Reviews
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Impossible Mission: Originality
Went to see Mission Impossible: 2 tonight and was so displeased I almost walked out after the first 15 minutes and then did before the last 20 minutes. This film was painfully bad. From the first sequences to the last (before I left) everything felt like it had been cut and pasted through iMovie.
Borrowing liberally from James Bond (king of self replication) we are introduced to implausible action sequences and an unknown beauty who is easily wooed/bagged/and allied with via smirks, a car chase, and some witty one liners (sound familiar?). But wait! There is a rogue agent who has stolen a deadly virus (is this The Rock? Where's Nicolas Cage? Did they get a deal on that island?) Rogue agent demonstrates how neat rip away masks are (Hi, Scooby Doo Mysteries!). MI: 1 is rehashed for about an hour. John Woo signature gunplay, then a healthy dose of The Matrix complete with billowing trench coat and wrap-around shades. Somewhere at this point my ability to suspend reality failed and I left.
I'm going to have to track down a copy of The Killer to get this bad taste out of my mouth. Save your cash and go to the video store. All of the titles I mentioned will give you much more for your dollar.
Deathsport (1978)
Deathsport: It's no Deathrace 2000
Heralded as a pseudo-sequel to DeathRace 2000, this film is a weak, poorly composed annoyance. Between the empty plot, misdirected actors, and absolutely bothersome soundtrack/sound effects you'll be reaching for the remote before the halfway point. You'd be happier watching DeathRace 2000... OR, grab a forty and some friends and make whatever jokes you can about Deathsport.