Mission: Impossible 2

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 — *** — Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, Brendan Gleeson, John Polson, Rade Sherbedgia, Anthony Hopkins; rated PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, brief gore); Carmike 12, Cottonwood Mall, Plaza 5400 and Ritz 15 Theaters; Century Theatres 16; Cinemark Jordan Landing Theaters; Gateway 8 Cinemas; Loews Cineplex Trolley Corners Cinemas; Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons; Redwood Drive-in; Reel Theatres.

We can finally put the aging James Bond to rest. He's been replaced as cinema's best spy by Ethan Hunt of the "Mission: Impossible" films.

Admittedly, this new movie-franchise-in-the-making got off to a somewhat shaky start with the first film, which had its share of thrills but matched them with an almost incomprehensible plot. But the eagerly awaited sequel more than makes up for it with even bigger and more breathtaking stunts and a streamlined story that doesn't leave you scratching your head.

However, before we all start congratulating megastar Tom Cruise, who plays Hunt and produced this sequel, let's give credit where credit is due — most of this film's success is due to director John Woo, who is surely the best action filmmaker working today.

This is probably the best or at least the most consistent of his American work. And in theme and tone, there are echoes of — and odes to — his earlier films, which include the "A Better Tomorrow" movies and "Once a Thief."

And although "M:I-2" is not a perfect film — in fact, it sags rather badly in the middle third and recovers only because the finale is so riveting — it is much better than any of the recent Bond films or anything even remotely like them.

The more stripped-down storyline has Hunt on the trail of rogue agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), who is threatening to spread a new bioweapon. He's already gotten the antidote, which was swiped from the scientist who invented it. But now Ambrose needs to get his hands on the weapon itself, a bioengineered flu called Chimera, which can kill a person in 20 hours.

Hunt's got more than a few reasons to take the mission personally. Ambrose has been impersonating him, and the team member who's been recruited to seduce Ambrose is none other than Hunt's own new romantic interest, Nyah (Thandie Newton). And she was recruited because of her romantic past with her quarry.

If that isn't bad enough, Hunt only has 20 hours to stop Ambrose and recover the antidote because Nyah has injected herself with Chimera to keep it out of her former lover's hands.

OK, so it's not the most brainy of plots, and the whole thing is basically built around a few action sequences — such as a playful car chase, a rock-climbing scene filmed in Moab and the motorcycle duel alluded to in the trailers. But they're all doozies and all by themselves make the film worth seeing.

All of this is well-captured by Woo and cinematographer Jeffrey Kimball. And unlike other recent action films, the use of slow-motion photography doesn't seem overdone here; it actually helps spotlight some surprisingly good martial-arts fighting and stuntwork (a lot of it done by Cruise himself).

On the performance side, Cruise is a bit aloof, but considering that his character is supposed to be a chameleon-like cipher, that's certainly forgivable. Besides, Newton supplies all the warmth and heat the film needs.

Also, Cruise has a more than adequate counterpart in Scott, who is properly villainous, despite a thick adopted accent. Ving Rhames, Brendan Gleeson and Anthony Hopkins are a bit underused in supporting roles, however.

"Mission: Impossible 2" is rated PG-13 for violence (including gunplay, as well as martial-arts and hand-to-hand combat), scattered use of profanity and some sexual double-entendres, and brief gore. Running time: 126 minutes.

You can reach Jeff Vice by e-mail at jeff@desnews.com