Tom Cruise just released another iconic “see you at the movies” teaser, hyping fans up for the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning film. Cruise thanks fans for their support, then promptly jumps out of an airplane, hinting at even more wild stunts in the franchise’s future. This isn’t the first time fans have seen Cruise jump out of a plane, and it won’t be the last.
Viewers haven’t been treated to a Mission: Impossible film since 2018, so it’s about time Paramount Global quenched our thirst. But if you’re wondering if Dead Reckoning will hold up against its predecessors, let’s take a look back at the franchise’s track record, according to IMDb.
Updated on July 14, 2023, by Hannah Saab:
Fans continue to flock to cinemas to catch the latest installment in the long-running franchise, with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One already impressing audiences and critics alike – its high IMDb score reflects the positive reactions to Cruise’s newest film, potentially cementing it as the best Mission Impossible movie so far (at least until part two).
7 ‘Mission: Impossible II’ (2000)
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Although boasting one of Hollywood’s most famous mountain-climbing sequences, Mission: Impossible II is the lowest-ranked film on this list. Starring Dougray Scott as antagonist Sean Ambrose, and Thandiwe Newton as Nyah Hall, MI:2‘s acting and action carry this flat spy thriller all the way home.
The film shows Ethan and Nyah hunting down Sean in Sydney, Australia after he’s stolen a chemically engineered virus called Chimera. Despite being a bad sequel to a great movie, Chimera’s threats of a deadly pandemic make MI:2 more relevant today than it was twenty-three years ago, making it an essential viewing for any Mission: Impossible fan.
6 ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ (2015)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation takes a larger leap into the modern era of espionage. In this chapter, Ethan’s recklessness has drawn unfavorable attention when CIA Chief Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) disbands the IMF, leaving him to fend for himself, once again.
The disbandment is quite untimely as an opposing secret organization called the Syndicate begins making its move to disrupt all order in the world. Returning ensemble Luther, Benji and Brandt help Ethan fight this enemy alongside newcomer Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson).
5 ‘Mission: Impossible III’ (2006)
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
The added performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman makes Mission: Impossible III one of the most intense entries in this series. Trying to settle down, Ethan Hunt is forced back into spy work when Hoffman’s Owen Davian is revealed to be in possession of a deadly weapon.
Michelle Monaghan enters the franchise as Ethan’s wife, Julia, and falls into the center of MI:3‘s deadly game. Not only must Ethan recover the weapon, Rabbit’s Foot, but he must also save Julia from the clutches of Davian, a merciless killer of the likes Ethan has never encountered.
4 ‘Mission: Impossible’ (1996)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
The movie you didn’t realize was based on a TV show, Mission: Impossible introduced audiences to Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt as he tries to clear his name of his entire team’s murder. The film evokes nostalgia from the original television series while also making leaps into the modern age.
Ethan, without the help from IMF (a situation he seems to encounter in every installment) recruits franchise staple Luther (Ving Rhames) to help uncover the true culprit behind this eerie conspiracy. Many iconic stunts and tropes were made in this film, and would inspire countless callbacks in future installments.
3 ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ (2011)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Stepping away from the first three installments, Cruise and Paramount Global seemingly open a new chapter for Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Audiences are introduced to a new era of the IMF, with Ethan teaming up with new faces William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg).
Practically a movie with the same plot as the original 1996 film, Ghost Protocol regales viewers with a tale of murder as Ethan Hunt once again is framed for an attack on the IMF, and must find the true culprit. Coupled with stolen nuclear bombs, and a leisurely climb up the Burj Khalifa, Ghost Protocol is an essential viewing.
2 ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
A fan favorite in the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Fallout succeeds in adrenaline and stardom as Tom Cruise teams up with Henry Cavill in this thrilling installment. Although having the IMF back in his corner, Ethan is forced to operate independently when a black market plutonium bid goes awry.
The lines between good and evil are blurred more than ever in this sixth film, and Ethan’s efforts to recover the stolen plutonium become riskier by the second. Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson return alongside Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris‘ villainous Solomon Lane. It’s an exhilarating watch from start to finish.
1 ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ (2023)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
The latest installment in the franchise sees Ethan Hunt return to work alongside the IMF team as a truly terrifying new villain – a rogue AI – poses the risk of destroying everything in the world. The stakes are somehow even higher than ever before as the spy gives it everything he has to confront the wholly unique enemy that’s all too familiar.
With some of the wildest stunts in Cruise’s career, a notable focus on female characters, and a spine-chilling and convincing antagonist that’s arguably the best in the franchise so far, it’s easy to see why Dead Reckoning Part One has already garnered such a high IMDb score. Only time will tell if they can keep the momentum going in the now highly-anticipated Part Two (premiering June 28, 2024).
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