Every ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie ranked
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(Credit: Paramount)
The Mission: Impossible franchise is a curious tale of evolution and reinvention, from its inception as a 1960s TV show to its rebirth as a modern cinematic behemoth led by Tom Cruise.
A wild kaleidoscope of spy-jinks and audacious action, it began as the brainchild of Bruce Geller, whose high-concept television series focused on the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) and their covert operations. It was a sign of the times, a product of Cold War anxieties and the burgeoning spy genre, epitomised by the iconic line: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”
Fast forward three decades to 1996, when the sands of Hollywood started to shift. The genre had grown stale, and the spy game needed a new player. This was Tom Cruise’s cue – a leading man with a reputation for high-octane performances and an unquenchable thirst for adrenaline. Backed by Paula Wagner and Cruise/Wagner Productions, Mission: Impossible was about to get a much-needed facelift. The television show was dusted off, repackaged and presented as a blockbuster movie under the direction of Brian De Palma, a maestro of suspense and psychological thrillers. This new iteration was grittier, sleeker, and, most importantly, led by a bona fide movie star.
Cruise, reprising the role of Ethan Hunt, brought with him a raw intensity and passion for practical stunts that became the franchise’s signature. Despite changes in directors and varying tones, each instalment carried this thread, embodying Cruise’s fearlessness and relentless pursuit of authenticity. The franchise morphed into an ever-escalating series of impossible stunts, from scaling Dubai’s Burj Khalifa to hanging off an airborne plane, most performed by Cruise himself. The transformation was stark: from a quiet, methodical show about subterfuge and deception, Mission: Impossible became a roaring testament to Hollywood’s capacity for spectacle.
Over the years, the franchise, much like its relentless star, has refused to slow down. Seven films in, with Part Two of Dead Reckoning on the horizon, Mission: Impossible has become synonymous with Cruise’s daredevil persona and “high-risk, high-reward” action filmmaking. What began as a leap of faith in the mid-1990s has become a cinematic institution, forever changing how we perceive spy thrillers and the boundaries of film stunts. And now, for our mission, should we choose to accept it…
Ranking every Mission: Impossible movie worst to best:
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