In the month of April leading up to The Final Reckonings' release in May, I watched the entire Mission Impossible series for the first time.
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| Photo: Hindustan Times |
These films never appealed to me before this year and after watching M.I: II, I was willing to call it quits but by the third movie, I was fully invested in Mission Impossible, the reputation and legacy of the franchise's filmmaking and lastly, of Tom Cruise.
This is my ranking of every Mission Impossible movie according to a newcomer of the franchise...
SPOILERS AHEAD YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED...
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| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
8. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)
The reason why Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning is last on my list is due to the handling of Ilsa's death by using Grace as a character/emotional replacement. It's like that scene in Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), where Jones tries replacing the golden statue with a sandbag. With a 164 minute runtime, the pacing was dragged out and the exposition for the new threat wasn't compelling along with the villains and the major motorcycle stunt, creating a tasteless addition to the franchise. Grace's brown eyes as the 'White Widow', is an example of tasteless. The ugly yellow car is burnt into my brain yet the car chase scene is so unforgettable and uncool.
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| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
7. Mission: Impossible II (2002)
Mission: Impossible II is ridiculously 2000s that it becomes style over substance. We see Ethan in a new light, he's a hunky flirty bachelor doing solo missions for IMF- he barely has a team, his values are not clear and he has a long list of exes? Out of place and still trying to find its feet- it ranks low for me.
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| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
6. Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning (2025)
The exposition for this movie is overload, fitted into the first 30 minutes of the film, we are forced to catch up with the mess they left for us in Dead Reckoning. Having a villain such as The Entity who is all powerful and is apparently everywhere ...was nowhere in sight- using humans to remind us of its existence. The team is further broken by Luther dying (NO</3) and it's as if they didn't learn from part one, as they replaced his screentime with other characters I don't really care for. How can you make this the last movie and completely switch the team we've been rooting for in the last 4 movies within the first half hour and expect me to feel anything by the end? However, the stunts were enthralling and Tom Cruise (62 btw) and his crew prove how accomplished they have become.
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| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
5. Mission: Impossible (1996)
Mission: Impossible holds its own charm as a standalone movie but compared to the legacy of the franchise, it doesn't make the top of the list. It's fun, has great memorable moments but overall I enjoy the ambition of the others.
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| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
4. Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation (2015)
Ilsa Faust, finally a female character who has a story and is not overshadowed by Ethan. It's Mission Impossible at it's best because you have them reusing the golden formula from Ghost Protocol (teamwork+big production+major stunts) but mixing it with a little sauve. Rogue Nation kind of reminds me of a dry martini, it's sophisticated and clean, which makes it unlike any of the others in the franchise.
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| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
3. Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol (2011)
Director Brad Bird does a 180 from the much darker MI: III, bringing a lighter atmosphere to the franchise. Ghost Protocol introduces team banter and humour with stronger chemistry between the ensemble. We see characters like Benji breaking the "guy in the chair" trope, which allows comedic relief to the otherwise serious situations. Brandt played by Jeremy Renner, brings an interesting dynamic to the team and has a surprisingly, well written character arc. With thanks to Christopher McQuarrie, who was brought on to save the script, they finally found that Mission Impossible formula, paving the way for the other films to follow. Insane production- you just have to appreciate it.
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| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
2. Mission: Impossible- III (2006)
Unlike the movie prior, M:I III takes a dark turn that is refreshing and real (this is why Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is also my favourite movie...noted: make the 3rd movie of your franchise grunge and dark). Giving Ethan Hunt a wife was the best decision ever! He finally becomes a layered character, his vulnerability for his team and for saving people over the the mission, showed his ultimate weakness as an IMF agent...his humanity! This is what Mission Impossible is all about! I'm just a sucker for when the villain gets too personal to the protagonist, Phillip Seymour Hoffman executes this to perfection, giving us a chilling performance and is definitely the strongest villain in the franchise.
| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
1. Mission: Impossible: Fallout (2018)
This is where the franchise could've ended- it felt like it all led up to this moment. With the team established and the addition of his ex-wife at the finale, the mission actually feels impossible for Ethan which is why it's my favourite. The characters are comprehensible, the narrative is well-paced and those mission impossible twists are still somehow fresh, which is also why I respect Fallout. The amount of stunts in the film are all handled in skillful execution by Tom Cruise and is just an achievement to filmmaking itself...still thinking of that halo jump scene.
| Photo: Paramount Pictures |
Thank you for reading, check out my ranking list on Letterboxd!
