Anna Grimm 6/7/25 Anna Grimm 6/7/25

A Ranking Of The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies

To get ready for the final Mission: Impossible movie, The Final Reckoning, I watched all the movies in the franchise for the first time. They are serious, fun, and absolutely ridiculous at some points. Tom Cruise is amazing as Ethan Hunt, and there is no one else who could play the character the same way.

8. Mission: Impossible II

Fans tend to agree that this is the worst movie in the franchise. In my opinion, no Mission: Impossible movie is bad; it’s just that some are better than others. This movie has it all: Tom Cruise with long hair, multiple motorcycle chases, and Thandiwe Newton. There’s also an insane amount of mask reveals, the most of any of the movies. The story is a bit convoluted, and the worst of the franchise, but the movie is still enjoyable.

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7. Mission: Impossible

This is what started the current franchise. It showed us Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt for the first time, and gave us an absolutely iconic scene, when Ethan needs to break into a vault. It doesn’t have the insane stunts the later movies do, and that’s okay, especially with it being the first movie in the franchise.

6. Mission: Impossible III

The third installment is a vast improvement from the second one. It’s directed by JJ Abrams and features the late-great Philip Seymour Hoffman as the villain. The story is much more personal for Ethan, as his wife is kidnapped.

5. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

This was the first part of a two-parter, which would round out the series. It introduces the antagonist Gabriel and the absolutely terrifying enemy known as the Entity. It’s the most difficult villain he has to face, and of course, it doesn’t all get wrapped up until the final film.

4. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

This final film is in no way perfect. It’s a bit too long, and certain scenes could’ve been cut down, but I still thought it was a great sendoff for Ethan Hunt. He has to fight the Entity before it destroys mankind. Since he’s Ethan Hunt, he cuts it extremely close, but is successful. It also has some nice callbacks to previous films. Tom Cruise also attempts one of the coolest and most insane stunts of the series, where he jumps from one biplane to another.

3. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

This is where the series starts to get really good. It’s a vast improvement from the first three movies, and this is where we start to see the insane stunts Tom Cruise decides to do as Ethan Hunt. This movie features the iconic Burj Khalifa scene, where Ethan Hunt has to climb the tallest building in the world. This film is a bit lower on the list, due to Luther, my favorite character, barely being in the movie. It does, however, introduce Benji (Simon Pegg), so that is a bonus.

2. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

The IMF has been disbanded, but that doesn’t mean Ethan Hunt is out of work. There is a new enemy that emerges, and they call themselves the Syndicate. They are a group of terrorists who are trying to establish a new world. This movie also introduces the character of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who becomes one of my favorite characters.

1. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

This movie is my favorite in the franchise. The story is good, it has Henry Cavill as a great villain, and it continues the story from the previous movie. It also features a great helicopter scene, with Tom Cruise doing another insane stunt.

There will never be another series like Mission: Impossible, and for now, it seems like this series has officially ended. The movies were always a fun time, and Tom Cruise is always entertaining to watch.

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