Mission Impossible Movie Ranking/Retrospective
I’m gonna miss this franchise…
Introduction
Howdy, movieholics! So for nearly 30 years now, the Mission Impossible movies have blessed with memorable action scenes, lovable characters, cool gadgets & gizmos, smart storytelling, and a leading man who continues to prove that he absolutely mad pulling off a ton of death-defying stunts (and we love him because of that AND his general acting of course). Therefore, in honor of The Final Reckoning being out in theaters right now, I figured I’d give my thoughts and ranking of all the Mission Impossible movies. Anyways, without further ado, let’s get this mission accomplished!
8. Mission Impossible 2 (2000, dir. John Woo)
Mission Impossible 2 is one of the strangest entries in any franchise because of how stylistically & tonally distant it feels compared to the others. Whereas the original Mission Impossible (which we’ll get to) felt a lot like a classic spy movie through-and-through, Mission Impossible 2 plays out more like a high octane action movie that happens to have spy elements to it. Now does that make the movie necessarily bad? Hmm… not exactly. It’s still an OK movie at best, but I never found it to be a complete disaster even when I first watched it. There are still quite a few solid action scenes (the climax, in particular, is a massive highlight), the performances are all still good work here, and it still contains some great craftsmanship altogether. Plus, I love whenever Ethan Hunt interacts with anybody as he shares strong chemistry with his co-stars. The chemistry between Ethan & Nyah (played by Thandie Newton), especially, was always an aspect of the film that I found to be delightful and it still holds true on this recent viewing.
That being said, it’s still not that great of a film altogether. The story & screenplay here is nothing all that special and feels like a massive detour from the franchise in many ways (so much that its successors completely forget about this one’s existence), which doesn’t really make this one necessary to watch if you really wanted to watch this entire franchise from back to back. The way that Ethan’s character is handled here, specifically, makes him come off as more of a suave bad boy, which is a major departure from how bighearted & considerate he usually is in the rest of these movies. The movie also goes on for way too long, which was also a big problem I had with one of John Woo’s previous films, Face Off. The first half, in particular, felt a lot more droning & exposition-heavy in its pacing on this rewatch than I remembered it being, but thankfully it is somewhat made up for with a good enough second half that contains all the best scenes in the movie.
Overall, the best way that I can describe Mission Impossible 2 comes down to one word: decent. It is not a total failure of a film as it still contains a lot to appreciate & enjoy (particularly in the second half), but it never reaches the highs of the best that this franchise has to offers, all making for an OK, if unremarkable, popcorn film.
Rating: B- (6.5/10)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Hulu
7. Mission Impossible 1 (1996, dir. Brian De Palma)
My thoughts on the first Mission Impossible movie changed quite drastically on this most recent viewing than it did on my previous ones. When I first saw the film back in 2018, I found it to be OK if rather lacking compared to the rest of the franchise (and it remained the same back when I watched it in 2023). However, now that I have watched it again and have become more adjusted to it in a lot of ways, I now consider it to be a really good piece of entertaining, 90s summer blockbuster filmmaking. Perhaps it was because I was feeling quite tired during my previous times watching this film, but I found myself feeling more invested and gripped by it now. It pretty much features anything that you want out of a classic feeling spy movie: action, suspense, twists & turns, and a likable main protagonist that you latch onto for the entire runtime. Another aspect of the film that I was surprised that I dismissed when I first watched it was how well directed & crafted it was on multiple fronts. There were a ton of impressive choices that are utilized in this film’s presentation that give it a ton of flavor and make you feel like you are watching an Alfred Hitchcock film. The use of dutch angles in the movie’s cinematography along with Brian De Palma’s excellent approach to blocking & staging (which is usually a major strength for a lot of these films) keep you hooked towards what you are watching even during simple conversation scenes.
With that said, the film does still have a couple of the problems that I had with it when I first watched it. The first of which is that the story does have quite a few areas of clunkiness, with a particular notice to the big twist that happens 80 minutes in that always threw me off every time I watched this film. I guess it was not as distracting on this viewing this time around now that I knew it was coming, but it still strikes me as a twist that made the plot feel more complicated than it needed to be. I also still laugh at some capacity watching the climax of this film due to how poorly the green screen & CGI hold up nearly 30 years later. It is still a good (if rather silly) climatic action scene, but it definitely could have benefited from using more practical effects to make it all look more convincing than it actually does.
However, in spite of these few flaws, I found myself enjoying Mission Impossible 1 more this time around. It is a movie that will constantly keep you immersed & entertained through its great action scenes & striking direction, even if it does have its shortcomings and feels a bit lightweight compared to what the series would become later on in its lifespan.
Rating: B+ (8/10)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Hulu
6. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025, dir. Christopher McQuarrie)
I already have a whole review dedicated to this film on this page, so definitely cruise my thoughts on it there if you want to know what I thought of it in full detail. But long story short, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is a strong albeit flawed conclusion to a nearly 30 year long saga that will go down as one of the best action franchises of all time (excluding 2 of course). Is the first half perhaps a bit too dialogue-heavy and could have been trimmed down? Sure. Are certain aspects of the writing & pacing clunky and could have been reworked? Yes. But as a full package, I do feel like the positives with this film definitely outweigh the negatives here. The second half is phenomenal and is where the movie finally starts to find its footing pacing wise, the underwater & plane sequences are some of the most intense & exciting of the entire series, Ethan receives a proper ending to his character and gives Tom Cruise one last chance to prove that he is absolutely insane for pulling off these crazy stunts (which we love him for), and the story still retains all of the high stakes that were established in the past couple films.
Like I said, it may not be on the same level of greatness as something like Fallout, Dead Reckoning, or even the third movie (all of which we’ll get to), but Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is a very good, emotionally stirring goodbye for this franchise and it contains everything you want out of a conclusion for this story & these characters in spite of these issues.
Rating: B+ (8.5/10)
Where To Watch: In theaters
5. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, did. Brad Bird)
Even though I loved Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol on my first two viewings, it lost a bit of its magic on this third viewing. Now don’t get me wrong, I still think this is a really good film, but I found myself not really feeling awe-inspired by it as I was before… except the Burj Khalifa scene. Yeah, still to this day, I am absolutely blown away by how they were able to pull off a scene like that and it is one of the most intense & breathtaking of the entire series. In fact, the whole first half of the movie contains a massive chunk of the best action sequences in the entire thing. The aforementioned Burj Khalifa, the prison escape at the beginning (with Ain’t That A Kick In The Head playing in the background), and the Kremlin scene are all wonderful scenes that keep you on the edge of your all throughout. The craft of this film plays a huge part in all of this, but Brad Bird’s prowess as a director here is by far the biggest reason why these scenes work. Every single shot & edit that he uses in this movie looks & feels perfectly timed & calibrated. Plus, it also helps that the film contains a great musical score by Michael Giacchino, brilliantly incorporated humor through the incredible inclusion of Benji, who plays a much bigger role in this franchise moving forward, and some excellent performances all around.
However, as we get into the second half, this is where I started to find the movie to be good, but not as great as I remembered it being. There’s nothing inherently that wrong about the second half, but it is the lesser of the two halves in my opinion. The pacing starts to lag around this point in the film and the action in said portion, while not bad at all, just wasn’t as memorable to me as the action scenes that were shown in the first half. I also wasn’t super thrilled by the story here. Not that it was bad per se, but it wasn’t anything to write home about and it felt like it was missing a lot of the heart that was present in 3. There are one or two scenes where it tries to capture said heart, but it was not nearly as impactful as it was in said film (though the very last scene before the credits was very nice).
But despite it not being quite on the same level as its successors or 3 in terms of story & pacing, I still think Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is an extremely worthwhile entry into the series that contains one of the most iconic moments in the whole franchise in that Burj Khalifa scene and still impresses as a way to show that Brad Bird is just as talented in directing live-action films (even though I’ve heard Tomorrowland is not very good) as he does in directing animated films.
Rating: B+ (8.5/10)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Hulu
4. Mission Impossible 3 (2006, dir. J.J. Abrams)
With every viewing, Mission Impossible 3 grows on me more & more. It reinvigorates the series into a path of greater heights after how much of a critical failure its predecessor was and proves that these films can be labeled as blockbuster that can be simultaneously fun AND smart at the same time. Even though its successors would capitalize on this in a slightly stronger fashion, Mission Impossible 3 still contains a lot to offer in a ton of ways. From a story standpoint, it is a massive improvement over the second film, especially when it comes to how Ethan is utilized here. This is the film where we REALLY get introduced to the character that he would become moving forward, one who shows a ton of love and care for the lives of those who team up with him on his missions AND his girlfriend (played by Michelle Monaghan), making him a much more likable protagonist here than he was in the previous film. There are also quite a few excellent action scenes to behold, most of which I find to be some of the most underrated in the entire series. The factory shootout, the bridge attack, & the climax in Shanghai are all fantastic and are brought to life through J.J. Abrams’ direction and the generally strong filmmaking.
Speaking of Abrams’ direction, even though I just praised it, I wouldn’t really call it PERFECT. There are times in which he utilizes shaky cam in a way that feels a bit too distracting rather than adding to the intensity of the scene. The opening sequence, in particular, felt too disorienting to watch because of how overused the shaky cam felt without feeling like a natural fit for the scene. My only other (minor) caveat with the film is that some of the characters felt either underwritten or underdeveloped. Theodore (played by Laurence Fishburne) & Musgrave (played by Billy Crudup) are two good examples as these characters serve no purpose other than to either deliver necessary exposition or move the plot forward in some capacity. I also wish that the villain had more screen time to allow for more dedication to fleshing out his character more. Phillip Seymour Hoffman delivers a really solid performance as him, but it could’ve been an all-timer performance had the screenplay given some more focus towards him.
In spite of these minor caveats though, Mission Impossible 3 still succeeds in bringing some new life into the franchise while being an absolute blast to watch from start to finish. Do give this one a rewatch, in particular, as I feel like this is one of the more underrated entries in this series.
Rating: A- (9/10)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Hulu
3. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015, dir. Christopher McQuarrie)
From a sentimental standpoint, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation holds a special place in my heart since this was the very first one that I had ever seen. Obviously I would go on to check out the rest of the franchise since then, but I really do owe it to this one, in particular, for inspiring me to see all the other ones. Anyways, this was still just as terrific as I thought it was on my previous viewings and would make way for my personal pick for my favorite director of these movies: Christopher McQuarrie. He takes all of the best aspects of the work of those who previously directed these films and morphs them into his own in terms of presentation. If anything, I consider McQuarrie’s directing for these to be on the same caliber as Brad Bird for Ghost Protocol, presenting every action set piece with a ton of outstanding technical prowess along with stellar blocking & staging. This makes for a ton of action scenes here that all deliver in their own unique way. The plane sequence at the beginning, the Vienna Opera, the underwater scene in Torus, and the chase scene in Morocco (followed up by an awesome motorcycle chase) are particularly huge highlights and all manage to garner a feeling of wonder out of you.
But not only is the action fantastic, it also has one of the better stories out of all the Mission Impossible movies. Sure the stakes feel a bit more amped up in the following entries, but this is where things are taken on a whole new level in terms of stakes as The Syndicate becomes a more prominent aspect of the next few films and makes for some of the most threatening foes that the IMF have ever faced. They also have the added bonus of this movie introducing who would become one of the best characters in the franchise: Ilsa Faust. She is a highly formidable addition the series and has one of the best character arcs in the entire series. Plus, she is backed up with some spectacular acting by Rebecca Ferguson, capturing the character’s volatile, cunning nature while portraying her physicality equally well, especially during her action sequences. Also, I found myself really caring for the friendship between Ethan & Benji in this film. They inject a good amount of heart to the story and the chemistry between each other (and Ilsa) makes for a lot of fun interactions that even have a great dose of humor added into the mix.
Other than the pacing of the climax to be a bit clunky and a couple of characters being a little too underused (particularly Luther), Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is still a strong entry in this series and was the one that started my journey through what I consider to be one of the most consistently enjoyable action franchises ever made.
Rating: A- (9/10)
Where To Watch: Hulu
2. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (2023, dir. Christopher McQuarrie)
I already have a whole review for Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning when it came out on my Instagram & Letterboxd, so you can check that review out if you want to know my full thoughts. But to put it shortly, I feel like that review is still pretty accurate after this most recent rewatch. Aside from the pacing feeling a little choppy, this is a prime example of a part one (of two movies) that makes you excited and eager for more by the time it ends. The story still contains a lot of the high stakes that were established in Fallout and is fun to follow along, the action scenes are still great & well-done, Grace is a fun addition to the cast that reminds me quite a bit of Ilsa with her own unique spin on said character, Lorne Balfe delivers yet another fantastic score that is almost on the same level as Fallout in terms of much it adds to the movie altogether, and it contains a phenomenal climax that, while not QUITE on the same level as Fallout’s in terms of suspense/tension, still keeps you gripped into your seat and makes you feel invested in these characters without holding back. I also have to once again give it huge credit for how it utilizes AI as a gigantic threat to our heroes due to how much it enhances the aforementioned stakes of the story by making it feel like a borderline supernatural threat (metaphorically speaking) that looms throughout the movie and progressively creates a bigger sense of peril the more the movie goes on for.
Again, read my other review if you want the full gist, but do know that Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning still holds up incredibly well on rewatch. It’s just as thrilling & impressive as the rest of the best in this franchise while also leaving you satisfyingly hungry for what’s to come in part two.
Rating: A (9.5/10)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Paramount+
1. Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018, dir. Christopher McQuarrie)
I feel like almost everybody knows why Mission Impossible: Fallout is such a masterful movie in every way so I won’t harp on this one too much. But simply put, this has EVERYTHING that you want out of a Mission Impossible movie and then some. Exhilarating action sequences, memorable characters, strong performances, an intelligent story that is filled with super high stakes, the perfect amount of humor to balance the tone, and striking filmmaking galore. In terms of said filmmaking, everything about it comes together to make for an action movie that looks & sounds perfect through-and-through. From the excellent sound design, to the magnificent cinematography by Rob Hardy, Eddie Hamilton’s amazing editing, Lorne Balfe’s pulse-pounding score, and some of Christopher McQuarrie best work in the director’s chair never fail to wow me and help in making me feel as invested in this film as possible. They also intertwine together to make for what I think are the best action scenes in the entire series. Everything from the halo jump, to the bathroom scene, to the motorcycle scene in Paris, Ethan chasing John Walker, and ESPECIALLY the entire climax in Kashmir are just out-of-this-world-level sensational and constantly keep me hooked to the screen from beginning to end.
I don’t really have much to add about Mission Impossible: Fallout that hasn’t been said already by multiple other people, so the only thing left to say is that this movie is pure action blockbuster filmmaking at some of its finest and is by far my favorite film in the entire franchise. Just… WOW! What a movie!
Rating: A+ (10/10)
Where To Watch: Paramount+
And that is it! Those are my thoughts on each Mission Impossible movies! Do let me know what YOUR favorite Mission Impossible movies is in the comments below and I will see you guys next time!
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You put Mission: Impossible III in precisely the correct place! (unlike soooo many others, boooo.) It's personally my all-time fave, but objectively it goes right where you slotted it.
Interesting how highly you rank the first Reckoning. I've yet to see either (7 or 8) but soon!
Mission Impossible 3 is o e of those movies where the more times I watch it, the more i love it. Definitely one of the most underrated in the entire franchise.