Shortly after writing my review for the latest Mission Impossible movie, a thought crossed my mind. There are now six movies in this franchise. Once more, I would argue that none of them are terrible, but some are undoubtedly better than others. Even the ones that are considered by many to be awful, understandably so, still have a unique kind of charm to them that make them fun, albeit in a particular way. Perhaps one of the things that have made them all so enduring is that, for the most part, each movie is self-contained. Any callbacks to previous installments are usually minor or are eloquently explained naturally. Once more, each subsequent film has made an effort to provide a sense of variety however possible. So, for your convenience, and for my own personal enjoyment (hopefully yours as well), Here is how I personally rank all of the Mission Impossible movies.
In order from my most personal favorite to the least, here it is.
#1
The fifth installment in the franchise, Rogue Nation is, at least to me, where the franchise indeed hit its peak. Not only does this film contain arguably the best action scenes in the entire series, but it also has the most amount of twists and turns it could possibly have without overcrowding the narrative. This movie has the perfect balance of story, plot, action, character growth, texture, and overall entertainment value that if the franchise had just stopped here, I would have been okay with that. Not to say that I didn't want to see more of these movies, only that this would have been the perfect place to stop if all parties involved had decided it was time to do so. Even better, you can go straight into this movie without having seen any of the previous installments. There are one or two small elements within the film that are carried over from previous movies, but the most that is required to appreciate them is a quick google search or a brief introduction from a friend who has seen the previous films. It is the one installment I can watch many times over and still enjoy the most. This is one mission you should definitely choose to accept.
#2
The fourth installment in the franchise, it is not required viewing to fully appreciate Rogue Nation, but it does help. If only to further solidify the superior nature of Rogue Nation. This is where the franchise began its journey towards trying to tackle things differently. It had a lot of neat aspects going for it. Such as being the live-action directorial debut of legendary animation director Brad Bird, featuring arguably the most impressive stunt of Tom Cruise's career (scaling the Burj Khalifa), and introducing Jeremy Renner into the franchise. Add to that some good jokes, impressive action scenes, and mostly witty dialogue, and you've got a fun flick. What keeps this movie from being as high as Rogue Nation are, at least to me, easy to forgive and tolerable to overlook. Namely, the villain and his motivations are too one-dimensional and not very interesting, some of the jokes get a little repetitive, and its use of female characters is...passible at best and unintentionally sexist at worst. To use a video game analogy, this is a secret level you can play just before the big boss fight. It's not required, but it is a nice bonus which helps you further appreciate the upcoming awesomeness of Rogue Nation.
#3
The sixth and latest installment in the franchise, it is the cinematic equivalent of a marathon runner trying to beat his own record time by running a lot harder than he really should and not quite making it. And no, the irony of my using a marathon runner analogy to describe a Tom Cruise movie is not lost on me. LOL. While I still stand by my original assessment of this films overall quality, flawed but fun, what keeps me from ranking it higher on this list is the very nature of its flaws. For one thing, it has way too many sub-plots. There are too many twists and turns, callbacks to previous movies, and acts of misdirection, that it often at times feels less like a movie and more like that magic trick where you have to follow the ball amongst three identical cups only to be surprised at the balls disappearance or the sudden appearance of more balls. Moreover, this installment seems to have fallen victim to the Hollywood trend of trying to emulate Marvel Studios (something I forgot to mention in my review) where it attempts to create a more extensive level of continuity and connection to the previous films at the last minute, not unlike what Sony tried to do with their previous Bond film Spectre. Despite that, unlike the dull and tedious slog that was Spectre, Mission Impossible: Fallout is still an overall enjoyable experience with great action scenes, mostly smart writing, and textured sympathetic characters. It may try to do too much, but it still does so with confidence. It's a level of enthusiasm that you can't help but appreciate.
#4
Here's where it all began. The very first movie. I can still recall when this one hit theaters while I was still in elementary school. I also remember the action figures the film spawned, complete with a rubber mask accessory that never really fit. It is a fresh and fun classic that I still love to this day. The reason I place it as number four on this list is not out of a lack of enjoyment for the film, but rather for being a different kind of experience. The vast majority of these movies have been well-crafted action adventure rides with some smooth spy stuff for good measure. Which, given how well balanced it usually is, is just alright for me. The very first movie, however, is a different beast entirely. Directed by Brian De Palma, best known then for The Untouchables and Raising Cain, this movie is more like a psychological thriller that happens to feature spy-oriented action. Again, though both elements are well balanced, I don't watch the first movie for its action scenes (remarkable as they are), but rather for its chilling atmosphere, gorgeous cinematography, and strong acting performances from the whole cast, especially Jon Voight. Also, let's face it, you can't even think of the title without conjuring up the image of Tom Cruise dangling from the ceiling typing on a computer. For those days when I'm in the mood for a chilling experience, this is one of my favorite choices.
#5
The third movie in the franchise was the little engine that could if it was on cocaine. The feature film directorial debut of J.J. Abrams (who at the time was best known for his work on television with shows like Lost and Alias) this movie was the cinematic equivalent of giving an already hyperactive child a ton of sugar and a video camera. It tries so hard to be edgy, slick, cool, and extreme, that what few moments there are to breath are spent trying despratly to remember what just happened a moment ago. When the camera isn't flying all around the action like a hummingbird, the editing assaults your brain with more quick cuts than a skateboarding video. And yet, what keeps this movie from getting ranked any lower on my list, and what ultimately makes this movie worth watching, at least once, is the incredible performance from the late great Phillip Seymour Hoffman. His portrayal of the main villain in this movie is so fantastic, so unnerving, and so intense that I would put it on par with Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker. It's one of those performances you really don't expect given the actor's history, but you are so flabbergasted with once you see it. Mr. Hoffman left us far too soon, but he left behind a great legacy, and his role in this movie is a big part of that. Rest in peace, Mr. Hoffman.
#6
The second, and by far, the most ridiculous installment in the franchise. I had just started high school when this movie hit theaters. So I was in the right age group this movie was laser targeted for, and even though my young adolescent mind still got a hell of a ride out of the dumb action, leather jackets & sunglasses, and pretty girls, I still didn't really understand what this movie was going for. The film was directed by John Woo, a Chinese action director whose style can best be described as what you would get if Michael Bay and Terrance Malick had a love child. Explosions, slow motion, overly glamorous lighting, sexual innuendos, over-the-top action set pieces, and of course, White Dove symbolism. Because it's not a John Woo movie if it doesn't have any White Doves flying in at just the right moment. While this is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a good movie, it is so unbelievably silly, so over-the-top, so unexplainably awesome, it actually becomes one of those "so bad it's good" movies. It's one of those movies where you can either turn your brain off entirely, or laugh at how utterly rediculious it is. And for that, it's not really awful, so much as it is just plain silly. If you need a good laugh or need to pick something for "Bad Movie" night, with a fun drinking game attached to it, then this is the mission to choose. Other than that, There's really no other reason to watch this garbage.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.
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