A Definitive Ranking Of The Mission Impossible Movies
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A Definitive Ranking Of The Mission Impossible Movies

It's not that impossible to decide.

Connie Chen
Feb 13, 2021
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
35
A Definitive Ranking Of The Mission Impossible Movies
Youtube/Skydance Pictures

With the seventh Mission Impossible movie coming out later this year, I thought it would be a good time to rank all of the movies from before. This is my all-time favorite spy series (sorry, James Bond). The first movie of the series came out in 1996, based on a few TV shows of the same name. Tom Cruise stars in the series as Ethan Hunt, with actors Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson supporting him in multiple movies. In each installment, Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Mission Force, works with his team to save the world.

1. Mission Impossible: Fallout

I would definitely rank the newest Mission Impossible movie as the best of the series. It was amazing in so many ways. Unline the previous five installments, this one continued some of the conflicts from the previous movie. Additionally, there were some nice callbacks to previous movies, such as Max's daughter and the appearance of Julia, Ethan's fiancée who had practically (and confusingly) disappeared from the series after the third movie. The characters and plot were effective and well-thought-out, which can be said for most of the movies of the series. The stunts were also amazing. Tom Cruise made headlines for breaking his ankle and continuing on during one of his stunts. The one thing that lifted this movie to first for me was that this was the only installment of the series I've seen in theaters.

2. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Ranked after Fallout is the installment before Fallout, which is Rogue Nation! I always think of the two together, since Rogue Nation leads to the plot in Fallout. In terms of effects and plot, this movie is just as good! This cast is one of the most stacked of any of the movies (maybe besides the one coming out later this year). Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg return from their many previous installments, with their acting as solid as ever. The talented actor Jeremy Renner returns while Rebecca Ferguson is introduced into the series. The stunts, acting, and the setting (including an opera) make this movie breathtaking to watch!

3. Mission Impossible 3

I have a soft spot for this movie since this was the first Mission Impossible movie that I ever saw. While it definitely can be beaten in terms of effect or plot, this movie still has a bunch of good qualities. Simon Pegg, who is absolutely hilarious, is introduced to the series in this movie. Julia, who is Ethan's fiancee, is introduced as well, which makes for a great callback when we see her in the later movies. All in all, this installment is a great combination of seriousness and hilariousness, which makes for a great watch.

4. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is only ranked so low because the other movies have a little something extra to give them that ranking. That being said, this movie has many of the qualities that the other ones did. The acting and plot are magnificent, along with the stunts. The most iconic scene in this movie is the well-known Burj Khalifa scene, where Ethan Hunt scaled the outside of the building, thousands of feet from the ground.

5. Mission Impossible

This movie wasn't necessarily the worst (see below), but of the ones I liked, this one was one of the most confusing. As the first movie of the series, it was somewhat difficult for this movie to be consistent with the future movies. For example, (spoiler alret) almost all of the members of Ethan's team die in the first half of the movie. As the oldest movies, it's effects weren't as great as the other installments. Ving Rhames is introduced in this movie, and he appears in every movie afterwards, which is amazing!

6. Mission Impossible 2

Of all of the installments, I would rate this one as the worst. While it was hard to choose the order of the other five installments, I knew this one was definitely on the bottom. Mission Impossible 2 is best described as a confusing mess. This movie has such a different vibe from the others, in location, the very music-videoesque style, and the soundtrack. It's also pretty bothersome that the main love interest of the movie, Naya, is forgotten about in the rest of the series, which makes me want to boot out this installment altogether. The other movies are more coherent and much easier to watch, which is why this movie is last on the list. However, it should still be watched right after you finish watching the first movie for the first time.

Mission Impossible is one of the greatest spy series of all time. The characters are iconic and the actors are talented; the heart-racing scenes string together into a wonderful, mysterious plot. If you enjoy any spy or action movies, this series is worth the watch. Get ready for the seventh installment of Mission Impossible this November!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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