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Mission: Impossible 2 , the sequel to the first film that spawned a wildly popular action movie franchise, was released 24 years ago and grossed $546 million globally. It was the highest-grossing film of 2000, which all but guaranteed the franchise's continued success: Dead Reckoning Part One was released just last year. That said, the impact of the John Woo-directed action hit is so enduring that Woo still finds himself speaking about MI:2 -related rumors, particularly regarding its star Tom Cruise, to this day.
Remembering the film
This sequel centers around Ethan Hunt's (Cruise) unlikely romantic-professional partnership with Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton), the former lover of the film's villain, Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott). Though it was a box office hit, Mission: Impossible 2 does receive some fair criticism for its stunt scenes, which border on the completely unrealistic, even for the MI series. In MI:2 , Hunt jumps from one ledge to another to the tune of Zap Mama' s "Iko-Iko," an unconventional addition considering the film's almost-exclusively metal soundtrack.
But the action film wasn't just known for its over-the-top visuals and music. It also remains in the cultural zeitgeist for its many iconic partnerships. The movie's opening scene, featuring a pair of fictitious self-destructing Oakley sunglasses, put the sunglass brand on the map: sport performance shades that protect the eyes, all while topping off a look worthy of an IMF agent. The Plazma frames' streetwise style could be a modern take on the Romeo frames from that opening scene, featuring a similarly futuristic rounded silhouette. These partnerships continue well into the franchise's current iterations. In 2011's Ghost Protocol , Hunt and his team use a bevy of Apple devices, namely the iPhone 4, MacBook Air, and iPad, to complete their mission. Products aside, the franchise's high-octane scenes, such as the ones in MI:2 , would bear little impact without a killer soundtrack to punctuate them.
Diving into the soundtrack
Hans Zimmer's electric guitar-starring scoring lends a less operatic aura than the first movie. Still, it is what perfectly complements MI:2 's OST, peppered with the likes of Limp Bizkit and Rob Zombie, who were both in the lineup for the 2021 Rocklahoma festival. Bizkit's "Take A Look Around" is arguably the heart of the soundtrack as it incorporates the franchise's original 1960s theme – an irresistible guitar intro with the timid introduction of cymbals as Fred Durst raps his way into the first verse. Metallica reportedly earned a cool $1 million for their contribution, "I Disappear," which juxtaposed a heavier verse with a softer chorus. This powerful song also catalyzed the Metallica vs. Napster Inc. lawsuit, which brought the file-sharing application down.
Then you have Rob Zombie's "Scum of the Earth," whose heavy guitar riffs and repeated "Go, go, go" and "hey, hey, hey" chants seem to echo Hunt's internal, defiant heartbeat as he fights to save the world from the biological weapon, Chimera. Another honorable mention goes to the highly-catchy "Rocket Science," which screams, "I never wanted to be anybody's anything." Foo Fighters' take on Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar" is notable for featuring Queen guitarist Bryan May and the late Taylor Hawkins on vocals but does not aim to outshine the original.
Other highlights from the soundtrack include Buckcherry's "Alone" plus "Carnival," a surprising addition from Tori Amos. The Australian singer fits nicely into the movie's Sydney-set plot, and the song is a dark and bitter take on bossa nova that creates a nice contrast in the heavy-metal tracklist. While MI:2 is one of the franchise's most divisive, its slow-motion sequences, iconic partnerships, and distinctly late 90s metal soundtrack provide ample replayability, even after Tom Cruise hangs his spy hat for good.
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