Mission Impossible 2

Tom Cruise returns as secret agent Ethan Hunt, his mission this time to stop a madman (Dougray Scott) from unleashing a genetically enhanced flu virus upon an unsuspecting world. The script by Robert Towne does exactly what it needs to—stay out of the way of the pyrotechnicians, computer jockeys and stuntmen. And with Hong Kong expatriate John Woo at the helm, the proceedings may get improbable, but they’re never boring. Although the film takes its time building to speed, it burns like the fuse in the opening credits of the old TV show, exploding in a climax that is by turns giddy, mind-boggling, and breathtaking. Mission: Accomplished.