Every ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movie, Ranked

It’s not very often that a movie franchise significantly grows better over time.

In an industry where disappointing sequels, underwhelming spinoffs, and/or hackneyed prequels have become the norm, the chances of seeing a franchise improve with each new entry remains something of an anomaly in the world of pop culture. In this sense, Mission: Impossible does the unthinkable (the impossible, if you will), handing in increasingly stronger sequels with every subsequent release.

Quite possibly the greatest spy series outside of James Bond, Mission: Impossible comes equipped with an action-packed series of adventures for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his team of IMF agents. Loaded with intense car chases, inventive gadgets, explosive fist fights, and heinous plots to plunge the world into anarchic chaos, Mission: Impossible has successfully captured audiences’ attention in a way few action franchises have been able to. From the series’ earliest entries to its most recent continuations, here is every film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, ranked in order from worst to best.

7. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

Mission: Impossible may not have any bad film per se, but like any major studio franchise, it also comes mired with somewhat lesser entries, none more so than 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2. While there’s no denying the appeal of its sensational visuals or intense action sequences, Mission: Impossible 2’s plotless narrative and thin characterization might leave audiences wanting more bang for their buck. Yet even with its plethora of weaknesses, there’s a clear charm surrounding this otherwise forgettable spy thriller, allowing it to excel as a first-rate action film guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat throughout.

6. Mission: Impossible (1996)

Big things tend to have surprisingly small beginnings, and the Mission: Impossible franchise is certainly no exception. Adapting the hit CBS series for film, director Brian De Palma outfits the Mission: Impossible universe with a sleek and stylish presentation here, ensuring the series’ successful transition from the small screen. Weaving together a variety of references to its TV counterpart while still taking the time to introduce a modern tone emblematic of the Pierce Brosnan-led 007 films, Mission: Impossible is a high-octane spy thriller viewers won’t want to miss.

5. Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)

The film that marked a turning point in Mission: Impossible’s creative direction, Mission: Impossible 3 elevated the series to new heights in the film industry, distancing itself from the half-baked narratives of the series’ initial two films. Utilizing a far more captivating villain and even more memorable set pieces, Mission: Impossible 3 set the tone for the entire M:I franchise moving forward, helping the series rise from a tech-heavy version of James Bond and stand tall as one of the most lauded espionage thrillers of the 21st century yet.

4. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

How do you fight an enemy you can’t even see? How do you tell friend from foe when any one of your allies could be a double agent? All of these questions and more form the backbone to Rogue Nation’s exciting narrative, continuing the Mission: Impossible’s recent trend of bigger and altogether better sequels that overwhelmingly surpass the original. Pushing Ethan and his team to their physical and psychological limits, Rogue Nation is a crowd-pleasing espionage thriller worthy of Die Hard, Fast & Furious, and the MCU rolled into one. What’s more, it also forms a fantastic prologue to the events of Fallout, leaving viewers to fervently wonder how the Syndicate will seek revenge against Ethan in the very near future.

3. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

After its initial three installments, audiences seemed to have formed their own definitive opinions about the Mission: Impossible series. Yet with the 2011 release of Ghost Protocol, viewers promptly had their expectations shattered with a thunderous explosion, paving the way for a sequel that completely revitalized the franchise in the years ahead. Spending just as much time on its story and characterization as it does on its audacious action, Ghost Protocol balances thrills with genuinely intelligent storytelling, setting the gold standard for every subsequent M:I film that followed in its wake.

2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

After introducing the enigmatic Syndicate in 2015’s Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible doubled down on the concept with its immediate sequel, Fallout. Focusing on Ethan’s continued crusade against the surviving Syndicate members, Fallout serves as yet another high-water mark for the series, delivering the single best M:I film up to that point in time. Weaving together a larger cast of characters – including a healthy mix of new and returning faces – Fallout’s meteoric pace and daunting action sequences rises to the same level as Mad Max, Terminator, or Skyfall, earning a distinguished place as one of the best action films in recent memory. 

1. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

It’s a rarity to see a third or fourth film in a franchise supersede the quality of the original, never mind a sixth or seventh installment that somehow earns positive reviews. But just as they’d accomplished Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, and Fallout, the Mission: Impossible series once again hands in a fittingly explosive outing with 2023’s Dead Reckoning Part One. The first in a two-part chapter that could spell out the end of Mission: Impossible as fans know it, Dead Reckoning Part One also sees Ethan and his crew contending with their most dangerous enemy: a faceless, merciless, extraordinarily calculating rogue AI system known ominously as “the Entity.” 

While audiences wait to see how Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning compares with the series’ previous entries, they can safely rest assured knowing that the first act in the two-part chapter is the finest M:I outing viewers have seen so far. Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning arrives in theaters May 23, 2025.