After almost 30 years, seven entries, and several delays, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will wrap up one of the biggest action franchises ever made on May 21st, 2025.
Or at least, that’s what was assumed given its unique two-part nature and extended running time, not to mention the use of the word ‘Final’ in the title.
Series custodians Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie have subsequently dampened down speculation that this might be the end for ageless IMF agent Ethan Hunt and his acrobatic form of espionage.
Still, it feels like Mission: Impossible’s eighth entry will be the end of something, even if it’s just the conclusion of a particular phase.
What better time, then, to reflect upon this most storied of franchises and rank all eight of its entries?
Which of these big-budget blockbusters is your favourite? Let us know below.
8. Mission: Impossible 2
As good as the original film remains, this uneven sequel hasn’t aged half as well. In fact, it’s flat out the worst in the series, despite a charismatic supporting turn from Thandiwe Newton and an impressive opening sequence that catches Cruise mid-freeclimb.
Hong Kong action great John Woo feels like an awkward fit for the slick world of Western super spies, his trademark slow-mo action sequences striking a bum note in a cinematic universe still figuring out what it wanted to be. Or rather, what its star and primary guiding force wanted it to be.
7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
It’s not a particularly popular opinion, but for us, the seventh and so far latest addition to the M:I series is comfortably one of its weakest. The plot is flabby, contrived (even by the franchise’s somewhat clunky standards), and altogether unsatisfying – and not just because it’s the first of a so-far-unresolved two-parter.
There’s still room for some excellent stuff in here, though, including Cruise parachuting off a plummeting bike onto a moving train, as well as the addition of Hayley Atwell’s plucky new character, Grace. The culling of Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa feels arbitrary, but hopefully it sets up a barnstorming closer.
6. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
The fifth Mission: Impossible film forms the start of the current arc, with franchise custodian (and close Cruise ally) Christopher McQuarrie taking the helm for the first time. Another of Cruise’s most famous practical stunts took place in this one too, with the then–53–year–old actor hanging off a transport plane as it takes off, to truly stomach-dropping effect. Rogue Nation also introduces Rebecca Ferguson as MI6 super spy Elsa – a recurring role that would reach its tragic denouement in the most recent entry.
5. Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning
The latest installation in the iconic franchise does not disappoint. It's another Tom Cruise x Christopher McQuarrie special which picks up from Dead Reckoning, and delivers even more death-defying aeroplane stunts, decades-old foes, and a seriously gripping submarine scene so tense and realistic it will have asthmatics reaching for their inhalers. A deep-faking dangerously smart AI that's brought the entire world to its brink? Sounds scarily plausible...
4. Mission: Impossible III
If the original M:I set down some core tenets for the series, it was M:I III that started steering the franchise towards a format that any modern audience would recognise. This is the entry that introduced Simon Pegg’s Benji (albeit in a relatively minor role) and Michelle Monaghan’s stakes-raising Julia. Elsewhere, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays arguably the greatest villain in the whole series.
This was also notable for being J. J. Abrams’s cinematic directorial debut, three years ahead of his successful Star Trek reboot. The hyperactive camera work is very of its time, but still effective.
3, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Just as M:I 3 took a gamble with a green J. J. Abrams, so the fourth entry in the M:I series gave Brad Bird his live-action debut. Of course, Brad Bird had serious form, having directed three consecutive animated masterpieces in The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille.
There’s certainly a dash of The Incredibles to some of the set pieces, including a caper-like prison break and a decidedly super-heroic climb up the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalif – perhaps the second-most famous set piece in the franchise’s history.
2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
The best of the modern-day McCruise run (is that a thing? I’m making it a thing), Mission: Impossible – Fallout somehow keeps up a relentless pace across its 147-minute running time. Moments of levity, high-stakes drama, and a dizzying variety of set pieces keep you glued.
Cruise is as committed to the practical stunt cause as ever, performing a real HALO (high altitude, low opening) jump, and even breaking his ankle during one rooftop leap. Henry Cavill doesn’t contribute much more than an impeccable moustache and a brawny bathroom fight scene, but it’s enough.
1. Mission: Impossible
Given the heights the franchise has reached (often quite literally) in its latter years, it might seem perverse to rank the original at the top of the pile. It’s certainly an outlier in the series, favouring twisty spy intrigue over bombastic run-and-gun action, but it’s a much more interesting and engaging film for it.
This is also the only film in the series helmed by a cinematic heavyweight. Brian De Palma’s direction is the true star of the show here, even above Tom Cruise’s megawatt smile, and its high-wire heist is one of the most iconic in cinematic history.
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