Now that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is out, I decided to go back and finally watch the Mission: Impossible movies. As of writing I am through the first 6, and only have Dead Reckoning left. So, here’s my ranking of M:I 1-6. Once I watch it, Dead Reckoning will be added.
#6: Mission: Impossible II (3.3/6)
Unlike the original film, the second Mission: Impossible film took a different turn with the story. Ethan Hunt is sent to Sydney on a mission to stop an artificial disease from being spread that will make someone lots of money. There’s some neat action scenes in the film, especially the awesome motorcycle and beach fight scene, but the overall plot has many issues, and it isn’t as intriguing. Plus, I don’t know about you, but Cruise’s haircut is awful.
#5: Mission: Impossible III (4.2/6)
J.J. Abrams definitely achieved turning Mission: Impossible into a darker and more gritty franchise with the third film. M:I-3 is much more dramatic than the first two movies in many ways. Hunt now is engaged to a woman named Julia, however a dangerous arms dealer puts him back into the field – however, it threatens the life of him and his new wife. Though it turns out Julia doesn’t die, first seeing the clip of what appears to be her being shot in the head as Hunt cries in anger is incredibly heart-wrenching, and this is before we learn who the woman is. Then there’s Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is absolutely incredible as the villain, Owen Davian by acting as a dark and serious character. While the plot isn’t incredibly written, it’s still a very great screenplay. This is one pretty underrated movie if you ask me.
#4: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (4.6/6)
After the first three movies being based on lower-scale threats, Ghost Protocol threatens the entire world on behalf of a nuclear war. After the president initiates Ghost Protocol shutting down the IMF, Hunt and his team must prove that the IMF did not attack the Kremlin. The film is full of even more high-stake action than the first three movies, including Ethan Hunt literally climbing on the side of the tallest skyscraper in the world. Ghost Protocol is epic, with a fantastic plot full of even more twists and turns, and the new characters (especially Jeremy Renner as Agent Brandt) are great additions to the M:I series.
#3: Mission: Impossible (4.9/6)
The original Mission: Impossible is indeed a classic, however compared to the later films in the franchise, it isn’t quite as interesting. We are introduced to Ethan Hunt, an undercover agent for the Impossible Mission Force, who teams up with two men to prove that he wasn’t the reason for his team’s murder on a separate assignment by hacking into a computer into a heavily-surveillance room in a CIA building. The film has thrilling and exciting moments, along with many surprises along the way.
#2: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (4.9/6)
I’m not exactly sure how, but somehow each Mission: Impossible film just gets better and better, with Rogue Nation continuing that trend. In M:I-5, Ethan Munt must stop a secret organization trying to change the world by a series of terrorist attacks to put the world against each other. By the way, I love how the main Tom Cruise stunt of the film is at the very beginning of the film. It’s perfect. The movie is even more epic, thrilling, action-packed, and dangerous than the following films, and the new characters with Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin are great additions to the M:I series. However, I wasn’t very impressed with a couple of scenes in the visual department, as some scenes definitely don’t look realistic. But otherwise, another fantastic Mission: Impossible movie. Plus, Sean Harris is awesome.
#1: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (5.6/6)
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I don’t know how, but every Mission: Impossible just gets better and better. However, Fallout is much bigger in proportions. Now, Ethan Hunt and a CIA assassin August Walker have to stop a terrorist group known as the Apostles from setting off three nuclear bombs. Fallout heavily ups the stakes with more high-stake action, great new and returning characters, and even Tom Cruise climbing up a rope attached to the bottom of an airborne helicopter. The movie has everything, and it’s fantastic. There are so many twists and turns, amazing special effects and cinematography, Tom Cruise running across buildings, and so much more than make Fallout easily the best. It’s incredible.
What’s your favorite Mission: Impossible movie? Let me know in the comments.
Ryan’s Fortress Twitter: @RyansFortress
Ryan’s Fortress Threads: @ryans_fortress
Once I watch it, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will be added.