Latest news with #Mission:Impossible2
Pink Villa
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Box Office: The Final Reckoning collects USD 7.2M on Discount Tuesday, USD 100M milestone expected by Friday
Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning continues to thrill at the US box office, pulling in a strong USD 7.2 million on Tuesday discount day. The post-Memorial Day performance marks only a 52 percent drop from the holiday Monday and nearly doubles the Tuesday haul of Mission: Impossible 2, which raked in USD 4.5 million with a 65.1 percent wane, cementing it as one of the strongest holds in the franchise. The film now ranks as the 12th-biggest post-Memorial Day Tuesday of all time, joining the ranks of major box office hits like Top Gun: Maverick (USD 15.8M) and Aladdin (USD 12M). It also held better than other legacy titles, including Fast & Furious 6, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. After six days in release, The Final Reckoning has reached a USD 86.2 million cumulative domestic total. It is now on track to cross the coveted USD 100 million mark by Friday, an impressive feat, especially given the film's limited screen count compared to previous entries due to its longer runtime. MI8 is also contending directly with another box office juggernaut, Disney's Lilo & Stitch, which earned USD 15.3 million on Discount Tuesday. The eighth and final installment in the Mission: Impossible series, The Final Reckoning, is directed by longtime collaborator Christopher McQuarrie and stars Cruise as Ethan Hunt. The film follows the iconic IMF agent and his team as they battle to stop the Entity, a rogue AI threatening global havoc. The ensemble cast includes Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett. Initially planned as part of a two-part finale, the film was restructured following production delays, including the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. With a reported budget of USD 300 to USD 400 million, it ranks among the most expensive films ever made. Despite production hurdles and stiff competition, the film has grossed USD 213 million globally, becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2025 so far. It premiered in Tokyo on May 4 and screened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14 before opening in US theaters on May 23 to largely positive reviews and the franchise's best opening weekend to date. Cruise's action legacy remains unscathed, proving yet again why he is one of Hollywood's last true box office draws.
Pink Villa
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning sets franchise Memorial Day record with USD 15M Monday and USD 79M 4-day domestic debut
Tom Cruise's swan song as Ethan Hunt is off to a roaring start. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning has set a new Memorial Day Monday record for the franchise with a strong USD 15 million, just a 20.6 percent drop from its Sunday gross. The figure beat Mission: Impossible 2's USD 13 million, the previous franchise best for the holiday, and pushed the film's four-day domestic debut to USD 79 million. With the performance, The Final Reckoning lands the 16th biggest Memorial Day weekend opening of all time, edging past Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (USD 78.5 million). Impressively, it also makes Cruise the only star with three titles in the all-time Memorial Day Top 20: Mission: Impossible 2, Top Gun: Maverick, and now The Final Reckoning. The film's performance so far is particularly notable given its challenges. It faced stiff competition from several major box office performers, had fewer showings due to its extended runtime, and played in the fewest number of theaters for a Mission: Impossible release since Ghost Protocol. Still, Cruise's star power and the franchise's reputation for delivering edge-of-the-seat action proved more than enough to draw audiences. Directed by longtime collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, The Final Reckoning is the eighth and final installment in the iconic spy franchise. It follows Ethan Hunt and his IMF team as they battle to stop the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence threatening global catastrophe. The film features returning stars Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett. The road to release wasn't easy for MI 8. Originally planned to be filmed back-to-back with Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), production on The Final Reckoning was delayed, first by the COVID-19 pandemic and later by the SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming resumed in 2024 and wrapped in November after shooting across locations like the UK, Malta, South Africa, and Norway. With a reported budget of USD 300 to 400 million, The Final Reckoning is one of the most expensive movies ever made. It premiered in Tokyo on May 5 and screened out of competition at Cannes on May 14 before dropping in worldwide theaters on May 23. Critically acclaimed and commercially solid, The Final Reckoning has grossed over USD 200 million globally, making it the eighth highest-grossing film of the year so far and the biggest opening weekend in the Mission: Impossible franchise's history.
Stuff.tv
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
Every Mission: Impossible movie ranked ahead of the release of The Final Reckoning
Tom Cruise may have a phonebook of different roles in his illustrious movie career, but his most recognised is arguably IMF Agent Ethan Hunt of the Mission: Impossible franchise (now available to stream on Paramount+). With this movie series spanning nearly 30 years, Hunt has performed enough stunts to leave a Cirque du Soleil artist in cold sweats. He's gone free solo climbing, hung on to an airplane mid-takeoff, completed a HALO parachute jump and ran down the tallest building in the world. However, there's still room for a few more death-defying feats as the franchise wraps up with the release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. With this in mind, our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to rank all the Mission: Impossible movies and discover which of these thrilling spy action flicks takes the top spot. Get the latest deals from Sky or Now TV in the UK 7. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) Play MI's trademark scintillating stunts and John Woo seemed like a perfect match, so why is the first sequel widely regarded as the worst of the franchise? Well, beyond those franchise-defining action setpieces involving a breathtaking free solo opener and the bullet-ridden motorcycle chase finale, the main story ends up feeling fairly dull and uninvolving. And even if the premise revolves around a deadly bioengineered virus, there's a love triangle between our leads that falls flat due to a severe lack of chemistry. Still, between a languid stopover in Seville, a half-hearted heist at the horse races and a cliffside careening courtship scene, you'll be egging for the action to kick in again. Fortunately, these rousing OTT sequences are enough to kick you out of drowsiness, for those who stick with it are treated to Woo's trademark slo-mo balletic gunplay and doves. It's a John Woo film, you can't not have doves. 6. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) Play Ethan Hunt's fifth mission introduces shadowy organisation The Syndicate, a cabal of disavowed operatives turned rogue. If those individuals weren't enough, the IMF also faces blowback from the CIA, which brands the agency as uncontrolled and unchecked due to previous events in the series. With Hunt now on the run from both sides, he needs to bring down The Syndicate's leader, Solomon Lane, before the net closes in. This movie still fizzes with action and those ludicrous stunts, one of which features Ethan clinging onto the side of an Airbus transport aircraft during takeoff — talk about no-frills flying. Extra credit also goes to new addition Rebecca Ferguson as the mysterious Ilsa Faust, a capable foil for Ethan with a penchant for rifles and badassery. Still, Rogue Nation doesn't quite carve out its own place in the franchise, as villainous group The Syndicate doesn't quite feel as fleshed out and threatening as it could be, even though Sean Harris offers a brutal antagonist to Ethan and co. The final act is also somewhat forgettable, ending proceedings with a subtle whimper rather than a bombastic crescendo. 5. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Play Part one of the team's final mission revolves around an AI asset known as The Entity gone rogue, which is right on the money, given public perception of this strange new tech. As various organisations race to secure this potential weapon, Hunt and his team need to make uneasy alliances and discover who or what is pulling the strings from afar. Adding to the mix are a whole host of new and old players, including Hayley Atwell as thief Grace, Henry Czerny as Kittridge, whom we haven't laid eyes on since the very first M:I, and Esai Morales as intimidating assassin Gabriel. Despite its lofty ambition, decent set pieces and technical prowess, Dead Reckoning feels very unbalanced under its vast juggling act, with an overly intricate plot, an excess of side characters with shifting loyalties, a bloated runtime, and confusing double and triple crosses aplenty. And while its endgame motorcycle jump was no doubt impressive, it was marketed to death, dulling its impact in theatres. 4. Mission: Impossible (1996) Play The opening Mission: Impossible is very much a different beast to the missions that followed it, playing it straight and focusing on a deadly game of shadows, Cold War paranoia, and Dutch angles… lots of Dutch angles. When a mission goes awry, Ethan, framed and wanted by his own agency, must dive into a murky world with his talents for espionage and forge new partnerships with unscrupulous types if he's to clear his name and discover who's behind it all. As cool as its lead (perhaps a little too cold), Mission Impossible rarely ventures into OTT territory, though that train versus copter finale more than makes up for it. It takes things at a more slow-burning pace, with shady conversations over espressos rather than explosives. With lashings of suspense, it serves as a great introduction into this shadowy universe where you really can't trust anyone, while the CIA break-in scene is still a highlight that'll have you on the edge of your seat. 3. Mission: Impossible III (2006) Play A much-needed shot in the arm for a franchise that faltered somewhat with the previous entry, Mission: Impossible III sees J.J. Abrams take up the helm, having previous experience in shooting sleuthwork on Jennifer Garner's excellent ALIAS series. The story is much more accessible this time around, with Ethan Hunt trying to juggle a normal life with fiancée Julia and being a clandestine operative, which goes as well as you might expect. The teamwork, which the original TV series was famous for, is on point in this one, particularly during a hostage extraction job in a factory and a drone showdown on a highway. The standout sequence is the mid-movie heist, in which our team needs to infiltrate Vatican City to retrieve an arms dealer, played by the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, who provides real menace and presence as one of the franchise's best villains. The plot moves at a breakneck pace and the screen is littered with Abrams' signature lens flares and grittiness thanks to its digital camerawork. Combining fun, humour, top drawer action and plenty of emotional stakes, this mission proved a great spy film needn't be so po-faced. 2. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) Play Mission: Impossible confidently strides into its fourth film with big shoes to fill, but director Brad Bird nails it with Ghost Protocol, an enjoyable action romp with plenty of absurd stunts and a gripping story. The team is on a mission to track down stolen Russian nuclear launch codes, which takes them on uncharted ground. After disaster strikes, the team must regroup and stop a plot to envelop the world in nuclear fire. It's a suspenseful movie that expertly blends well-drawn characters and a rip-roaring story. Brimming with unforgettable action and some of the finest stunt (and wire) work in the franchise, including a high-altitude jaunt on the exterior of Dubai's Burj Khalifa no less, and a surprisingly tense Kremlin infiltration mission, Ghost Protocol benefits from a tight yet explosive plot that doesn't let up until the credits roll. Peppered in with the action is a fair bit of human drama and baggage, courtesy of a bowless Jeremy Renner as Agent Brandt, Léa Seydoux as shady assassin Sabine, Simon Pegg's fan favourite Benji, and Paula Patton as a vengeful Agent Carter. 1. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) Play Fallout easily takes top billing as the gang's best mission, a perfectly taut thriller that quintessentially captures what makes this franchise such a hugely enjoyable popcorn blockbuster. Featuring an all-star cast, including the returning Ving Rhames as Luther and Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa, new additions include Henry Cavill's one-man (and meme-d) gun show, August Walker, and Vanessa Kirby as the daughter of the infamous arms dealer Max from the OG M:I. Fallout expertly positions these characters as valuable pieces on the chessboard who serve their own agendas while helping or harming our heroes' endeavors. Of particular note is the HALO jump onto a Parisien skyline, a helicopter duel that ends on a heart-stopping cliffside encounter and a brutal bathroom brawl that's less WC and more 'did you see that??' Fallout breaks new ground in its thrilling sequences, thanks to Tom Cruise always going that extra mile, and then some, cementing the film's place among the hallowed halls of the finest action movies. Get the latest deals from Sky or Now TV in the UK
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
All of Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible' movies, ranked from worst to best
Tom Cruise has starred in eight "Mission: Impossible" movies since 1992. The actor reprises his role in the 2025 sequel, "The Final Reckoning." Here are all of the "Mission: Impossible" movies, ranked from worst to best. Tom Cruise is taking on one last daring adventure in "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," which pits Ethan Hunt against an evil AI that threatens to destroy the world. The actor has been the face of the franchise since the first movie in 1996, and has starred in eight films in total. The Impossible Mission Force (yes, really) first debuted in the "Mission: Impossible" TV series in 1966, which starred Steven Hill and Peter Graves and ran for six seasons until 1973, before it was revived for another two seasons on ABC in 1988. With the franchise set to end with "The Final Reckoning," here are all the "Mission: Impossible" movies, ranked. 8. "Mission: Impossible 2" (2000) "Mission: Impossible 2" should be given way more love than it gets, mainly because the Hong Kong cinema legend John Woo helmed it. Yes, the "Hard Boiled" and "Bullet in the Head" director brought his signature bullet ballet style to the "Mission: Impossible" sequel, with all the slow-motion flair you could ask for. Is it cheesy? Sure. Does the script need some work? Definitely. Is there any smart subtext or meaning underneath all the action? Absolutely not. This is a peak 2000s action movie, and it knows it. "Mission: Impossible 2" is so over the top that once you've made peace with it, it's best to just go along for the ride. Come on, Tom Cruise and Dougray Scott play motorbike chicken with each other before a midair tackle sends them both crashing to the ground. What's not to love? It's the type of vehicular chaos that the "Fast & Furious" franchise's Dominic Toretto would be proud of. Even so, "Mission: Impossible 2" ranks at the bottom of the bunch. 7. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (2011) The 2011 film "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" takes the franchise into the modern era. It follows Hunt and his team as they're forced to go on the run when they're framed for bombing the Kremlin. It quickly becomes a race to stop the villainous Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who wants to start a nuclear war so that only the strongest members of humanity will survive. It's this plot that keeps "Ghost Protocol" from ascending the ranking, because, as spy thrillers go, stopping a nuclear war feels predictable, and the film fails to do anything unique with the premise. Plus, there's nothing particularly extraordinary about Hendricks as a baddie. But generic plot devices aside, the film features some brilliant fights and gripping set pieces. The stand-out moment is when Cruise's hero climbs the Burj Khalifa in Dubai with nothing but sticky gloves and rope. One of the most surprising elements of the film is Jeremy Renner's William Brandt, a disgraced former agent who's grappling with the guilt of failing Ethan on a former mission. That sub-plot works very well among the rest of the action, and it's a clever way of injecting a bit of heart into the mission. 6. "Mission: Impossible 3" (2006) Two words: JJ Abrams. The "Lost" and "Fringe" creator made his big screen debut in 2006 with "Mission: Impossible 3," which takes a mid-noughties approach to the Impossible Mission Force and gives it a brutal edge. The sequel pits Ethan, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), Zhen Lei (Maggie Q), and Declan Gormley (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) against a nefarious arms dealer played by the incomparable Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Part of what elevates "Mission: Impossible 3" from previous films is that it never actually explains what Ethan and the gang are chasing. It's known only by its mysterious codename, the Rabbit's Foot. It could be an infectious disease, a computer virus, a hard drive teeming with currency, or nuclear codes — and that's what makes it so compelling. It's also refreshing to see Ethan settled and in love with Michelle Monahan's Julia Meade. What does married life look like for a superspy? How does that complicate his responsibility to save the world? The sequel feels very busy, as Abrams packs a lot into a tight two-hour run time. And some parts don't quite work, like Ethan's dynamic with his young mentee Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell). But there are some stellar sequences throughout, like the ballistic shoot-out on the bridge, which is an eye-popping piece of action choreography. 5. "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" (2025) "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" is the sequel to 2023's "Dead Reckoning," and sees Hunt race to stop an assassin known as Gabriel (Esai Morales) from controlling a sentient AI called the Entity. Just to raise the stakes, the Entity has already taken control of the world's nuclear weapons and plans to wipe out humanity. While the 2025 movie is billed as the final entry in the franchise, its story doesn't quite live up to the high expectations set by "Dead Reckoning." The first hour is bogged down by lengthy exposition and generic action movie silliness. That being said, as soon as the action picks up and Cruise embraces his adrenaline junkie persona once more, "The Final Reckoning" provides a breathtaking cinematic experience. Whether it's the suspenseful scuba dive into a wrecked submarine or how Hunt climbs between two biplanes in the sky to fight Gabriel, the film's ambitious sequences deserve to be seen on the big screen. 4. "Mission: Impossible" (1996) Taken from the 1966 TV series of the same name, 1996's "Mission: Impossible" introduces Cruise's Ethan Hunt, a field agent working for Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), the main character from the show. It has audiences instantly on their toes when Ethan's entire team, including Phelps, are assassinated by a double agent in the opening — forcing our hero to go on the run after being framed for their deaths. "Mission: Impossible" earned itself a place in cinema history thanks to the brilliantly intense break-in scene, in which Cruise's Hunt hacks into a CIA mainframe computer while suspended on cables. And of course, the high-octane ending on top of a Channel Tunnel train is a pulse-pounding affair set to the iconic theme music. Cruise effortlessly brings Hunt to life alongside top-notch performances from Voight, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Ving Rhames, which really help sell the paranoid atmosphere of the film 3. "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" (2015) "Rogue Nation" is where frequent Tom Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie properly put his stamp on the franchise. McQuarrie expands the world in a fascinating way with the introduction of the Syndicate, a vast organization made up of rogue agents from every intelligence agency on the planet. Their mission (should they choose to accept it) is to create disorder and chaos to destabilize the global intelligence community, although their true goals don't become apparent until 2018's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout." Hunt is determined to root out the Syndicate, and its sinister leader, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). "Rogue Nation" also introduces Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), an enigmatic British agent who has a delicious will-they-won't-they dynamic with Cruise's hero. A brawl in the rigging above an opera stage in Vienna is a stunning highlight, as is Cruise's underwater dive to retrieve a computer chip from a submerged safe. Cruise broke the world record for holding his breath for six minutes while completing that stunt in 2014. 2. "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" (2023) "Dead Reckoning Part One" sees Hunt's IMF team chasing a key that will lead them to an unstoppable AI that could wreak havoc on the world. And, of course, every government agency in the world wants to get their hands on it, so Hunt and his team are effectively on the run from everyone. "Dead Reckoning's" focus on AI gives it a grounding in the real world, but the film also continues to elevate the sheer scale of action that audiences have come to expect from the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. That jaw-dropping mountain jump at the movie's climax has to be seen to be believed, and it only gets more bonkers after that. It's a testament to Cruise and McQuarrie that the film feels fresh and new — even if the script does drag on at points. Then again, audiences are coming to see Cruise throw himself off a mountain, not to hear Oscar-winning dialogue. 1. "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (2018) There's no question that McQuarrie's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" is the best movie in the franchise, which is impressive considering it's the sixth outing for Hunt and the gang. It continues the Syndicate storyline from "Rogue Nation" and dives further into Solomon Lane's scheme. He wants to destabilize the world by irradiating the Siachen Glacier, which supplies water to India, Pakistan, and China. This would kill off a third of the world's population and drastically change society in the process. But most of the story revolves around a CIA and IMF mole who goes by the codename 'John Lark.' The hunt to find this rogue agent crosses the world, introducing the likes of Henry Cavill's CIA agent August Walker and Vanessa Kirby's underworld matriarch, Alanna Mitsopolis. The scope of McQuarrie's movie is massive, and its huge stunts mirror that size. A gobsmacking scene sees Hunt dive with Walker from a plane and parachute into Paris. Cruise shot the stunt alongside a cameraman to properly capture the chaotic dive. Then, of course, there's the film's exhilarating helicopter chase through a New Zealand mountain range — just another example of McQuarrie and Cruise's commitment to filming these stunts in the most jaw-dropping way possible. "Fallout" is a thrilling chapter of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise that deepens the audience's understanding of Cruise's hero while delivering a stunning cinematic experience. Read the original article on Business Insider
Tom's Guide
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
All 8 'Mission: Impossible' movies, ranked
For 30 years, Tom Cruise has risked his life to entertain the masses in the 'Mission: Impossible" movies. Based on the TV series, 'Mission: Impossible' stars Cruise as Ethan Hunt, the highly skilled operative who works for the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) team. What started as an espionage thriller eventually turned into an action spectacle, as Cruise became Hollywood's Daredevil and its most important movie star. The eighth film in the franchise, 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning,' is billed as Cruise's swan song. While the 'Top Gun' star will likely return to the franchise one day, 'The Final Reckoning' feels like the end of an era. In honor of the film's release, we ranked every "Mission: Impossible" movie from worst to best. After the success of 'Mission: Impossible,' the franchise recruited Hong Kong legend John Woo to direct the sequel, 'Mission: Impossible 2.' Woo injected his signature hallmarks, including slow motion, elaborate fight choreography, and white doves. 'Mission: Impossible 2' is undoubtedly a 'John Woo movie,' but that doesn't make it a good entry within the franchise. The nonsensical plot revolves around Ethan and his team racing to stop rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from unleashing a virus onto the world and profiting off the cure. The motorcycle jump scene is worth rewatching this sequel, but it's unquestionably the worst movie of the franchise. Watch on Paramount Plus Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If this list ranked 'Mission: Impossible' villains, Philip Seymour Hoffman's Owen Davian would be at the top, full stop. Davian is the ruthless arms dealer who pushes Ethan to his absolute limit. Davian is after the Rabbit's Foot, a biologically hazardous weapon that reappears in 'The Final Reckoning.' Davian will do anything to find it, even if that means kidnapping Ethan's fiancée, Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan). Much of the criticism surrounding 'Mission: Impossible 3' revolves around first-time feature director J.J. Abrams and how the movie feels like an extended episode of 'Alias.' That's a bit harsh. Cruise doesn't do anything that resembles television, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is not something you'll find on ABC. Imagine if David Fincher hadn't dropped out as the director. Davian would've put Ethan into the torture chamber even more. Watch on Paramount Plus In 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning,' Ethan needs you to trust him one last time. After the events of the previous film, Ethan has the cruciform key in his possession. Now, he must find the Sevastopol and destroy the Entity. Your temperature may vary on 'The Final Reckoning' depending on your propensity for nostalgia. The first act plays like a greatest hits album, with several flashbacks and callbacks to previous movies. Some viewers might be turned off by this approach. If you hang in there, you'll be rewarded with two of the best action set pieces of the franchise, including a jaw-dropping airplane sequence. 'Mission: Impossible' will eventually return with or without Cruise. If this is the end, it was one hell of a ride. This is the one where Ethan battles AI. 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning' pits Ethan and his team against a technological enemy known as The Entity, the sentient AI located on the Russian submarine, Sevastopol, at the bottom of the Bering Sea. Whoever controls the Entity will become the most powerful person in the world. Ethan can't let that happen, so he sets out to find and destroy it before it gets into the wrong hands. 'Dead Reckoning' is the first film where Ethan losing becomes a real possibility, a nice change from the happy endings of the previous entries. Hayley Atwell is a welcome addition to the franchise as Grace, the charismatic thief who becomes an ally to Ethan. The set pieces in the Italian streets and on the train are genuinely spectacular, highlighted by Cruise's motorcycle jump off the cliff. The only knock against 'Dead Reckoning' is that it ends on a cliffhanger. Watch on Paramount Plus 'Ghost Protocol' might be the most important entry in the franchise. After the lukewarm reception to 'Mission: Impossible 3,' 'Ghost Protocol' zeroed in on the strengths of the franchise: practical stunts, a charismatic team and Cruise being Cruise. The scope, set pieces, and stakes were all raised in 'Ghost Protocol.' After being blamed for the bombing of the Kremlin, Ethan goes off the grid and teams up with other IMF fugitives to clear the agency's name. This is Simon Pegg's breakout movie in the franchise, as Benji becomes Ethan's most important ally besides Luther (Ving Rhames). 'Ghost Protocol' also marks the introduction of Christopher McQuarrie, who completed uncredited rewrites on the script. Cruise also climbed the tallest building in the world, so there's that, too. Watch on Paramount Plus Speaking of McQuarrie, the writer-director made his official introduction to the franchise in 'Rogue Nation.' With the IMF forced to assimilate into the CIA, Ethan goes, well, rogue to investigate the Syndicate, a powerful organization featuring former covert operatives who wish to tip the scales of global power. 'Rogue Nation' marks the first appearance of Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust, the disavowed MI6 agent who becomes the most important female character of the franchise. While most of the women in the franchise need saving, Ilsa is Ethan's equal, who even gets the upper hand on the IMF agent. 'Rogue Nation' takes the formula of 'Ghost Protocol' — set pieces and scope — and combines it with more espionage from earlier entries. The result is a thrilling spy adventure that paves the way for the No. 1 movie on this list. Watch on Paramount Plus All great things start somewhere. 'Mission: Impossible' set the stage for what would become one of the best action franchises in Hollywood. Brian De Palma's movie is the most grounded of the franchise and the one that relies heavily on espionage tropes: deceit, betrayal and deception. After a brilliant swerve in the first act, Ethan (Tom Cruise) goes on the run after the murder of his mentor, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). To prove his innocence, Ethan enlists the help of IMF agent Claire Phelps (Emmanuelle Béart), tech wizard Luther Stickell, and helicopter pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) to steal a confidential file inside CIA headquarters. Cruise hanging from a wire as he hacks into a computer will go down as the most important moment of the franchise. Just make sure not to drop any knives while watching. Watch on Paramount Plus How many franchises can say that the sixth film is their magnum opus? 'Mission: Impossible — Fallout' is the greatest action thriller of the eight entries. You know a movie is great when multiple action sequences — including the bathroom fight, halo jump, and helicopter chase — have legitimate claims for best of the series. Ethan and Co. are after arms dealer John Lark, who plans to set off three nuclear bombs around the world. Ethan must form a reluctant partnership with the CIA's August Walker (Henry Cavill), whose own agenda conflicts with the IMF. It's a movie of one-upmanship, moving from one unfathomable sequence to the next. 'Mission: Impossible — Fallout' won't be surpassed as the franchise's top movie anytime soon. Watch on Paramount Plus
