I adore the Mission Impossible series. I love the films so much, and could watch the majority of them basically at any time without getting bored (or, as a way to cure my boredom). They are the epitome of enjoyable action films, and I could probably talk about them for hours. In light of the most recent (and potentially final) installment that I just watched last weekend, here’s an article of my ranking of each of the movies. I’ll briefly give my thoughts on the film, and then talk about my favorite stunt sequence and favorite character from each film.
Let’s get this not-so-impossible mission started!
NEVER WATCHED) Mission Impossible 2
Sorry! Call me a ‘fake fan‘ if you’d like! I mean to watch this at some point (probably), but I haven’t yet. And while I’m a big proponent of always forming your own opinions instead of blindly trusting others, a lot of people say that this is the worst one. So hey, maybe I would’ve ranked it here anyway!
Okay, now let’s really get into it!
7) Mission Impossible
Mini-Review: It doesn’t feel right to put the first entry of a series at the bottom of a ranking list, does it? Still, I think it’s apt. It took a bit for this series to really hit its stride, and while this movie is far from bad, there’s some aspects of it that don’t quite work. The “twist” is painfully and almost frustratingly obvious, I think the deaths of the team at the start are tonally out of place (that elevator bit is straight out of Final Destination), and I don’t think the finale works too well (helicopter in a train tunnel is a little too ridiculous to believe). Again, still a fun movie.
Favorite Stunt Sequence: The Vault Infiltration. Yeah, I get it, it’s cliché to praise this scene, but obviously there’s a reason it’s so famous! It just gets everything right, from start-to-finish. The unique set-up, the rising stakes of tension, the stunning silence through it all. It’s great.
Favorite Character: Ethan Hunt. While I certainly don’t hate Ethan, I will concede that the major reason he’s here is because the rest of this first movie’s cast aren’t anything special. But he does make for a good protagonist here, which is an important mark to leave for the first installment in a series. Plus, I really like the slight-of-hand magic silliness!
6) Mission Impossible 3
Mini-Review: For those who cherish this series like I do, you’ll know that it didn’t really hit its stride until Ghost Protocol, but that doesn’t make this entry unenjoyable. It’s almost oppressively dark in tone, which isn’t for everyone, but it definitely makes this movie (and it’s villain) pretty remarkable. There’s a palpable sense of dread in this film rather than the action-y fun most of the series is known for, though there’s still some classic bits (I really like the scene where Ethan, wearing a mask of the villain, ambushes him in the bathroom). But Philip Seymour Hoffman definitely carries this film.
Favorite Stunt Sequence: Shootout on the Bridge. I’ve watched a fair bit of BTS footage of this scene, which has really made me come to appreciate it even more. It doesn’t exactly have a lot of singular jaw-dropping moments, but it’s got guns, explosions, and some fun vehicle moments too. It’s a tense scene, and yet another scene that really sets this film apart tonally from the rest of the franchise.
Favorite Character: Julia Hunt. I’m a sucker for when a story focused on high-stakes action brings a relatively normal person into the fold and just tells them “good luck“. When this movie begins, Julia has no idea what she’s signing up for, and she really gets put through the wringer by the time the film ends. I love how crucial she is during the climax, including saving Ethan’s life and also defeating the final villain.
5) Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation
Mini-Review: Let me make it clear that even though this film is only coming in at #5 on my list, I still enjoy it quite a lot. I think it’s just got a few bits that never worked quite well for me (I find the plot a bit boring, and the pacing a bit strange). But it’s got a lot of really good scenes, some super funny moments, and plenty of good action sequences and stunts. The characters are a real treat, and I enjoy the climax and all it’s various moving parts. It’s not too surprising to see why this film’s director, Christopher McQuarrie, returned as the director for each of the next films!
Favorite Stunt Sequence: The Opera Sequence. This entire scene is just perfect, and the way its set against such a classic operatic song is the icing on the cake. I don’t think I’ve ever watched this scene without getting goosebumps when all those dramatic, cathartic gunshots go off right at the crescendo of the opera score. It’s just another of those classic scenes from this series that I could watch over and over and still love each time.
Favorite Character: Ilsa Faust. My enjoyment of Ilsa fades just a tad over the next two movies (though I still enjoy her a lot), but her debut here is really memorable. It’s so tricky to find out whose side she’s on and what exactly her agenda is, which adds a nice bit of mystery to everything. She holds her own during the action setpieces too, whether it’s beating up baddies in an underground room, racing a motorcycle, or fighting in a knife-versus-knife battle. She’s very charming and charismatic too.
4) Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Mini-Review: If I were being slightly more objective here, it’s possible that Rogue Nation is an overall better-made movie than Final Reckoning. In fact, this movie’s writing is kind of all over the place, and you can really feel the rewrites/reshoots (or, perhaps more accurately, the over-editing that feels like it left holes in the movie). Still, it’s a very entertaining movie with a lot of great scenes, and I just really love the cast and tone of these later movies. Also, I think it works as a really good, genuinely pretty emotional conclusion to the series.
Favorite Stunt Sequence: Infiltrating the Sevastopol. This fifteen-minute scene is worth the price of admission to see this movie alone, it’s that good. No music throughout most of it, long and drawn out shots, mind-boggling sets (I have no idea how they filmed any of this). The biggest benefit of a movie this long is being able to play out their scenes to their fullest extent, and nowhere is that more thrilling and tense than this scene. I wish I could just keep watching this scene over and over again, and it’s one I very much look forward to digesting more on my next viewing of this film.
Favorite Character: Ethan Hunt. While I was tempted to give this spot to Kodiak (the navy woman played by Katy O’Brian, an actress I adore), I had to give the ultimate nod to Ethan. He’s the center of this film, there’s no question, and I think the movie does a decent amount with his character that some of the other action-heavy entries don’t (not that that’s a big flaw or anything). And like I alluded to above, I think this movie leads to a good conclusion of his character arc.
3) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Mini-Review: While at times perhaps a touch too goofy for my tastes, this is where the Mission Impossible franchise truly became an action series you couldn’t ignore. It’s fast-paced, it’s extremely funny, it presents stakes without also losing that Summer Blockbuster energy. It does it all, and is probably the most effortlessly entertaining entry in the series. Cliched villain, simplistic plot, but it still manages to capture and hold your attention from start-to-finish. And, even with the lighter tone, it’s still got some really solid heavier moments (like Agent Brandt’s backstory, or the near-silent hallway scene with the fake wall trick).
Favorite Stunt Sequence: Scaling the Skyscraper. Again, it’s a cliched pick, but can you blame me? Nothing makes your stomach drop more than that initial shot of Ethan looking out the window as the camera slowly pans down to reveal the terrifying height of the Burj Khalifa. It’s another one of those moments that goes from being cool to something truly special when you remember just how real it actually was while filming, thanks to Tom Cruise and his endless insanity for stunt work. And I love the hectic conclusion to this setpiece, and the brief snippet of the main theme sneaking into the score.
Favorite Character: Agent Brandt. Jeremy Renner, despite only being in two films in this series, is one of the best additions to the cast that they ever made. He’s charming, he’s really hilarious, and he can put up a good scrap during the action beats. He’s almost the heart of this entry, and I adore every single scene that he’s in. Plus, he gets the focus during the emotional moments too, leading to a truly great role.
2) Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
Mini-Review: I have seriously grown to adore this movie so much from my first viewing back when it released, and I genuinely can’t sing its praises enough. I think it just ticks off so many of my personal preference boxes. It’s long, but doesn’t feel like it stays around too long. It’s got a darker tone, but not completely bleak and depressing. It’s got high stakes and a scary villain, a superb soundtrack, a lot of really good emotional beats, and tons of clever and creative action scenes. And it still manages to have good humor on top of that. It’s a pretty remarkable movie.
Favorite Stunt Sequence: The Alley Fight. I won’t yap on for too long here, as I relatively-recently gave praise to this same scene in an article on my favorite action sequences in movies. I don’t know how you even come up with the idea of having a big beatdown take place in an alley so narrow you can barely walk through it, but it works so well. The fight choreography is extremely creative, the scrap itself is brutal, and the soundtrack and narrative tension behind it all is great too. Definitely my favorite scene in a movie filled with them.
Favorite Character: Paris. She only has a handful of lines in the entire film (thankfully, she’s got a big and enjoyable role in the sequel too), but Paris really made an impact on me when I first watched this film. Is she getting bonus points for being the first really big female villain in the franchise. Yeah, okay, maybe. But I still do think she has a great role here, and I love how many scenes she’s in. I also love the unexpected but natural pivot to anti-hero (and eventually reluctant protagonist) during the finale on the train and the lead-in to the sequel.
1) Mission Impossible: Fallout
Mini-Review: And to the surprise of absolutely no one, my #9 favorite movie of all time is still holding that spot, and thus takes the lead rank in this article. It’s the best action movie ever made, and it’s hardly close. The stunt sequences, the character work, the villains, the soundtrack, the pacing, the escalation of stakes, the levity-bringing bits of humor, cocking your fists like they’re guns, and the show-stopping finale…how can you top this? Well, I mean, the answer is that you can’t. The series peaked here, and if you’ve never seen this movie before, please rectify that immediately!
Favorite Stunt Sequence: The Helicopter Chase. What sort of absolute crazy person suggested having two helicopters chase each other through the foggy mountain peaks? Like, even if this scene wasn’t as good as it was (and trust me, it is pretty amazing), it’d be worth mentioning here on the sheer merit of the behind-the-scenes knowledge. Like, I just…I can’t come up with the words for it. How and why would you do this? And I’m so thankful that they did, because it’s such an amazing climax. I also love how if you’re watching this movie at home, right as this sequence begins the movie slowly grows from widescreen to fullscreen, just to really hit home how amazing this sequence is.
Favorite Character: John Lark. It’s true, folks. The mustache-that-ruined-Justice-League was worth it, because it just really brings the whole character together! He’s so intimidating, so effortlessly brutal and efficient in his fighting, but also kinda adorkable in how it feels like he’s just tagging along with Ethan and his friends (until the twist, of course). One of his best moments is his complete lack of shock at seeing Ethan climbing and stealing a helicopter, as he just kinda shrugs and goes ‘yep, that’s par for the course‘.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 