This week we’re getting our eighth film in the Mission Impossible franchise. It’s one of the biggest and most anticipated films of the summer. This week’s binge looks at the seven that came before. Films appear in ascending order.

No. 7: Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
About: This is my least favorite of the films. There are some cool action sequences owing to director John Woo, but the story is middling despite a decent cast. It just didn’t match what I liked about the first film or the rest of the series.

No. 6: Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)
About: In a lot of ways, J.J. Abrams breathed new life into the franchise. I like some of the ideas here and this has a cool villain from Phillip Seymour-Hoffman. All that is good. I still think this film is enjoyable, but it doesn’t stack up to the others that followed or even the original.

No. 5: Mission: Impossible (1996)
About: This original film started it all. It’s hard to believe it was almost 30 years ago. Brian De Palma gives us a fascinating original film. I like the cast and the story. This feels in a lot of ways like one of the most grounded. It’s a lot of fun.

No. 4: Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)
About: Brad Bird takes the director’s chair here, delivering a film that works really well in a lot of ways. There are some good action set pieces here, too. I had a lot of fun with this film, and I think this represents a turning point in the franchise.

No. 3: Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning (2023)
About: This was the most recent entry, a great and sweeping adventure. This pays off a lot of what has been happening in the recent films with Christopher McQuarrie back in the director’s chair. This was his third outing, and he demonstrates a lot of skill in setting up the narrative here that will lead to a payoff in the next installment.

No. 2: Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015)
About: This fifth installment introduces the character played by Rebecca Ferguson and starts down a specific plot. It’s the first from McQuarrie, and it feels like these final four (including the one to be released) are really connected in ways that sometimes the first few films weren’t. This was a step up and a lot of fun.

No. 1: Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018)
About: It’s rare when you see a franchise just keep getting better. This might be the sixth film, but it’s my favorite. It’s splitting hairs, really, when you talk about this and Rogue Nation, but I like the climatic sequence, the return of Michelle Monaghan, and the confrontation with Henry Cavill.

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.