Every High-Octane ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movie, Ranked

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IF THERE'S one thing we know about the Mission: Impossible movies—which began in 1996 with the Brian De Palma-directed Mission: Impossible, cranking out installments intermittently for the next 27 years and still going strong—it's that they're anything but boring. Based on the TV series of the same name that debuted in 1966 and ran for 7 seasons and 171 episodes, Tom Cruise's first starring turn as Ethan Hunt was an adventure filled with paranoia, espionage, and Jon Voight.

As the series went along, it would continue to evolve. While the franchise initially reinvented itself with each movie—the twisted espionage of De Palma replaced by the stylized action of John Woo for the first sequel, eventually giving way to J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird—it really hit its stride when it found the man who would become Cruise's frequent collaborator, Christopher McQuarrie. McQuarrie gave the series a layer of serialization and emotional throughline that it was sorely lacking prior to his arrival, and with that came stakes that felt high and characters we start to care about more and more.

But we can't have a conversation about the Mission: Impossible movies without talking about the stunts. Tom Cruise hanging by a wire in the original film would eventually make way for sequences where he scales the tallest building in the world, or jumps out of an airplane. By 2023, the awe-inspiring, life-defying, sequences have reached such a point that in Dead Reckoning Part One, the franchise's excellent seventh installment, he's quite literally jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle. It's outrageous. It's unparalleled. It's cinema.

But there's a lot more to the Mission: Impossible movies than just those singular, unmatched stunts. And that's why, in honor of Dead Reckoning Part One's release, we're counting down our favorite films in the franchise. They're all fun, but like anything else, some are going to be better than others—and we've certainly got our preferences.

Stream Every Mission: Impossible Movie on Paramount+

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

In Mission: Impossible 2, the franchise came into the hands of legendary Hong Kong director John Woo, who certainly had his way with things. It's not a terrible movie, and the action is quite good, but the story is all over the place. It's kind of hard to keep track of what, exactly, is going on here, despite a strong effort from stars Cruise and Thandiwe Newton.

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Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Mission: Impossible III holds the distinguished honor of being the very first movie directed by J.J. Abrams (who was already established as a successful producer on Alias, Felicity, and Lost, and went on to direct movies like Star Trek, Super 8, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens). But it was also the first movie in the franchise in six years, representing something of a soft reboot. Here, Ethan Hunt is looking to settle down once and for all, and, as people who watch these movies, we all know that's not going to happen.

While most of the movie is a pretty standard action/espionage/thriller/adventure, the strong cast (including Billy Crudup, Laurence Fisburne, and a Herculean villain performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman) make this a fun time. Notable as the first appearance of Simon Pegg as IMF agent Benji Dunn, and Michelle Monaghan as Ethan's wife, Julia.

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Mission: Impossible (1996)

The first Mission: Impossible movie—starring Cruise and directed by Brian De Palma (The Untouchables, Carrie, Dressed to Kill)—is decidedly different from the later films in the series. While the movies have become widely-known for their death-defying stunts and larger-than-life action sequences, this first movie was far heavier on espionage and general spy stuff. Cruise is joined by a heavy hitter cast that includes key roles for Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave, and also introduces series mainstay Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames). It's a fun movie that lays groundwork for what this series can still be when its at its quietest.

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Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)

Five more years after the release of Mission: Impossible III came Ghost Protocol, which, in a way, was the transition film between the original Mission: Impossible franchise and the loud, explosive series that we know today. Helmed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant), Ghost Protocol finds Ethan Hunt surrounded by a team that includes characters played by newcomers Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton along with Simon Pegg. (It's rumored that Renner was originally supposed to become the new lead character of the franchise, until rewrites by Christopher McQuarrie totally changed those plans. Renner is still fun though.)

And while the plot of this movie is a little all over the place and weird, the set pieces—particularly one that takes place both inside and on Dubai's Burj Khalifa—make this a joyful thrill ride of a movie.

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Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015)

While Christopher McQuarrie did rewrites on the Mission: Impossible —Ghost Protocol script, it wasn't until Rogue Nation that he became the official herald of the franchise, shaping it into its very best form. McQuarrie takes over here as both writer and director, putting Ethan with a great team (Renner, Pegg, Rhames) against a formidable villain in Solomon Lane and The Syndicate. But where Rogue Nation stands out is in its introduction of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a mysterious super-spy who is just about Ethan's equal in every way. Ferguson is awesome, and her inclusion in Rogue Nation is one of the best things the franchise has done. This movie of course features some great stunts and action sequences, particularly a memorable car chase through Morocco.

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Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The newest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is a non-stop thrill ride that features incredible action sequence and set piece after incredible action sequence and set piece, in addition to what is genuinely one of the best ensemble casts you'll see all year. Christopher McQuarrie is in his bag. Returning cast members Pegg, Rhames, Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and even Henry Czerny from the franchise's first film (in addition to Cruise) are joined by standout newcomers in Shea Whigham, Pom Klementieff, and Hayley Atwell, while the villain is played by Ozark's Esai Morales.

Dead Reckoning Part One is the first half of a larger overarching story, but don't be alarmed: the ending cliffhanger (pun not even intended, because Tom Cruise does literally ride a motorcycle off a cliff in this movie) is not the infuriating kind. Dead Reckoning Part One manages to conclude its threads in a way that feels satisfying, while still leaving us excited for the continuation of the story to come.

I don't mean to dilute this statement by saying it too much, but this franchise deserves it: this is one of the best action movies you'll ever see.

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Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)

The very best Mission: Impossible movie—and, yes, one of the best action movies I've seen in my entire life—is Mission: Impossible — Fallout. Fallout picks up where Rogue Nation leaves off, with Ethan Hunt working alongside his team (Pegg and Rhames, though Renner is inexplicably gone) with a newly-installed IMF secretary, played by Alec Baldwin (coming over from the CIA after Rogue Nation). Fallout finds the stakes higher than ever before, which is really saying something: the movie centers on the plot of an evil secret society that's working with an unknown man named John Lark—and they have three nuclear bombs. That's when it's time for Ethan Hunt to do his thing.

This movie features action sequences that are simultaneously the most visually-stunning and excitingly tense things you've ever seen. Henry Cavill joins the cast as Walker, and it's by far the best he's ever been in any movie, and simultaneously one of the best characters in any Mission: Impossible movie as well. The man reloads his fists like they're guns during the movie's famous bathroom fight—and that's just the beginning! Cruise and Cavill have an incredible dynamic throughout the movie, jumping out of airplanes, flying around in helicopters, shooting guns, and more.

Fallout is everything that the Mission: Impossible franchise can and should be: big, fun, exciting, and, perhaps against all odds for a movie so utterly thrilling? Smart. It's a smart movie! And it's a total blast along the way

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