here is an oft-repeated anecdote in Hollywood about the influence of director John Woo, a longtime Hong Kong filmmaker who relocated to the United States a few years ago. Woo's American admirers include the likes of Martin Scorsese, Sam Raimi, and Quentin Tarantino, who, in reply to a studio executive saying, “I suppose Woo can direct action scenes,” said “Sure, and Michelangelo can paint ceilings.”

Woo is indeed a master of the action genre, with a collection of tried and true stylistic elements that he crams into Mission: Impossible 2: intense slow motion and freeze-frame magic are used to highlight brilliantly choreographed action sequences. There are even the Woo trademarks-the “Mexican standoff,” doves flying through gunfights, and, of course, “The Leap,” where a character soars through the air, guns in each hand, blazing away at the enemy.

M:I 2 (as the film is pretentiously abbreviated) is a crowd-pleasing action film, with minimal characterization, a paper-thin plot, and lots of latex masks getting ripped off Tom Cruise's face. It's a fabulous popcorn movie, and shows you the sparks that would fly if Woo were to take over the James Bond series, as some have suggested.

It's difficult to compare Woo's creation to the previous Mission: Impossible film, for this very reason. The original film, directed by Brian DePalma, was a suspense story at heart, with some surprising plot twists, intense performances, and a snappy script. Without the catchy script or tension of the previous film, M:I 2 suffers at points, especially in the first reel — but the over-the-top climax is just the sort of thing that makes summer blockbusters classic mindless fun.