I Hate Mission Impossible.

But that's a lie; I actually love Mission Impossible. It's one of my favorite mainstream franchises. Why? I couldn't tell you. But over the past week, I watched 4 of the 7 films, so I decided to throw together a ranking of sorts.

1) Ghost Protocol - 5 Stars

Ghost Protocol is the best Mission Impossible has ever been. The team dynamics are silly enough that they feel like old friends but serious enough to keep the tension and stakes. The Stunt (Burj climb) was amazing, and the look and characterization of Ethan Hunt were also the best it's ever been (this is personal preference, he just looks better with longer hair). The only downside is that Luther is not there for most of the film (he's only in the last scene), and I do wish Jane stuck around a bit longer, but those were due to external conflicts.

2) Fallout - 4.5 stars

What is there not to love about Fallout? The sort of continuation of Rogue Nation, as Solomon Lane is once again standing opposite Ethan Hunt, leading to some of the best antagonist/protagonist tension from the whole series. Out of all the films I think I've seen this one the most. The stunt (helicopter + HALO jump) was breathtaking; honestly, I think one thing I admire about Mission Impossible is how much Tom Cruise wants to jump off and climb stuff. That is dedication.

3) Dead Reckoning - 4 stars

Yes, yes, I know Dead Reckoning is widely considered to be a better movie (I call it recency bias), but I just could not like the female lead Grace. I won't go into detail because (spoilers), BUT she did my fav Ilsa Faust dirty and I Love Dead Reckoning Ilsa Faust so much I care about her deeply. I do think the film is great, the stunt (Train stunt) was cool, the whole cast put 100% into it, and the McQuarrie-Cruise duo work really well together (I remember that press tour, sue me.) It definitely builds up the hype for Final Reckoning (releasing in 2025)

4) Mission Impossible - 4 stars

The original, the blueprint, the trendsetter. The first Mission Impossible is a lot of things, but I think the standout is the wacky spy gadgets. Gum that blows up when mashed together, cameras embedded in wire glasses, etc, etc. The set up of a young, cocky flirtation with Ethan Hunt that sticks for the first three movies fits that era perfectly. In general, the film is beautiful thanks to director Brian de Palma; the tension is perfect, especially with the iconic stunt (Vault Break in).

5) Rogue Nation - 3.5 stars

There is a lot I like about Rogue Nation, it introduces my favorite character from the franchise, Ilsa Faust, and it sets up one of my favorite antagonists, Solomon Lane. But it doesn't fully hit for me, mostly due to the fact that I like Ilsa's character in the following films because she isn't tied to being the illustrious double agent. The Vienna Opera scene is great; the Underwater vault and car chase are frankly genius. The stunt (Hanging off a plane as it takes off) was exhilarating, despite it being separate from the general plot.

6) Mission Impossible II - 1.5 stars

There is a good movie in here; you can see it in the individual scenes, but together, this is a bit painful. Becoming the lowest-rated MI film on Letterboxd is no easy task, between odd pacing and poorly aged 2000s jazz, most of MI 2 is driven by the fact that it would 'look cool.' The big stunt was also underwhelming, Ethan almost falls off a mountain while rock climbing; looks cool, but I do wish he got to do something a bit more besides the motorcycle jousting.

7) Mission Impossible III - Unrated

I really don't have much to say except I have seen this movie twice and I could not tell you a single thing that happened. Apparently, Philip Seymor Hoffman is in this one. I didn't know until I looked it up. Needless to say, until I get to do a rewatch this will be at the bottom.