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Fluff, anyone? Mindless fun was on tap all weekend as two intentionally shallow martial-art-fueled flicks, Mission: Impossible 2 and Shanghai Noon, opened to huge box office rewards. With little meaning or depths to plumb, Christian critics were left to debate the entertainment merit of the action sequences and the degree of moral offense in such violence.

Mission: Impossible 2 proved an even hotter attraction than its 1996 predecessor, grossing $92.8 million in its first six days (vs. $74.9 million for the original). The addition of director John Woo, known for his intensely choreographed action sequences, was partly responsible for the added allure. He certainly got Preview's Paul Bicking enthused:

"Woo doesn't disappoint as he takes the helm of this exciting adventure. … The action is non-stop, with unbelievable stunts, incredible chases and spectacular scenery." But other Woo fans disagreed. "He's one of my favorite directors," says Holly McClure of Crosswalk.com, "but I felt it lacked something, and it's not as great as it could have been." Jeffrey Overstreet of Green Lake Reflections echoes those sentiments, complaining that Woo "borrows heavily from his previous work" and can't overcome the "lousy script." The script in question follows superspy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) of the Impossible Mission Force as he uses cool gadgets and talent at charming young ladies to save the world from a turncoat IMF agent who threatens to unleash a deadly virus. "If this sounds like the average James Bond movie," quips Focus on the Family's Bob Smithouser, "you're not far off. [But] unlike James Bond, who abuses his license to kill at the slightest provocation, Ethan Hunt resists murdering people unless it is an absolutely necessary act of self-defense." Michael Elliott ofCrosswalk.com isn't so quick to excuse the violence, though. "Woo uses slow motion photography and haunting musical strains during scenes of heavy gunplay in ways to try and make the violence appear more palatable or acceptable to our senses." The director also earned criticism for his handling of the love story between Cruise and Thandie Newton. "Woo seems more interested in her breasts than her acting ability," notes J. Robert Parks of The Phantom Tollbooth. "She goes from wearing a push-up bra to none at all, and Woo often shoots her in sultry slo-mo. And then she drops out of the movie in the last hour." The jerky storyline baffled Christian Spotlight guest reviewer Ken James as well, who felt the plot served as "only a minor vehicle for the intense action and cool photography." The Dove Foundation, however, brushes aside such nitpicking, praising the "action and stunts, beautiful locations, and breathtaking leading lady. This is an exciting adventure, surprisingly lacking in objectionable material … where the good guys best the villains." Movieguide was also upbeat, reporting that "Woo confessed recently that he is a Christian" and therefore reading into the film "several Christian symbols [that] identify Tom Cruise's character with a saintly quest for redemption and virtue." The director's faith was also noted, somewhat cheekily, by Bruce Newman of the San Jose Mercury News: "Woo was raised a Christian and is a devout believer in agape—altruistic love that corresponds to God's love of humanity—but he's not afraid to blow somebody's brains out when he has to."

The weekend's other big release was Shanghai Noon, which stars Jackie Chan as a Chinese Imperial Guard who tries to rescue an emperor's daughter, being held captive in the American West, with the help of outlaw Owen Wilson. Like Mission: Impossible 2, it relies heavily on choreographed fight scenes, but features a more comedic bent. Christian critics divided over whether the comedy made the violence more palatable. Crosswalk.com's Holly McClure praised it as "a throwback to the old-fashioned comedy westerns many baby boomers grew up watching, with daring stunts, lots of action, humorous witty dialogue." Michael Elliott of Crosswalk.com concurred, arguing that "the fight scenes are not the focus of the movie. At the core of this buddy picture is the relationship between the eastern Chan and the western Wilson. The developing friendship of their characters is what gives the picture its warmth and affability." Focus on the Family's Steven Isaac, however, felt that "as our culture continues to become more and more desensitized to brutality, humor only complicates things. Chan doesn't bother to show viewers any repercussions of their actions, he just laughs everything off as part of the fun." The Phantom Tollbooth's J. Robert Parks only wishes it were fun. "The jokes are obvious and rarely funny," he says, "[and] the fight scenes are largely perfunctory. … Shanghai Noon feels like what it is: a tired retread hoping to capitalize on its star's innate charisma." The Dove Foundation agrees it's been done better, reminiscing about "the far superior Harrison Ford/Gene Wilder collaboration The Frisco Kid" and suggesting the James Garner western sendup Support Your Local Sheriff as a better choice.

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May (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44