Tom Cruise has been playing Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible movies since 1996. Now, we get the next installment, Dead Reckoning, Part 1. It’s the seventh film and third from Christopher McQuarrie. To get you hyped, it’s time for a re-watch. Below is my ranking of the previous six installments.

6. Mission Impossible II (2000)
About: John Woo took the directing duties and the cast included Anthony Hopkins and Thandiwe Newton. What we got had more action, but it feels the least like a Mission Impossible movie. It’s dull, confusing and a misfire.

5. Mission Impossible III (2006)
About: I was happy J.J. Abrams took over here, and I liked the introduction of Michelle Monaghan. This film is a sturdy action entry with a decent villain played by the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Still, it pales in comparison to what came later.

4. Mission Impossible (1996)
About: Brian De Palma directed this film that has a fun cast and a fun story. Cruise and Jon Voight are good here. I like this film and I think it holds up well. The more recent films have upped the ante, but this film remains an under-rated entry in the franchise.

3. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)
About: Brad Bird handled the directing duties and this one had a larger scope than previous films. Some of the stunts are bigger and more elaborate. However, I missed Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames). Jeremy Renner is a fun addition. This one is a kick.

2. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)
About: Here is where McQuarrie stepped in, and it was for the better. With him came Rebecca Ferguson, who is great opposite Cruise in these movies. I also like the OG team of Rhames and Simon Pegg. Meanwhile, Sean Harris makes for an interesting foil.

1. Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)
About: The Mission Impossible films just keep getting better. We get Ferguson back paired with Cruise, and McQuarrie back as the director. It all works, including the continuation of the clash with Harris’ Solomon Lane. We get a great coda to the Monaghan storyline here, and the addition of Henry Cavill as a foil to Ethan Hunt works brilliantly. This is a great action film.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.