With the imminent arrival of the Mission: Impossible franchise’s seventh instalment and given this is rumoured to be Cruise’s penultimate appearance as IMF superspy Ethan Hunt, I think it’s the perfect time to look back at the previous six adventures from 1996 through to 2018.
Across two decades, the master of death-defying cinematic stunts has pushed audiences (to say nothing of studio executives) to the edge of a heart attack, but the M:I movies are probably the most closely associated with Cruise’s particular brand of jaw-dropping stunt work. His commitment and dedication to each film, as well as his desire to, in his own words, ‘do better’ with each subsequent film has ensured the continued success of M:I in an era dominated by other franchises, and perhaps most impressively, through the most popular era of James Bond since Sean Connery.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to follow me through my personal ranking of Mission: Impossible. Just to be clear, this article won’t self-destruct in five seconds!
Honourable mention: Mission: Impossible (1966 to 1973):
Of all the spy shows during the 1960s that attempted to cash-in on the success of Bond, none had more significant impact on popular culture than the original TV show. Unlike The Man from U.N.C.L.E which simply recreated the Bond formula for television, Mission: Impossible took a great deal of inspiration from the 1964 caper film Topkapi, focusing on a diverse group of IMF agents each skilled in their own field vital to the success of each weekly adventure. Character development was kept to a minimum, action and visual storytelling was emphasised and for the first few years, the IMF primarily tackled fictional Eastern Bloc countries, but by the fifth season, due to the changing political landscape and budgetary considerations, their main targets became organised crime networks operating within the United States, often referred to as the Syndicate (something Rogue Nation would later reference). If you’ve never seen the show but are a fan of the films, I can’t recommend it enough. In certain respects, it’s a wildly different experience to the movies, but the high-tech gadgetry, intricate plotting, and fast-paced action all originate here. Not to mention that iconic Morse code theme tune by Lalo Schifrin.
6: Mission: Impossible 2:
As if I really need to explain this decision. I’m sure everyone just pretends this didn’t happen. I know many people who’ve binged the film series and deliberately skipped M:I-2. No explanation required, it’s the done thing. None of us want to relieve that scene in the bath, the wearisome slow-motion combat, Tom Cruise and Thandiwe Newton’s sparkless romance, and especially Limp Bizkit’s bastardised rendition of the theme tune. Brian De Palma, J.J. Abrams, Brad Bird, and Christopher McQuarrie’s styles, however distinct from one another, have all served the M:I films well, keeping things fresh if nothing else. John Woo’s however, really doesn’t. Luckily, everything from here on is pretty good.
5: Mission: Impossible III:
The first M:I movie I saw in the cinema, and of all the films it has some of the strongest attributes. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Owen Davian is a real monster. An adversary only equalled by August Walker in Fallout. Michael Giacchino’s score adds real punch to the proceedings, and there’s an effectively nasty plot device involving tiny bombs being inserted into people’s skulls. M:I:III also features the tensest cold opening of them all. The film is more remembered for a long tracking shot of Cruise sprinting (as if that narrows it down), rather than any stunts or action sequences that now define the franchise. The romantic subplot between Ethan and Michelle Monaghan’s Julia gets a bit cringey at times, until the finale that is, but the tone of these scenes generally doesn’t gel with the rest of the film. A solid movie that was merely improved upon in subsequent instalments.
4: Mission: Impossible:
The first M:I was one of a number of films produced during the 1990s based on 1960s TV shows, and along with The Fugitive, one of the few that was any good! The more psychologically driven of the films, De Palma’s M:I ran into trouble with original cast members and fans of the show for changing the format, and for its treatment of Jim Phelps, played by Jon Voight when Peter Graves passed on the project. It’s probably most famous today for the vault sequence where Cruise dangles from the ceiling, but the engaging, albeit overly twisty plot, as well as the surprisingly dark tone has helped M:I age extremely well. Ethan Hunt in this is far more vulnerable, and Cruise does an excellent job of portraying an agent having to up his game and power through his fear to survive.
3: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation:
The first in the franchise directed by Christopher McQuarrie signified a shift to a more linear style in the M:I films, establishing a more continuous ensemble, alongside a new regular cast member in Rebecca Ferguson. Some might be wondering why this isn’t higher up in the ranking, after all there’s that fantastic opening with Cruise hanging off a C-17, the car/motorcycle chase through Casablanca, and a nail-biting fight backstage during Turandot. Sean Harris is an effectively sinister villain too, but for me it went on just a fraction too long, with the final act being a slight letdown after all the breathless set-pieces that had preceded it.
2: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol:
Ghost Protocol marked a significant step up in filmmaking quality, as well as a return to the ensemble format with Cruise at the helm, rather than it being 90% Hunt with minor input now and again from fellow IMF agents. The stakes were significantly upped to global nuclear war after a mission in the Kremlin goes terribly wrong. Hunt being disavowed and on the run was nothing new, but now the entire IMF bar a handful of illusive agents are left, and each brings a lot to the table. There’s just as much fun to be had watching Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, and Jeremy Renner show off in their scenes as Cruise climbing the Burj Khalifa. So many elements of the team’s plans go wrong, necessitating greater reliance on one another. Ghost Protocol is probably the most rewatchable of the whole franchise, the only niggle being a slightly underwritten villain.
1: Mission: Impossible – Fallout:
I’m sure I’m not the only one for whom Fallout qualifies as top of the M:I pile (thus far). It’s the first to follow on directly plot-wise from a previous instalment, with the Apostles being an offshoot of Rogue Nation’s Syndicate. The consequences of Ethan’s actions return to haunt him in the form of Henry Cavill’s hulking August Walker. If that’s not a terrific baddie name, I don’t know what is! Fallout explores a new level of emotional depth with Ethan. Sean Harris’ Solomon Lane returns once more, with him and Walker making quite the maniacal antagonist pairing. Lorne Balfe’s soundtrack is the franchise’s best by far, the Paris chase being a particular highlight. The greater character depth enhances the audience’s investment in the bigger and better action sequences.
