. Mission: Impossible 2 is much easier to follow, with a plot that is as exciting as it is improbable. Cruise returns as secret agent Ethan Hunt, who must locate a deadly manmade virus that has been stolen by a disgruntled former colleague named Ambrose (Dougray Scott). Hunt's entrance into the bad guy's world comes via the man's ex-girlfriend Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton). She's also a master thief, so Hunt must essentially blackmail her into rekindling her relationship with Ambrose. Since Hunt begins having an affair with Nyah himself, the need for such a covert maneuver is troubling.

Once the plot is set in motion, there are a number of crosses and double-crosses as the purpose of the virus becomes clear. I liked the way the story keeps you guessing. The twists are just enough to fool you, yet simple enough not to confuse you. Unlike the original film, M:I 2 has a standard good guy/bad guy structure that eschews all unnecessary characters. (Remember how the first one had so many of Hunt's team members all doing different things? This time, it's pretty much a one-man show.)

Tom Cruise takes to two wheels in M:I 2

Naturally, there are also a handful of wild action scenes, including a hair-raising motorcycle chase and an effective "break-in" sequence that references the one in the original while managing to best it. Director John Woo (Face/Off) shoots the picture in the frenetic style of the Hong Kong action movies that made him famous. One of the trademarks of this style is that human beings are no longer bound by the laws of physics; Hunt is able to execute moves that would make Jackie Chan salivate with envy. Woo also shoots the movie very stylistically, using conceptual camera tricks to heighten the mood of the action. Moviegoers have been so exposed to action pictures that it's often hard for a filmmaker to give us something we haven't seen before. Woo cranks the action to the next level, making it faster and leaner.

M:I 2 is never dull. There is always something happening. Cruise does a good job playing the hero, and there's a nice cameo from Anthony Hopkins. Thandie Newton (Beloved) has a smoldering chemistry with Cruise that adds sparks, but also adds depth to some of the action scenes. In general, the movie aims to be nothing more than a thrill ride, and it works on that level. By simplifying the story and pumping up the action, Mission: Impossible 2 pulls off a seemingly impossible mission: being a sequel that surpasses the original.

( out of four)

Mission: Impossible 2 is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action & some senusality. The running time is 2 hours and 6 minutes.