Anyone familiar with me and my taste in movies is surely aware of my tendency to enjoy so-called “guilty pleasures”. My greatest guilty pleasure is the filmography of one Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. I’m unironically enthralled by the work of the man with the singularly psychotic devotion to reaching the heights of cinematic entertainment. The past few years, good ole Tommy Cruise has turned to the Mission: Impossible series to flex and explore his creative muscles; serving as the perfect canvas for his delirious commitment to fully embodying movie stardom.
Ahead of the final installment in the series, I decided to go back and rewatch the previous films in order to provide the definitive ranking of the Mission: Impossible films.
7. Mission: Impossible III
Although it features the best performance in any Mission: Impossible movie, MI3 is unfortunately still the weakest in the series. Philip Seymour Hoffman is absolutely brilliant (as he always was). However, it’s not enough to overcome the fact that said great performance comes in a JJ Abrams movie – a director who decidedly does not have the sauce. There are a few brief moments of genuine excitement, but the film as a whole is a pretty bland as far as action movies go. However, it did introduce the Julia and Benji characters into the series, which is definitely a plus.
6. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Brad Bird is a perfect directorial fit for this series. He has the perfect sensibilities for what these films should be about. It’s a shame he never got to direct another one. He surely would have fully found his footing and reached the pinnacle of possibility within the world of Ethan Hunt. Ghost Protocol is about as fun any other movies in the series. Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa just might be his single most impressive stunt-work in any of his movies. Ghost Protocol is by no means a weak movie, it’s just not as strong as the rest of the series.
5. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
The opera house scene is among the best in the series. It’s a perfect introduction for the Ilsa Faust character. My main complaint about Rogue Nation is a fairly silly one. The big stunt set piece happens in the opening scene and has no impact in the larger narrative. Tom Cruise hanging off the side of a plane is freaking awesome! I just wish it came with more narrative stakes. Rogue Nation also introduces Christopher McQuarrie into the mix, who would go on to direct the rest of the series installments. McQuarrie has proven to be the perfect directorial vessel for Cruise’s vision for the series – a pairing made in movie making heaven.
4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
The core essence of the entire series is perfectly encapsulated in Dead Reckoning. It’s all about Cruise as Hunt saving the world through the power of friendship. Keeping a small circle of true believers who prove the haters wrong in the name of fighting their good fight. It’s a perfect blend of the high octane action of the latter half of the series and homage to the seductive and sleek vibes of the original. It’s got everything a good Mission: Impossible movie needs – masks, disavowing, trains, car chases, and all the rest. Dead Reckoning just might be the most Mission: Impossible movie of all the Mission: Impossible movies.
3. Mission: Impossible II
Along with Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible II is the most divisive movie in the series. I personally find it confounding to openly dislike the work of John Woo. Sure, it’s tonally inconsistent with the rest of the series, but that’s because Woo is a legend with a unique and distinct cinematic aesthetic. Tom Cruise doing backflip kicks while doves fly behind him will always be unapologetically awesome. As will motorcycle jousting. Just look at the image above – how can you not think that’s rad as all. I believe Cruise has a contractual obligation to ride a motorcycle in every Mission: Impossible movie, be he’s undoubtedly never looked cooler doing it than he does here.
2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Each set piece in Fallout is in contention for dopest action set piece of the 21st Century. The HALO jump is remarkable. The bathroom fight is exquisite and Henry Cavill recharging his arm canons is electric. The motorcycle chase through Paris is dynamite. The helicopter heist is absolutely outrageous. And, Fallout features the best running of Cruise’s Mission: Impossible career (his best running in his larger filmography is War of the Worlds of course). The cherry on top of the brilliance of Fallout is the Wolf Blitzer cameo in what is easily the best mask reveal in the series.
1. Mission: Impossible
Yep, the original is still the best. The Langley heist is one of the most iconic moments in cinema history, and rightfully so. It’s an absolute masterclass and the forever standout moment in the series. De Palma doing De Palma things is always fun. Before Cruise became the driving artistic vision behind the series (and many of his other more recent films), he was a great acting muse for legendary directors. De Palma is just one in a long list of all time great directors that Cruise has worked with and we should all be grateful for it. Their collab birthed the definitive action franchise series of the last 30 years.
What are your thoughts on the Mission: Impossible series? Which one is your favorite? How would you rank the movies? Are you excited for the Final Reckoning?
