Every 'Mission: Impossible' Movie Ranked

The first Mission: Impossible hit theaters exactly 25 years ago. On May 22, 1996, to be exact. Since then, it has matured into the rare—maybe the only—long-running blockbuster franchise that actually seems to get better and better as it goes on and on. Thanks to its similarly ageless star, Tom Cruise as IMF ringleader Ethan Hunt, and his sweet tooth for old-school death-wish show-stopping stunts, the series seems hellbent on upping the ante like a deranged gambler with each subsequent installment. But if the M:I movies were only about Cruise risking his life for our popcorn amusement, the sensational saga would never have made it as far as it has. Sure, you could argue that each chapter in the IMF Cinematic Universe is, in a way, kind of the same. But they’re also different enough (thematically, stylistically, narratively) to keep us coming back for more. Which makes ranking the Mission: Impossible films no easy challenge. But you could say, it’s our mission and we chose to accept it. So without further throat-clearing, here’s our definitive ranking of the six M:I films, from worst to best….