The Mission Impossible franchise has made itself into a mainstay of action cinema. With the reliance of doing the stunts for real, Tom Cruise and the rest of the cast and crew have created a truly immersive experience. Personally, I love this franchise and with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One releasing in theaters, I thought it would be a perfect time to go back in time and rank all of the Mission Impossible films from the worst to the best.   

#7: Mission: Impossible II (2000) – Directed by: John Woo

Synopsis: With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.

It’s just not great. This is the film that feels the most unlike a Mission: Impossible film. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if it’s executed correctly. However, it’s not executed well here. The writing is brutal, the performances across the board are not good and the action is just ok. I think the virus storyline is intriguing, but never really fleshed itself out. The treatment of women in this film is terrible as well. It tried to be an edgy spy movie and went way too far off the path to be good. I’m glad they got back to simplicity with the next sequences.

Score: 62/100

#6: Mission: Impossible 3 (2006) – Directed by: J.J. Abrams

Synopsis: Retired from active duty to train new IMF agents, Ethan Hunt is called back into action to confront sadistic arms dealer, Owen Davian. Hunt must try to protect his girlfriend while working with his new team to complete the mission.

A nice return to form after the terrible film that was M:I 2. Philip Seymour Hoffman is the MVP here bringing such an excellent performance to one of the more memorable villains in this franchise. The thing that works the best here by far is the writing. For the first time we take the personal lives of these agents, specifically Ethan, and put them in the forefront. This added much needed stakes and intrigue. A much simpler film that excels with good writing, direction and performances. There is a lot of good to take away from this project and one that is worth revisiting.

Score: 77/100

#5: Mission: Impossible (1996) – Directed by: Brian De Palma

Synopsis: ​​When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he’s surprised to learn that he’s the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.

The key word that I would say describes this film is solid. The first film in the franchise is very solid, especially for the year it was released. Brian De Palma’s direction is good, capturing both the action and the tension in a very intriguing way. With less CGI capabilities, simplicity is key and when they did that is when the action excelled. The Langley sequence is brilliantly done and left me on the edge of my seat. It’s by far the best part of the film. The score is classic, the performances are convincing and the twist, for the most part, works. A very early take at what would become one of the most popular and thrilling franchises in film. It doesn’t top the latter half of the franchise, but it is still really solid.

Score: 78/100

#4: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – Directed by: Brad Bird

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.

This is where the Mission: Impossible franchise really kicks into gear. The stunts are off the rails with the brilliant Burj Khalifa sequence highlighting it all. The use of camera angles, sound design and the stunt execution itself made this one of the best action sequences in cinematic history. This franchise took a shift here. We had a more solidified cast with a really nice addition in Jeremy Renner and writing that was much more simplistic. We still have the awesome spy action but it is accessible enough for the common audience for everyone to enjoy it. I get a big kick out of this film.

Score: 86/100

#3: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Synopsis: Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating ‘The Syndicate’, an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.

We are now in the ‘THIS FILM SLAPS’ range of the list. Rogue Nation does something none of the other films did before. It started a throughline story that spanned over multiple films. As much as I love the villain of the week storytelling of the franchise, it was a breath of fresh air to have villains, stakes and storylines continue on into Fallout. It was clever, it was terrifying and it left me wanting more. The action is great, I would give the advantage to Ghost Protocol though. This project just excels more in story and performances. The addition of Rebecca Ferguson is also one of the best decisions the Mission: Impossible franchise has ever made.

Score: 90/100

#2: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Pt. 1 (2023) – Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

A non-stop thrill ride from start to finish. Dead Reckoning Pt. 1 raises the stakes, tells a really interesting story and has some really effective twists and turns. The stunts, of course, are the standout. The practical nature brings a level of authenticity you can’t get anywhere else. The cast is really awesome with no bad performances and Hayley Atwell is not only a brilliant addition to the roster, but a standout of the film as a whole. Christopher McQuarrie continues to be a really great collaborator with Cruise, directing another really stellar action film. This might be a hot take, but I really enjoyed the route they took with the villain as well. A complete story that is leading to an epic finale. 

Score: 96/100

#1: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Synopsis: When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.

It’s SO CLOSE, but I would still give the edge to Fallout. The writing of this film is probably the strongest of any M:I film, pushing Ethan to his limits both physically and emotionally. The action here is some of the best of the entire franchise with the HALO sequence leaving my jaw on the floor. It’s thrilling, emotional and a very fitting conclusion to that storyline. The performances excel and Henry Cavill was a perfect addition to this already stacked cast of characters. This will forever be a comfort movie for me and I also believe will go down as one of the best action movies of all-time. The real stunts are just stellar and this film in particular showcases them to the highest level. I love this film.

Score: 96/100