Every Mission: Impossible Movie, Ranked by Action (2024)

In 1996, American screenwriter and director Brian De Palma released Mission : Impossible, an adaptation of the '60s television show of the same name. Led by Tom Cruise and also starring Jean Reno, Jon Voight, and Vanessa Redgrave, Mission: Impossible was a box-office hit that introduced moviegoers to a new world of espionage. Nearly three decades later, the Mission: Impossible franchise is still going strong, with an eighth entry expected next year.

Regarding quality and rewatchability, M: I is among the most consistent movie franchises ever made. Every entry has a little bit of something for everyone: comedy, drama, suspense and, of course, action. As the movies have gone on, the action setpieces and real-life stuntwork have only grown more impressive. Each entry is spectacular in its right, but it's undeniable that some movies are better executed than others. This is every Mission: Impossible movie ranked by the quality of the action, with each proving they are leagues above most other similar movies.

7 'Mission: Impossible' (1996)

Directed by Brian De Palma

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) leads an Impossible Mission Force on a covert operation to halt the theft of classified documents. When the mission goes horribly wrong and leaves most of his team dead, Hunt is forced into hiding as the CIA believes him a traitor. Now, without the assistance of any government organization, Hunt must find allies that can be trusted to help him clear his name.

Mission: Impossible is considerably more low-key than any other movie in the franchise. In this entry, the action takes a backseat to espionage, making it much more in line with the television series that it's based on and closer to Brian De Palma's directorial sensibilities. Mission: Impossible isn't devoid of action; however, a climactic setpiece involving a helicopter chasing a train is thoroughly exciting, and the much-referenced scene where Hunt infiltrates a high-security room with a wire is perhaps the franchise's most iconic. All this considered, Mission: Impossible is a solid movie that has since been outdone by its successors.

Mission: Impossible

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Where to Watch

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Release Date

May 22, 1996

Cast

Tom Cruise , Jon Voight , Emmanuelle Béart , Henry Czerny , Jean Reno , Ving Rhames , Kristin Scott Thomas , Vanessa Redgrave

Runtime

110 minutes

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Writers

David Koepp , Steven Zaillian , Robert Towne , Bruce Geller

6 'Mission: Impossible 2' (2000)

Directed by John Woo

When the creator of an incredibly lethal Chimera virus is murdered, and the antidote is stolen, Ethan Hunt is recruited to recover it and intercept the sale of the virus, destroying it once and for all. The target is a rogue IMF agent (Dougray Scott) and his ex-girlfriend (Thandiwe Newton), whom Hunt believes can be used as an undercover asset.

Mission: Impossible 2 is a high-stakes, slick action thriller from legendary Hong Kong director John Woo; still, most would agree that it is the sore thumb of the franchise. While not unwatchable, Mission: Impossible 2 is the only movie in the franchise that could be deemed "bad." Woo's heavily stylized action flourishes simply isn't the right fit for the franchise, and the narrative doesn't do much to make up for it. Still, there is more action here than in Mission: Impossible, but it's largely weightless and not particularly exciting.

Mission: Impossible 2

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Where to Watch

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Release Date

May 24, 2000

Cast

Tom Cruise , Dougray Scott , Thandiwe Newton , Ving Rhames , Richard Roxburgh , John Polson

Runtime

123

Writers

Bruce Geller , Ronald D. Moore , Brannon Braga , Robert Towne

5 'Mission: Impossible III' (2006)

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Legendary IMF agent Ethan Hunt, now retired from combat missions and living a quieter life with his fiancé Julia (Michelle Monaghan), is forced back into conflict when a maniacal arms dealer murders one of Hunt's agents. The arms dealer, Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), is particularly sad*stic and makes it his mission to kill both Hunt and Julia. J.J. Abrams makes his directorial debut in this third entry to the Mission: Impossible series.

Mission: Impossible III is when the Mission: Impossible franchise found its groove. In terms of both its slick action and sleek presentation, it delivers consistently exciting and explosive setpieces. One particular standout sequence finds Hunt in the midst of an ambush taking place on a bridge. The stakes are high, with Hoffman's Owen Davin ranking as one of the best villains in the Mission: Impossible series. Mission: Impossible IIIset a precedent for future entries in the franchise, and while it has since been surpassed in terms of scale and execution, it's still a more than worthwhile action thriller.

Mission: Impossible III

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Where to Watch

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Release Date

May 5, 2006

Cast

Tom Cruise , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Ving Rhames , Billy Crudup , Michelle Monaghan , Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Keri Russell , Maggie Q

Runtime

126 minutes

Writers

Alex Kurtzman , Roberto Orci , J.J. Abrams , Bruce Geller

4 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)'

Directed by Brad Bird

Ethan Hunt is tasked with identifying and apprehending terrorist Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who is plotting a nuclear attack on the United States. An effort to stop Hendricks leads to the Kremlin being decimated with the IMF being implicated. As a result, the IMF is forced to initiate the Ghost Protocol and disavow all active agents while shutting down operations. Hunt, now a wanted man and rogue agent, takes it upon himself to form a team and eliminate Hendricks.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol continued the franchise's upward trend and delivered a terrific action adventure that's lighter in tone than Mission: Impossible 3 but doubles down on the spectacle. This entry takes advantage of multiple exotic locations, most notably Duba's Burj Khalifa, which saw Cruise perform one of the most daring stunts of his career. Standout moments include a prison breakout and a pulse-pounding fistfight in an automated parking garage. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is an exciting ride that serves up a generous amount of inspired action.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Where to Watch

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Release Date

December 21, 2011

Cast

Tom Cruise , Jeremy Renner , Simon Pegg , Paula Patton , Michael Nyqvist , Vladimir Mashkov

Runtime

132 minutes

Writers

Josh Appelbaum , André Nemec , Bruce Geller

3 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)'

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

A Russian stealth submarine utilizing advanced AI is destroyed and as a result, the two halves of a key used to control the AI become the most sought-after assets in the world. Ethan Hunt and his IMF team are tasked with tracking down and securing both halves of the key before an enemy from Hunt's past can use it for evil.

In what is the longest entry in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One consistently delivers some of the series' most breathtaking and memorable setpieces. Car chases, foot chases, a sweeping sword fight, and navigating a train teetering off the edge of a bridge; Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One sports some serious variety when it comes to the action. The sheer volcanic spectacle here is proof that the series is reaching its apex, making the wait for part two all the more difficult.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Release Date

July 12, 2023

Cast

Tom Cruise , Hayley Atwell , Rebecca Ferguson , Simon Pegg , Ving Rhames , Pom Klementieff , Henry Czerny

Runtime

163 Minutes

Writers

Christopher McQuarrie , Bruce Geller , Erik Jendresen

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2 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)'

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

A Senate committee deems the IMF inefficient and wreckless and disbands it. Naturally, Hunt isn't one to give up on a mission and continues his pursuit of a dangerous, shadowy organization known as the Syndicate. A fugitive of the CIA, Hunt must coordinate his allies in secret as shady British agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) enters the fray with mysterious motives.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation continued the globetrotting adventure trend of Ghost Protocol but offered even more expertly choreographed and visually stunning action. A particularly exciting sequence sees Hunt ditch a car for a freeway motorcycle chase that doesn't even allow him the luxury of a helmet. As always, Cruise performs his own stunts, including the now-iconic underwater vault stunt. It never gets old watching him dangle from the side of a plane as it takes off from a runway, making Rogue Nationone of the series' most thrilling and adrenaline-pumping entries.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Where to Watch

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*Availability in US

Release Date

July 31, 2015

Cast

Tom Cruise , Jeremy Renner , Simon Pegg , Rebecca Ferguson , Ving Rhames , Sean Harris

Runtime

131 minutes

Writers

Christopher McQuarrie , Drew Pearce , Bruce Geller

1 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)'

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Formed from the remnants of the Syndicate, the Apostles are a criminal organization planning a multipronged nuclear attack that threatens the lives of millions. Once again under scrutiny for their operational procedures, Ethan Hunt and the IMF are forced to collaborate with hardheaded CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill). Old enemies and allies alike throw their hats into the ring in a race for plutonium cores.

Not only the strongest movie in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is one of the best action movies of all time. Relentlessly paced and packed with standout sequences that make up many of the series' best, Mission: Impossible - Fallout demonstrates action movie filmmaking at its most breathless and visually impressive. An immaculately choreographed bathroom fight scene between Cruise, Cavill, and Laing Yang stands as the best hand-to-hand combat the series has seen so far. Meanwhile, a climactic helicopter chase sequence through snow-capped valleys seals the deal on Mission: Impossible - Fallout providing the best action the franchise has to offer.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Where to Watch

• stream
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*Availability in US

Release Date

July 27, 2018

Cast

Tom Cruise , Henry Cavill , Ving Rhames , Simon Pegg , Rebecca Ferguson

Runtime

147 minutes

Writers

Bruce Geller , Christopher McQuarrie

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