With the release of the newest entry in the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, many might be wondering where it fits within the series in terms of quality. Ranking such a great group of films is no easy task — especially with many of them being so close in quality — but we have come to our (extremely subjective) Mission: Impossible ranking.
The Mission: Impossible franchise, starring Tom Cruise as superspy Ethan Hunt of the IMF (Impossible Mission Force), is one of the most beloved action franchises of all time. Apart from one entry that has proven somewhat divisive, the series is one of the most consistent in cinematic history — delivering adrenaline-fueled thrills and death-defying stunts.
7. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Putting Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol at the bottom of this list is likely to be a controversial choice, but it only goes to show how accomplished this series is that such a great action flick can end up at the bottom of the list. The fourth film in the franchise contains what might be the single most insane stunt Cruise has done for the series — scaling the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world — the rest of the film pales in comparison to this epic achievement. Of course, it’s better than your average action flick, but compared to some of the thrills of the later entries of the series, it doesn’t entirely hold up.
6. Mission: Impossible
As the movie that started it all, 1996’s Mission: Impossible doesn’t have the same level of insane stunts as later entries in the genre. However, Cruise’s passion for the project shows, as do the stylistic flourishes brought to the film by auteur director Brian De Palma. You also can’t deny the iconic imagery that the original film gave with its action sequences, like a particularly fun sequence — paid homage to and copied numerous times — in which Cruise’s team infiltrates the CIA headquarters at Langley, leading to Cruise being dangled from the ceiling by a thin wire. It’s fun, just maybe not as much as the rest of the series.
5. Mission: Impossible 2
Mission: Impossible 2 is many fans’ least favorite entry in the franchise, but some have begun to give it a reevaluation. Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo is known for his ridiculous, exaggerated action in films like Hard Boiled and Face/Off, and he brought the same sensibilities to the Mission: Impossible franchise in 2002. Mission: Impossible 2 also shows Cruise going wild with his stunts for the first time, beginning with a scene in which he scales a cliff side and another in which he has a real knife come inches from his eye in a fight. Sure, it has plenty of campy stuff with the masks and slow-mo, but that’s what makes it so fun to watch.
4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One gets a pass for not being as extreme as its immediate predecessors because it was shot in late 2020 during the height of COVID restrictions. Yet, despite these limitations, McQuarrie still manages to make the film feel undeniably epic — including with a final act set piece that is absolutely breathtaking. However, where the film falls short is its writing. In making the antagonist of the film an omniscient artificial intelligence, the script contains some of the dumbest dialogue of the series and has a story that likely will not age well. Still, it’s very well-paced and undeniably entertaining — a blockbuster the likes of which only the Mission: Impossible franchise could deliver.
3. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
When it came out, Mission: Impossible – Fallout was met with near-universal raves, and rightfully so. It’s an exquisitely-paced action flick, with some wonderful high-octane stunts and a fun, albeit somewhat predictable story. Fallout also stands out for having some of the most effective fight choreography in the series. The most impressive portions of this film are not so much its set pieces — although the finale involving a helicopter chase is strong — it’s the fist-fights, like the now-fan-favorite bathroom fight scene in which Henry Cavill “cocks” his fists.
2. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation contains the biggest abundance of extraordinary stunts and set pieces. You simply cannot beat the combination of the plane cold open, the opera assassination sequence, and the underwater heist when it comes to action sequences. The only thing that holds Rogue Nation back from being the best of the franchise is that its writing is pretty formulaic and predictable, following the same beats that every entry in the series up to that point had before.
1. Mission: Impossible 3
Although it doesn’t have the massive stunts of the later entries, Mission: Impossible 3 manages to remain the peak of the franchise because it has what feels like the most legitimate stakes in the franchise. So much of the Mission: Impossible series is about Cruise’s Ethan Hunt saving the world, so it was nice to see a story in which the stakes are much more personal. Add in what might be one of the best villains in cinematic history in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s arms dealer, and you have an extremely tense, lean thriller. It’s very different from the exaggerated spectacles that we have become used to from the franchise since, and it’s great.
One thing is for sure: there isn’t a bad Mission: Impossible movie. And with the tease at the end of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, it seems likely that the eighth entry in the franchise might end up being the most epic yet. What do you think? Which is your favorite Mission: Impossible movie? Do you agree with our Mission: Impossible ranking? Let us know in the comments below!
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
