Every High-Octane Mission: Impossible Movie, Ranked

8

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

ParamountIn Mission: Impossible 2, the franchise came into the hands of legendary Hong Kong director John Woo, who certainly had his way with things. It’s not a terrible movie, and the action is quite good, but the story is all over the place. It’s kind of hard to keep track of what, exactly, is going on here, despite a strong effort from stars Cruise and Thandiwe Newton. One fun fact? Actor Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine in the first X-Men movie, and had even begun production on it—before dropping out to star as the villain in Mission: Impossible 2. So, in a way, Mission: Impossible is actually the most important movie of Hugh Jackman’s career, and he’s not even in it.

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7

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

ParamountMission: Impossible III holds the distinguished honor of being the very first movie directed by J.J. Abrams (who had already established himself as a successful producer on Alias, Felicity, and Lost, and went on to direct movies like Star Trek, Super 8, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens). But it was also the first movie in the franchise in six years, representing something of a soft reboot. Here, Ethan Hunt is looking to settle down once and for all, and, as people who watch these movies know, that’s not going to happen.

While most of the movie is a pretty standard action/espionage/thriller/adventure, the strong cast (including Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne, and a Herculean villain performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman) make this a fun time. Notable as the first appearance of Simon Pegg as IMF agent Benji Dunn, and Michelle Monaghan as Ethan’s wife, Julia.

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6

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)

ParamountFive more years after the release of Mission: Impossible III came Ghost Protocol, which, in a way, was the transition film between the original Mission: Impossible franchise and the loud, explosive series that we know today. Helmed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant), Ghost Protocol finds Ethan Hunt surrounded by a team that includes characters played by newcomers Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton along with Simon Pegg. (It’s rumored that Renner was originally supposed to become the new lead character of the franchise, until rewrites by Christopher McQuarrie totally changed those plans. Renner is still fun though.)

And while the plot of this movie is a little all over the place and weird, the set pieces—particularly one that takes place both inside and on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa—make this a joyful thrill ride of a movie.

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5

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (2025)

ParamountAt 2 hours and 51 minutes, it’s no secret that Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is a long movie, and it really didn’t need to be. Much of the movie’s first hour is spent recapping past events in the series, explaining Ethan Hunt’s many humanity-saving feats, and even showing archival footage from movies past. It takes a bit for things to kick into gear, but when it does, The Final Reckoning delivers exactly what fans of the series want: a wild adventure story with a great ensemble cast, and some truly death-defying stunts from Mr. Movies himself: Tom Cruise, Ethan Hunt.

Cruise is once again joined by his usual crew, with Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett and Shea Whigham among those returning from the last few movies. But the cast also has some new bright spots in Tramell Tillman and Katy O’Brian who have shined elsewhere and bring a ton of fun to their limited roles. The Final Reckoning might be the weakest of Christopher McQuarrie’s MI films, but that is a ridiculous bar—it’s still one of the most exciting things you’ll see in a theater, ever.

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4

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning (2023)

ParamountDead Reckoning (formerly known as Dead Reckoning Part One) is a non-stop thrill ride that features incredible action sequence and set piece after incredible action sequence and set piece, in addition to what is genuinely one of the best ensemble casts you’ll see all year. Christopher McQuarrie is in his bag. Returning cast members Pegg, Rhames, Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and even Henry Czerny from the franchise’s first film (in addition to Cruise) are joined by standout newcomers in Shea Whigham, Pom Klementieff, and Hayley Atwell, while the villain is played by Ozark’s Esai Morales.

Dead Reckoning was set up as the first half of a larger overarching story that would eventually be concluded by The Final Reckoning. But don’t be alarmed: The ending cliffhanger (pun not even intended, because Tom Cruise does literally ride a motorcycle off a cliff in this movie) is not the infuriating kind. Dead Reckoning manages to conclude its threads in a way that feels satisfying, while still leaving us excited for the continuation of the story to come.

I don’t mean to dilute this statement by saying it too much, but this franchise deserves it: This is one of the most fun action movies you’ll ever see.

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3

Mission: Impossible (1996)

ParamountThe first Mission: Impossible movie—starring Cruise and directed by Brian De Palma (The Untouchables, Carrie, Dressed to Kill)—is decidedly different from the later films in the series. While the movies have become widely-known for their death-defying stunts and larger-than-life action sequences, this first movie was far heavier on espionage and general spy stuff, and it executes it all to perfection.

Cruise is joined by a heavy hitter cast that includes key roles for the legendary Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave, and also introduces series mainstay Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames). It’s a fun, thrilling movie that lays groundwork for what this series can still be when its at it’s quietest and most paranoid.

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2

Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015)

ParamountWhile Christopher McQuarrie did rewrites on the Mission: Impossible —Ghost Protocol script, it wasn’t until Rogue Nation that he became the official herald of the franchise, shaping it into its very best form. McQuarrie takes over here as both writer and director, putting Ethan with a great team (Renner, Pegg, Rhames) against a formidable villain in Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) and The Syndicate. But where Rogue Nation stands out is in its introduction of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a mysterious super-spy who is just about Ethan’s equal in every way. Ferguson is awesome, and her inclusion in Rogue Nation is one of the best things the franchise has done. This movie of course features some great stunts and action sequences, particularly a memorable car chase through Morocco.

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1

Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)

ParamountThe very best Mission: Impossible movie—and, yes, one of the best action movies I’ve seen in my entire life—is Mission: Impossible — Fallout. Fallout picks up where Rogue Nation leaves off, with Ethan Hunt working alongside his team (Pegg and Rhames, though Renner is inexplicably gone) with a newly-installed IMF secretary, played by Alec Baldwin (coming over from the CIA after Rogue Nation). Fallout finds the stakes higher than ever before, which is really saying something: The movie centers on a conspiracy being threatened by an evil secret society working with an unknown man named John Lark—and they have three nuclear bombs. That’s when it’s time for Ethan Hunt to do his thing.

This movie features action sequences that are simultaneously the most visually-stunning and excitingly-tense things you’ve ever seen. Henry Cavill joins the cast as August Walker, and it’s by far the best he’s ever been in any movie, and simultaneously one of the best characters in any Mission: Impossible movie as well. The man reloads his fists like they’re guns during the movie’s famous bathroom fight—and that’s just the beginning! Cruise and Cavill have an incredible dynamic throughout the movie, jumping out of airplanes, flying around in helicopters, shooting guns, and more.

Fallout is everything that the Mission: Impossible franchise can and should be: big, fun, exciting, and, perhaps against all odds for a movie so utterly thrilling? Smart. It’s a smart movie! And it’s a total blast along the way

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Evan is the culture editor for Men’s Health, with bylines in The New York Times, MTV News, Brooklyn Magazine, and VICE. He loves weird movies, watches too much TV, and listens to music more often than he doesn’t.