Every Mission: Impossible Movie Ranked, From Worst to Best

Did anyone ever expect the “Mission: Impossible” franchise to have this much longevity? In every movie, Tom Cruise dons a ridiculous prosthetic mask, pulls off an impossible heist and even ends up forking over the thing he just stole to the very person he’s trying to keep it from in the first place. But across 22 years, six films and five directors, each “Mission: Impossible” movie has varied wildly in tone, style and cast while pushing the limits of wacky, action set pieces and preserving the tongue-in-cheek spirit of the original TV series. With “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” the sixth film in Cruise and Paramount’s franchise hitting theaters Friday, we chose to accept this nearly impossible mission of trying to decide which ones we like best. This list will self destruct in five seconds.

6. “Mission: Impossible II” (2000)

At times watching John Woo’s “Mission: Impossible” sequel is like watching an ad for sunglasses or cologne. The hyper-stylized action, everything from massive and unnecessary explosions, bullet-time slow motion, an endless supply of bullets and bodies, and God help us, doves circling Tom Cruise, feel like an awful relic of the late ’90s. What’s more, Woo’s Ethan Hunt is somewhere between “The Matrix’s Neo” and a smarmy, lothario James Bond. And the film wastes the talents of Thandie Newton and turns her character into a prop. Woo helped transition this franchise what it is today, but “M:I II” has aged horribly.

5. “Mission: Impossible III” (2006)

If Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the best part of most movies, it’s certainly true of this one. He’s the “M:I” franchise’s best villain; unflinching, ruthless and so emotionally detached that he’s truly scary. Beyond that, there’s a lot to like about “M:I III,” but it lacks one truly memorable, gangbusters set piece. J.J. Abrams goes out of his way to take this franchise much more seriously, bringing along with him his gritty shaky cam, lens flares and turning Ethan Hunt into both a family man and a marine (how is there both a wedding and a funeral in this movie?) rather than a cocky, rogue, super spy. It might be the most polished entry, but also the least fun.

4. “Mission: Impossible” (1996)

The first “M:I” film is strange. Up until the ending’s absurd helicopter chase with Cruise clinging for life on the back of a high speeding train, “Mission: Impossible” is not an action movie and miles away from the franchise it would become. But Brian De Palma’s film is still a fascinating story of espionage and suspense. De Palma loads it with foggy, noir-lit alleyways, imposing low-angle close-ups and lots of exposition. Weirdly, one of its most gripping set pieces is literally Tom Cruise sending out hundreds of emails on an ancient computer. But the pin-drop quiet heist sequence holds up beautifully. Cruise’s svelte, acrobatic display is still incredibly engrossing and tense.

3. “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (2011)

Brad Bird was a natural to direct a “Mission: Impossible” movie. His “Incredibles” films owe quite a bit to the original TV series, and with “Ghost Protocol,” Bird gets to play with campy, even cartoonish gadgets on a big scale. When he levitates Jeremy Renner with a magnetic suit or materializes a giant cushion, landing pad out of thin air, it looks like it should be straight out of a cartoon. Hunt and company are at their dopiest in this movie, but the breezy humor mixed with pathos hits just the right note. And the film’s crown jewel is still seeing the camera creep out the window of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa hotel to see Cruise (yes, that was literally him on the side of the tallest building in the world) make a daring climb and running descent down the side, arguably one of the best action sequences of this decade.

2. “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” (2015)

Everything started to click with “Rogue Nation.” From the opening scene of Cruise dangling off the side of a plane, to the elegant, lush assassination scene inside a Vienna opera, to a daring, hyper-kinetic motorcycle chase, the action set pieces are nonstop and each improve upon the last. “Rogue Nation” is popcorn movie fun with some playful dialogue, an often absurd premise and the same campy, prosthetic masks, but it also has genuine stakes and a sense of urgency. Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris are terrific standouts, and Cruise’s chemistry with his cast was never better.

1. “Mission: Impossible” – Fallout” (2018)

Save the best for last. Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie and company dare to do so much with “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.” A car chase through Paris continues far after you think it’s about to let up, relentlessly accelerating and quite literally fighting traffic and momentum. An early fight scene in a bathroom is as punishing and hits with as much blunt force as something out of “John Wick.” And one hilariously suspenseful exchange has more twists and double-crosses than you can count. But combine that with a story that grapples with Ethan Hunt’s sense of guilt and morality, and “Fallout” isn’t just the best “Mission: Impossible” movie but one of the best action movies in recent memory. It’s astonishing.