Parents' Guide to

Mission: Impossible 2

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Good thrill ride of a movie with nonstop action.

Movie PG-13 2000 123 minutes
Mission: Impossible 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 12+

Based on 7 parent reviews

ADBeresford
ADBeresford Parent of 11 and 13-year-old
March 25, 2023
age 13+
Both of my daughters (13 & 11) asked if we could turn it off, which we did after about 40 minutes. It was boring and has a lot of slow motion scenes that make no sense. What upset me and my daughters most was the disturbing sexism, and very creepy attitudes towards the female lead. The plot centers around the spy organization asking a woman to “not do anything she hasn’t done before” by seducing her ex boyfriend for information. He leers at her as she disrobes and the movie makes it clear she neither feels comfortable or safe. This movie did not age well and only looks terribly predatory in hindsight. My teen girls and I will not be revisiting!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
jcmcdowell
jcmcdowell Adult
April 12, 2020
age 13+

Awful!

This is, in my opinion, the only poorly-made film in the series. It is boring, and Ethan Hunt does not look good with that long hair! I have seen this movie only once, and that’s how many times I will watch it. The whole thing is garbage! It’s not terribly explicit, it’s just not well-developed and a waste of time! Don’t bother!

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 is the essence of a summer movie: gorgeous stars, sensational stunts, nerve-wracking chases, steamy romance, some "gotcha" plot twists, and lots of explosions. This time, agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has to retrieve the secret formula to a virus that could destroy humankind. Hunt's task won't be easy – the virus has been stolen by his former colleague Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) who knows all his tricks. As Hunt's boss (an unbilled Anthony Hopkins) says, "It's not Mission Difficult; it's Mission Impossible." He must persuade his girlfriend (and jewel thief) Nyah (Thandiwe Newton) to get romantically involved with her ex-flame, Ambrose.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (44):

This is a terrific thrill ride of a movie, and Cruise just keeps getting better. The first film in the series was a huge success, but most viewers thought that the real mission impossible was trying to understand the plot; with Mission: Impossible 2, they make it simple so we can just sit back and enjoy. Ving Rhames returns as the world's least geeky computer genius, but aside from a couple of impeccably delivered lines, he never gets a chance to show us what he can do. Hunt is more like loner James Bond than he is like MI's Jim Phelps. But that's a small point.

Director John Woo's trademarks are all here -- the hero sliding across the floor in slow motion, firing two guns at once, the balletic combat, the villain's streak of sadism, and an engaging willingness to tweak, even spoof, his own conventions. Unfortunately the movie leaves out the best part of the original Mission: Impossible concept, back in the days of the TV show, and that was teamwork. It was a lot of fun to see how the special expertise of each of the MI team members was going to come in handy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes an action movie good. Is it the special effects? The acting? The story? Why do some action movies stand the test of time while others are simply awful?

  • What role does violence play in a film like Mission: Impossible 2? Does its glossy nature distract from the brutality on the screen? Is it glamorized? Do different types of movie violence have different impact on kids?

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