# Mission: Impossible 2
**Mission: Impossible 2** (also styled M:I-2) is a 2000 American action spy film directed by [John Woo](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-woo) and the second installment of the Mission: Impossible film series. [Tom Cruise](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-cruise) returns as IMF agent [Ethan Hunt](https://www.edgepedia.org/ethan-hunt), who leads a mission to capture a deadly German-manufactured virus before it is released, while contending with a renegade former IMF agent, Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), who has already stolen the cure[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2). The film was released by Paramount Pictures on May 24, 2000, runs 126 minutes, and is rated PG-13[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Wide theatrical release May 24, 2000, by Paramount Pictures; video release November 7, 2000[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2) |
| Director and writers | John Woo; screenplay credited to Robert Towne; story credited to Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore, from the television series created by Bruce Geller[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2) • [3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-ii/) • [19](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/61408-MISSION-IMPOSSIBLE-II?cxt=filmography) |
| Box office | Domestic $215,409,889; worldwide $546,388,108 (Box Office Mojo); The Numbers lists worldwide as $549,588,516[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120755/) • [2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2) |
| Opening | $57,845,297 opening weekend at 3,653 theaters; $71.8 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, a record for that holiday[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2) • [5](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cruise-to-the-top/) |
| Critical scores | 58% Tomatometer from 210 reviews and 42% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore 59 (mixed or average) on Metacritic[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2) • [3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-ii/) |
| Franchise standing | The lowest-scored Mission: Impossible film on Rotten Tomatoes (57% when Time compiled franchise averages)[6](https://time.com/4604580/best-movies-franchises-rotten-tomatoes/) |
| Music | Score by Hans Zimmer, with Lalo Schifrin; the soundtrack features Metallica's "I Disappear"[7](https://www.paramountpictures.com/movies/mission-impossible-ii) • [8](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/how-to-watch-the-mission-impossible-movies-in-order-online) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and cast
Ethan Hunt is sent to recover and destroy Chimera, a genetically modified disease, before it can be released[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120755/). The antagonist is Sean Ambrose, a former IMF agent turned rogue, who heads a group of international terrorists and has already stolen the cure; Hunt partners with Nyah Hall ([Thandiwe Newton](https://www.edgepedia.org/thandiwe-newton)) to stop him[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2) • [7](https://www.paramountpictures.com/movies/mission-impossible-ii). A geopolitical analysis of the series describes the plot as Hunt stopping a pharmaceutical company's CEO from using a biological weapon in order to profit from a monopoly on the cure[9](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14650045.2026.2681634). The story is set in Sydney, Australia[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2).
The supporting cast includes [Ving Rhames](https://www.edgepedia.org/ving-rhames) as [Luther Stickell](https://www.edgepedia.org/luther-stickell), the only cast member besides Cruise to appear in every film of the franchise, along with [Richard Roxburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-roxburgh) as Hugh Stamp, Brendan Gleeson as McCloy, Rade Serbedzija as Dr. Nekhorvich, and John Polson as Billy Baird[7](https://www.paramountpictures.com/movies/mission-impossible-ii) • [10](https://www.moviemaker.com/mission-impossible-movies-ranked-gallery/). Paramount's cast list also credits Anthony Hopkins as the Boss[7](https://www.paramountpictures.com/movies/mission-impossible-ii).
## Production and style
John Woo, known for choreographed action set pieces, brought his signature visual language to the series. [The Atlantic](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-atlantic) describes the film as going maximalist, with almost every sequence punctuated by slow-motion visuals and dizzying snap zooms; Hunt even declares "Mission accomplished," a line the film plays for laughs[11](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/mission-impossible-best-movies-continuity/682997/). Guardian writers note the film's high rate of iconic moments: Cruise first appears free-soloing a mountain, receives his mission as rocket-delivered exploding sunglasses, and the film moves into motorbike duels, rubber masks, and capoeira kicks[12](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/22/mission-impossible-favorite-instalment). The climactic stunt is, by The Atlantic's measure, perhaps the smallest Cruise has performed: when the villain stabs at Hunt with a knife, the point stops just before reaching his eye[11](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/mission-impossible-best-movies-continuity/682997/). Cruise performed the opening cliff climb himself; an IMDb note records that Woo was frightened each time but that "Tom insisted on doing it"[13](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120755/).
The screenplay went through a troubled development. A 1998 report noted that the script had yet to be seen even by actors connected to the production, and talks pairing Cruise with Woo gained momentum that year[14](https://www.cinemenium.com/missionimpossible2/newsvault1998.php). Shortly before the American release, the Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story about an editor called in at the last hour to reorganize the film[15](https://webs.um.es/paguado/miwiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=03_reviews_20_21.pdf).
## Box office
The film was a commercial success. It opened on Wednesday, May 24, 2000, and took in $91.8 million in its first days, on pace to reach $100 million faster than all but a few films[16](https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/389400). Its $71.8 million four-day [Memorial Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/memorial-day) take surpassed the opening of the 1996 original and propelled the overall box office to a Memorial Day record[5](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cruise-to-the-top/); the top twelve performers that weekend set several records, with more than $171 million in sales, making Memorial Day weekend 2000 the biggest box office weekend in history to that point[16](https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/389400).
Domestically it grossed $215,409,889, with an opening weekend of $57,845,297 representing 26.9% of the total[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2). [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) lists international gross of $330,978,219 and worldwide total of $546,388,108, while The Numbers lists $334,178,627 international and $549,588,516 worldwide[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120755/) • [2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2). Japan was the largest single international market at $94,103,715[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120755/). A Royal Holloway study records that it was the highest internationally grossing film of 2000, and that Cruise, as star and co-producer, negotiated payment through gross participation rather than a fixed salary, earning $75 million from the film[17](https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/ws/files/4579892/2012odonnellraphd.pdf). Budget figures differ between trackers: $125,000,000 on Box Office Mojo and $120,000,000 on The Numbers[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120755/) • [2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2).
## Reception
Critical response was mixed. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 58% Tomatometer from 210 reviews and a 42% Popcornmeter from more than 250,000 ratings, with the critics consensus reading, "Your cranium may crave more substance, but your eyes will feast on the amazing action sequences"[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2). Metacritic assigns a Metascore of 59 based on 40 critic reviews (57% positive, 35% mixed, 8% negative) and a user score of 5.7 from 457 ratings[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-ii/). The Washington Post praised Woo's command of hyperspeed editing, cinematography, and stunt work, while the Wall Street Journal found no grounding in physical reality or human emotion[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-ii/) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2).
Within the franchise, the film has ranked last on aggregate scores. Time's compilation of Rotten Tomatoes franchise data listed it as the lowest-scored Mission: Impossible film at 57%[6](https://time.com/4604580/best-movies-franchises-rotten-tomatoes/), and later rankings of all eight entries place it at the bottom of the series[18](https://www.directv.com/insider/mission-impossible-movies-in-order/?msockid=29cc19ce28fb66c900d70f1c295b6735). Reception has nonetheless remained divided: Radio Times gave it 4/5, calling Woo's sequel as different from the first film as it was superior to it, while other critics found it works best as easily forgotten popcorn entertainment[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2). The Atlantic situates the film in the franchise's early, stand-alone era, in which each installment reflected a single director's vision rather than a shared continuity, with Woo's maximalist approach contrasting with [Brian De Palma](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-de-palma)'s noir-inflected first film[11](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/mission-impossible-best-movies-continuity/682997/).
## References
1. [Mission: Impossible II, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_2)
2. [Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mission-Impossible-2)
3. [Mission: Impossible II Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mission-impossible-ii/)
4. [Mission: Impossible II (2000), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120755/)
5. [Cruise To The Top, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cruise-to-the-top/)
6. [These Are the Best and Worst Movie Franchises of All Time, According to Rotten Tomatoes, Time](https://time.com/4604580/best-movies-franchises-rotten-tomatoes/)
7. [Mission: Impossible II, Paramount Pictures](https://www.paramountpictures.com/movies/mission-impossible-ii)
8. [How to watch the 'Mission: Impossible' movies in order online, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/how-to-watch-the-mission-impossible-movies-in-order-online)
9. [The Beguiling Familiarity of Popular Geopolitical Imaginaries: Mission Impossible and Politics of Intelligence, Taylor & Francis](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14650045.2026.2681634)
10. [All 8 Mission Impossible Movies Ranked, Moviemaker](https://www.moviemaker.com/mission-impossible-movies-ranked-gallery/)
11. [When Mission: Impossible Had No Mission, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/mission-impossible-best-movies-continuity/682997/)
12. ['Breath-stoppingly tense': which Mission: Impossible film is the greatest?, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/22/mission-impossible-favorite-instalment)
13. [Mission: Impossible II (2000), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120755/)
14. [Mission: Impossible 2 News Vault 1998, Cinemenium](https://www.cinemenium.com/missionimpossible2/newsvault1998.php)
15. [Reviews compilation, Universidad de Murcia](https://webs.um.es/paguado/miwiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=03_reviews_20_21.pdf)
16. [USA: Film Mission Impossible 2 takes over 70 million dollars over holiday weekend, Reuters Archive Licensing](https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/389400)
17. [Hugh O'Donnell PhD thesis, Royal Holloway, University of London](https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/ws/files/4579892/2012odonnellraphd.pdf)
18. [Mission: Impossible Movies in Order & Ranked, DIRECTV Insider](https://www.directv.com/insider/mission-impossible-movies-in-order/?msockid=29cc19ce28fb66c900d70f1c295b6735)
19. [61408 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II, catalog.afi.com](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/61408-MISSION-IMPOSSIBLE-II?cxt=filmography)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released in the 2000s › Released 2000 to 2004*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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