Tom Cruise Terrified John Woo With The Opening Stunt Of Mission: Impossible 2
Brian De Palma’s 1996 spy thriller “Mission: Impossible” was considered revolutionary at the time, bringing a level of slickness and first-rate production value to the spy genre never before seen outside of James Bond. John Woo’s 2000 follow-up “Mission: Impossible 2” abandoned the first film’s terseness and efficiency right away, making a noisy, overblown, stylish stunt spectacular. Physics was abandoned for Woo’s film, and plot clarity took a back seat to nonsensical sexy action shenanigans. The 2000-era pop music soundtrack was dated about eight days after the film’s release. Weirdly, it was the sequel’s grandiose qualities that would come to dictate the tone and ambition of the further “Impossible” sequels.
Case in point: “Mission: Impossible 2” was the first film in the series to introduce Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in the middle of a life-threatening stunt. After the events of the first film, Ethan has decided to take a vacation, presumably away from the watchful eyes of his bosses at the IMF. Ethan spends his spare time, it seems, mountain climbing in Dead Horse Point in Utah, defying death by not wearing ropes or a harness. Cruise’s climbing double for the climbing sequences was a professional named Ron Kauk, but he only appeared in certain wide shots where Cruise’s face couldn’t be seen. The dangerous fingertip dangling wherein Cruise’s face and body could be seen was actually Cruise. Yes, it seems the actor is also adept at mountain climbing.
In a 2000 issue of EW, director Woo revealed just how anxious he was while filming Cruise in legitimate danger. His anxiety, of course, is completely understandable. For one, one of the most bankable stars in the world was putting himself in mortal danger. For another, Woo would have to get up in the mountains to shoot the dang scene.
Tom Cruise Terrified John Woo With The Opening Stunt Of Mission: Impossible 2
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