'Mission: Impossible'
With eight movies under the M.I. umbrella, each of which, at one point or another, have been argued as a critical tentpole of action cinema (yes, even the second one), few franchises are as established and esteemed in equal parts as this one. Not to mention Tom Cruise essentially risking his life to a further extreme in each subsequent installment, which certainly doesn't hurt these movies' longevity.
Now that The Final Reckoning has been released, tying what is supposed to be the final bow on the Mission: Impossible franchise, we figured it was time for a composite ranking of movies 1-8. Of all the full sprinting, plane riding, deep diving, and life risking, which stunts, and movies, come out on top?
(Spoilers for the entire franchise, including The Final Reckoning, ahead.) 8: Mission: Impossible 2
You probably saw this one coming. To me, 2 is the only M.I. movie that doesn't serve enough singularity to justify a rewatch looking back on the franchise as a whole. While director John Woo certainly imbued the film with his own unique, properly cheesy style, that 'slow-mo', dove-flying aura doesn't mix all that well with the franchise's somewhat realistic stakes and physical stunts.
The villain, too, is a franchise low point. There just isn't a whole lot to look back on with this one, and it feels like the filmmakers knew it. I mean, even Ethan Hunt's love interest, who survives the film just fine, is completely done away with in the next one, never to be heard from or referenced again. Her disappearance feels like an analogy for the movie itself in that way. 7: Mission: Impossible 3
From this point on, every movie is worth watching on multiple occasions, at one time or another, to me. Watching this time around, M.I. 3 surprised me with both its bold structure and heightened emotional stakes. Say what you want about J.J. Abrams, but with just one movie, he took this franchise from reeling to rolling. That opening sequence with Davian (played wonderfully by Philip Seymour Hoffman), Hunt and Julia sets the tone for what is arguably the most moving ride of any of these movies. The stunts are solid, visuals sharp, and Cruise truly turns in one of his most versatile performances. Oh, and it's the first time we see Simon Pegg's Benji in any of these movies. Extra points there.
In comparison to most of the later entries, 3 can still feel a little underwhelming looking back, but what Abrams did in terms of laying the groundwork for the franchise going forward is irreplaceable. This is a good movie that just so happens to be competing within one of the greatest action franchises of all time. 6: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. | © 2024 Paramount Pictures
The last half of The Final Reckoning has two of the best stunts that not only this franchise, but cinema as a whole, has ever seen – though the movie as a whole feels solely dependent on those stunts at times, leaving the first, and especially second, acts in relative disarray.
Aside from 3 , this is by far the most tense film of them all. The stakes have literally gone nuclear, with a third world war teetering in the balance as Cruise's Ethan Hunt leads a rebellious charge to save the world. The poster-boy stunt is the thrilling biplane sequence in the final act, which stands alone as, to me, the greatest action sequence in the franchise, but there also exists an uninterrupted, 15-20 minute underwater stunt at the beginning of the third act that furthers this film in blockbuster infamy.
The narrative itself can feel a little overstuffed, and multiple side characters take an unfortunate backseat to the bloated, worldwide tension, but that's traded for a finale for the ages. It's a flawed final movie that ultimately does well by the franchise, providing a satisfying ending and some serious highlights in spite of a few extra hiccups along the way. 5: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
The first of four Christopher McQuarrie/Tom Cruise partnerships within the Mission franchise, Rogue Nation operates like a mild stylistic reset for what would be the franchise's final stretch, setting the tone going forward with some of the best cinematography of any of these movies, as well as the introduction of fan-favorite Ilsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson.
This one feels sharp, and a little boisterous, in retrospect. The opera house sequence plays like an 'I'll take it from here' statement by McQuarrie, who would go on to direct the final three films in the franchise, in addition to this one. Faust adds one of the best ongoing elements of mystery to the last few movies, beginning here, and Solomon Lane feels like the first villain since the aforementioned Davian to really stake a claim on the well-being of our main characters.
Just like the last movie on this list, Rogue Nation can feel a little narratively mangled, at times, and not every stunt hits like an all-timer, but this is still a crucial film in the M.I. canon with multiple memorable sequences that set it apart. It'll always be a fun one to go back to. 4: Mission Impossible
The one that started it all – Mission Impossible remains a classic to this day. The vault heist is enough to carry the movie without aid, but given an aggressively charismatic Tom Cruise performance and a final act that still stands as one of the best, most thrilling in the franchise to this day, it's hard not to love every bit of this.
It does show signs of aging now and again, especially in the special effects department, but that only adds to the charm if you look at it through the right lens. Just like any movie franchise, how can you not love the first one? Blockbuster cinema isn't what it is today without the first M.I. 3: Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Coming hot off the tight-cornered, breathless blockbuster that was the movie before this one (we'll get to that), Dead Reckoning shows far less restraint across the board. It's zany, somewhat convoluted, and wonderfully convinced of itself. Almost every shortcoming it suffers is balanced by a greater strength.
And with so much going on, the movie still manages memorable character introductions, further development for current characters, and palpable emotional stakes to the bitter end. Not to mention the dirt-bike jump, which deserved the time it spent in the internet's limelight as one of the most ridiculous stunts in movie history. For a 'part one', kind of, M.I. 7 stands seriously tall on its own merits. 2: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Saying 'the one that Brad Bird did' would be enough to situate Ghost Protocol at the top of any franchise ranking, but this movie's successes go far beyond the fact that it's basically structured like a live-action Incredibles movie — though, the cool factor there can't be understated.
From what is easily, to me, the best opening in the series, this fourth film is all gas the entire way through. The Burj Khalifa scale, subsequent sandstorm chase, the car-centric finale, and everything in between make this one an undeniable tentpole of action moviemaking. Brad Bird's cartoonish sensibilities couldn't have translated better to any other franchise, and the result is as good as it sounds. Almost the best, but not quite. 1: Mission Impossible: Fallout
Not only is Fallout the best M.I. movie, but it's one of the best movies of its kind ever released. It represents the peak of a franchise well-known for dominating the action cinema space, boasting the best of them all across the board. Narratively, the film is able to subtly every previous entry seamlessly into what turned out to be the last adventure before the final two-parter. It's a movie that feels both standalone and cumulative.
Oh, and Henry Cavill plays the villain. And Tom Cruise calls him a prick. It's the best one, and there's no way around it.
That's it for our completely objective, flawless ranking of the Mission: Impossible movies. Which mission is your favorite? Feel free to share your own ranking in the comments below, or over on social media!
This ranking will self destruct in five seconds. Good luck out there, agent.
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