DVD Corner

Ranking The 7 Mission: Impossible Films

With “Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1” now in theaters, it’s time for an updated ranking. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to check out this list. 

1. Mission: Impossible- Fallout- The franchise at its absolute peak. This 6th installment has everything you could want from an action movie. The set pieces are glorious, there are storyline payoffs from previous entries, and Tom Cruise has never been better in the series.

2. Mission: Impossible 3- J.J. Abrams revitalized the franchise with a much needed character centric sequel that also features a great villain in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Owen.

3. Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation- The fifth installment gets better the more you watch it. Rebecca Ferguson and the action set pieces (namely the opening plane number and the motorcycle chase) really elevate it. 

4. Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol- Brad Bird’s M:I film is a bit on the overrated side due to an overabundance of humor and funky pacing. Still, you can’t go wrong with the building climb scene and Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton.

5. Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1- The praise for the newest sequel is honestly baffling to me. It feels like a colossal step back from ‘Fallout.’ While the AI story is relevant, the film is riddled with flaws. There’s far too much CGI action, Tom Cruise has little to do here, the exposition is clunky and dry, and the tone and pacing are all over the place. A few new cast members like Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff fare well here, but it’s not enough. Hopefully the second part delivers.

6. Mission: Impossible- The classic computer room scene aside, the first entry suffers from a truly moronic creative decision involving the character of Jim Phelps. 

7. Mission: Impossible 2- John Woo is a great action director to be sure, but this second entry was so goofy that it played like a John Woo spoof. Thandiwe Newton is great though.

July 13, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | List | Mission Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1, Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible 3, Mission: Impossible- Fallout, Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation, Ranking The 7 Mission: Impossible Films