The “Mission: Impossible” franchise is considered to be one of the greatest action franchises of all time, spanning over 30 years and eight movies.Tom Cruise stars as the protagonist Ethan Hunt, an Impossible Mission Force, or IMF, agent who is tasked with solving impossible missions with his team of smart misfits. The franchise recently ended in 2025 with its final film and I had the opportunity to watch all eight films over the Christmas holidays. Here is my ranking of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ from worst to best.
8.) Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Directed by John Woo, the second installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise is considered to be the weakest film out of the bunch and a huge disappointment. The film tells the story of our protagonist Ethan Hunt as he is tasked with capturing a deadly virus before it’s released by terrorists. Alongside Hunt is his hacker side-kick from the first film, Luther, played by Ving Rhames, and Nyah Nordoff-Hall, played by Thandiwe Newton, a young thief who is pivotal to the story’s plot. This film, unlike the others, is mainly focused on the romance between Hunt and Nordoff-Hall. Their romance didn’t quite make sense as it did nothing to carry along the plot besides giving Hunt an incentive to complete the mission. At a runtime of two hours and three minutes, this film felt like an eternity. The sparse plot lacked complexity, relying on a romance to tug the story along as well as a villain whose motivations didn’t make any sense. This film didn’t quite feel like a “Mission: Impossible” film like its predecessor and the ones after it. It does get better from here, but this was a pretty low point for the franchise.
7.) Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
The final film of the franchise, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, follows Hunt and his team on one last mission to save the world from the “Entity,” a rogue artificial intelligence that has successfully infiltrated global intelligence networks. This film is the second part of the final installment of the series, as its predecessor shares a similar plot line. My expectations for this film were pretty high and I was fairly let down. The main weaknesses of this film were its runtime and pacing. At well over two hours, “Final Reckoning” frequently drags, spending way too much time explaining its plot points, rather than allowing the story to unfold in real time. The action scenes, while nice to look at and allow the audience to pay further attention, aren’t as thrilling as the many other sequences from the past three decades. The action scenes felt incredibly long and even repetitive at times. My main issue with the film is its closure. After 30 years, the closure didn’t sit well with me as it felt forced and underdeveloped. Though it sounds like this should be below “Mission: Impossible 2,” I did enjoy a few scenes as well as the cinematography and visuals. Other than that, this film could’ve been better in my opinion and the iconic character of Ethan Hunt could’ve had a better send off.
6.) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023)
The first part of the final installment of the series, also directed by McQuarrie, “Dead Reckoning” details the journey of Hunt and his team as they try to find the rogue artificial intelligence called the “Entity” that poses a real threat if it ends up in the wrong hands. This film, in my opinion, is the better one out of the two final installments. While it is entertaining and has beautiful visuals, it didn’t fully reach the anticipated tension and storytelling as the other films have. One of my favorite features about this film is its action. Most, if not all, of the action sequences relied on practical effects rather than CGI, demonstrating the franchise’s commitment to realism and also creating excitement and enjoyment for the audience. In contrast, the film’s pacing is uneven. Throughout its two hour and forty-four minute runtime, there are moments when the plot is moving along very quickly, but then slows down as the film tries to explain more plot points. The concept is interesting yet the execution lacks emotional depth within its characters. It’s a solid entry into the series but isn’t as strong as the previous films.
5.) Mission: Impossible (1996)
The first entry into the franchise, “Mission: Impossible,” directed by Brian De Palma, introduces audiences to the world of the Impossible Mission Force and the craziness that comes with Ethan Hunt. Following Hunt once more, Hunt becomes a prime suspect after his mentor, Jim Phelps, played by Jon Voight, is killed during a routine mission and recruits a team to prove his innocence. This film is very entertaining, full of twists and turns, beautiful cinematography and editing, action sequences and wonderful performances by the ensemble cast. There’s no mistaking that this film set very high expectations for the rest of the series, noted by De Palma’s immersive direction. Although, with this type of direction by De Palma, there can be a few mixed up features such as the film’s pacing. With a run time of an hour and 50 minutes, the film does slow down due to lengthy exposition, which is to be expected as an introduction film. The final act does speed up and lean into the traditional action sequences that the next films portray, just not at the scale or intensity that the later, more modern films delivered. Despite being flawed, ‘Mission: Impossible’ became a very influential film in regards to the action genre and established the franchise’s identity, creating a tense and stylish introduction that paved the way for stronger sequels.
4.) Mission: Impossible lll (2006)
Set a few years after the second installment, “Mission: Impossible lll,” directed by J.J. Abrams, depicts a retired Hunt who is forced back into the field after a cunning villain kidnaps Hunt’s fiancee in exchange for a biological weapon. This film was seen as a “comeback” for the franchise after the monumental flop of the second film and I agree. Unlike the one before it, this one was widely entertaining and I was very engaged with its story. I believe this is the most underrated film of the series with great performances out of its cast, beautifully constructed action sequences, and emotional depth given to its characters. One of the film’s greatest strengths is its villain. This film was the only “Mission: Impossible” film Phillip Seymour Hoffman worked on, portraying Owen Davian, the cruel and cunning arms broker who forces Hunt out of retirement. This is my favorite, if not the best, villain performance in the franchise. His performance brought a level of realism that isn’t seen in films such as these, playing a man who is calm and unpredictable and yet feels threatening in every way. The conflict between Hunt and Davian seems personal as this is the first film in the franchise to give Hunt a life outside of IMF and allow audiences to connect more with him. At a runtime of two hours and six minutes, there are some minor flaws such as underdeveloped supporting characters such as Hunt’s fiancee Julia and plot elements that are left intentionally vague. However, these little flaws don’t take away from how influential and strong this entry into the franchise was.
3.) Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
The fifth installment, “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” is the first film of the franchise to be directed by McQuarrie, and accompanies Hunt and his team as they take on a mission to eradicate “The Syndicate,” an international and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF. This film, as the other films do as well, balances action, suspense, and character development, enforcing the franchise’s image. “Rogue Nation” specializes in stealth, strategy, and tension, bringing the series closer to classic spy storytelling rather than giving it a modern edge. This film also introduces a pivotal character to the franchise, Ilsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson. Faust is a former MI6 agent who, in this film, infiltrated “The Syndicate” and hoped to dismantle it from within. Faust’s entry into the franchise quickly turned her into a fan favorite and added another layer of humanity and realism to the series. Spanning two hours and twenty-one minutes, “Rogue Nation” has breathtaking cinematography and a perfect score that immerses the viewer. It’s another strong entry into the series and a favorite of mine.
2.) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
The fourth installment, directed by Brad Bird, “Ghost Protocol” chronicles the journey that Hunt and his team go on after they lose funding from the government after a mission gone wrong. This film truly redefined the franchise, being incredibly energetic and visually striking. The film’s action sequences are memorable and creative, again relying on practical effects rather than CGI to pull the audience into the scene with them. With this installment, attention was pulled away from Hunt, allowing the supporting cast to play crucial roles in regards to the success of their mission. With a duration of two hours and twenty-three minutes, the cinematography is astonishing, emphasizing scale and movement, as well as the film’s use of technology contributes to the overall creativity of the film. There is a beautiful balance between humor, suspense, and action within the film, keeping audiences engaged until the credits. I deeply enjoyed this film and how much it impacted the franchise as a whole.
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Last but not least, the sixth installment, also directed by McQuarrie, continues the story of Hunt and his teams as they race to prevent nuclear catastrophe after a failed mission. This film is the best in the whole franchise. It stands out from others by delivering relentless tension, personal, emotional weight, and some of the best action sequences I’ve ever seen. The pacing of this film is perfect. From the beginning to the end, the film never lets up its sense of urgency. Every action sequence is placed perfectly throughout its two hour and thirty minute runtime, providing tightly edited and emotionally charged moments. Unlike its predecessors, “Fallout” trusts the audience to keep up with the story, rather than fill most of the film with explanations of the exposition. Hunt’s character development goes even deeper in this installment as the narrative challenges his moral code. This is the most morally challenged we have seen Hunt throughout these films and the screenplay does not disappoint. Overall, “Fallout” is one of the very few perfect action films. I’ll never stop thinking about this movie and how much it has changed my views on the action genre.
That completes my ranking of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. I never considered myself to be a fan of action films, but after viewing all eight of these, my perspective has shifted. I deeply respected Tom Cruise’s dedication to his role over these past three decades and his performance throughout all eight films never disappointed me. While most of the films are flawed, I still consider this series to be a good time for action movie buffs or just to pass the time.