This mission, should we choose to accept it, is to rank all of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films, including the latest, which is in cinemas right now.
To help remind which film is which, each title comes with a sub-title, starting from the best, down to the not-so-great at all.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (M:I6)
AKA: the one where Henry Cavill reloads his arms and Cruise breaks his ankle for real but carries on filming.
The sixth in the series is the best. It nails the formulaic expectations of the series, alongside shocks and twists. The plot is tight and clear, the set-pieces frequent and constantly thrilling and the stakes are cleverly framed, given that they’re personal to our protagonist Ethan Hunt, and the world-at-large. It also features the best Cruise running scene, the best bike chase (a staple for the series) and probably the best fight scenes. Should’ve won some Oscars.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE ROGUE NATION (M:I5)
AKA: the one where he hung off the side of an airplane in a suit.
If FALLOUT is the best of the series, ROGUE NATION is the film where the formula for the series is so well developed that the whole film feels confident and bold. The opening scene of Ethan Hunt holding onto the side of a cargo plane as it takes off, not immediately cutting away to show that Cruise genuinely was on the side of an actual airplane taking off, demonstrates how the rest of the film will be-ambitious, thrilling and constantly pushing the envelope. It introduces new, memorable characters in exciting ways and plays with audience reactions from first frame until the last.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (M:I1)
AKA: the one with the wire stunt that started it all.
Watching this now is such a different experience to the recent films. It’s also nearly 30 years old and made when spy/espionage films were much smaller in scope. Directed by storied director Brian DePalma, known for his artistic approach to visual storytelling, it also looks very different to many of the films in the series. Some of the technology used means that watching now makes the film feel a bit strange, but the overall narrative is paced masterfully and with a constant stream of twists and turns means that you have to be dutifully watching (no two-screening here please!) for the final explanation to not only make sense but have the emotional impact that the film deserves.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE DEAD RECKONING/FINAL RECKONING (M:I7 and M:I8)
AKA the one where he jumped off a mountain on a bike and AKA the one currently in cinemas that might end it all.
In time, these two will be further down in the list, or at least FINAL RECKONING will be, but fresh off of seeing the latest film, recency bias influences the placing here. It’s important to know that these two films, over 5 hours in total, were conceived as one long film, so as you watch the latest you’ll see why there are so many call-backs to the “first part”. But the second is just too long-the first part of the film is just exposition and it doesn’t really start until 25 minutes in. But there’s much to enjoy after-the submarine sequence was an extraordinary experience in the local IMAX screen. Part 1, called DEAD RECKONING, is the better of the 2 films though. Much pacier, more thrilling and with some incredible stunts, it’s just a shame that the marketing of the film showed so much of what was to come.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE GHOST PROTOCOL (M:I4)
AKA: the one with the Burj Khalifa.
This is why putting this list together is so tough: this is a brilliant action film. The scene on/in/outside of, of the Burj Khalifa is legendary. Plus, there’s so more to enjoy, highlights being a stealthy robbery in Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow using a portable hologram and a scene in Mumbai that has echoes of the first M:I film. Just don’t expect as many memorable scenes or characters compared to other films in the franchise.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3
AKA: the one with the best villain.
It feels harsh putting this one here, as it’s great fun. It’s a real bridge between the absurd nonsense that M:I2 is, and the template-setting MI:4, but it’s still just not as engaging as say, 4, or 5. The set-pieces are huge (base-jumping in Shanghai, an absurd fight with jets on a bridge), and probably has the second-best running scene in the whole franchise (the near-uninterrupted take of Cruise running for a couple of minutes whilst screaming in Cantonese is excellent), but the real highlight is the villain, played by the much-missed, and prodigiously talented, Philip Seymour Hoffman. He’s menacing and malevolent, charismatic and magnetic. Most franchises would kill for a film this good-in this franchise it’s one of the weaker ones.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2
AKA: the one that no one likes.
We’ll just get this out of the way here: it’s fine. As an action film, as a John Woo film, it’s fine. It’s just not shot in the way that the rest of the films are, and it just feels really generic as a result. Some of the narrative beats are pretty typical for the genre, but it feels much more of a John Woo film than it does a M:I film. Opening with a Limp Bizkit song, rock climbing and exploding sunglasses is pretty great though.
Ian Moreno-Melgar has authored film text books and consults on film education to the British Film Institute. Just not on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films though, which is probably why he was not invited to the recent Tom Cruise Q&A unfortunately.
