Series Review - Mission: Impossible

Hey friends! With the impending release of the sixth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, I figured now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the previous five installments. Hopefully you'll see that while the franchise had some very humble beginnings (I'm still not sure how it continued on after the rather disastrous M: I-2) but hopefully I'll convince you that this franchise has propelled itself to the top of the proverbial action genre mountain with its recent installments. By the end of this you'll understand why Mission: Impossible - Fallout has been my most anticipated release of this summer's slate of blockbusters. So, let's get started!

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Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible (1996): An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

I honestly think this is a rather underrated installment in this franchise. Sure, the original Mission: Impossible relies heavily on the "tech" aspect of it all, which means it's hilariously dated 22 years later, but the film features a surprisingly diverse cast and is well executed at the hands of one of Hollywood's great directors of the late 20th century, Brian De Palma. There are a lot of sequences here that can be considered iconic, most notably the aquarium explosion sequence, (though someone needs to tell me where all that water came from because I still don't know) and it's rather well acted. The great Kristin Scott-Thomas and Emilio Estevez lead a strong supporting cast with criminally little screen time. This cast even includes a screen-chewing Vanessa Redgrave, clearly having a blast at the opportunity to play an arms dealer, which I'm sure doesn't come across her desk all that often. And the film features a great performance from Jon Voight. A performance that likely saved his on-screen career. Sure, by making it more of a spy movie in the mold of a Bond film, the tech is hilariously outdated. And the final train sequence looks pretty bad today. (This sequence as a whole is pretty corny) But the two big setpieces, the aforementioned aquarium sequence and the CIA break-in, are still an absolute blast to watch. Combine that with the wonderful (and underrated) performances and the guiding hands of Brian De Palma, you have a decent film. It's not the worst thing in the world to revisit nowadays, especially if you're a fan of quintessential 90s cinema.

My Number: 6/10

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Mission: Impossible II

Mission: Impossible II (2000): A secret agent is sent to Sydney, to find and destroy a genetically modified disease called "Chimera".

Ok, so, honest truth aside first: this was my introduction to the Mission: Impossible franchise, and really action movies in general, so it will always have a special place in my heart. That said.....it is undoubtedly the weakest installment in the franchise. The film does have some great stunts, (the opening sequence with Tom Cruise free climbing is still one of the best setpieces I have ever seen) and the great Chinese director John Woo crafts some exhilarating martial arts sequences in the third act. However, the film really struggles to have a central identity. In the first two acts the film takes itself entirely too seriously, with these awkward slow-mo sequences, distracting editing, and a (shockingly) over-dramatic score from composer Hans Zimmer that often fell into the realm of self-serious versus fun and corny. (Also, yes, you read that right - Hans Zimmer.) But throughout these first two acts there are moments that are hilariously cliché and border on parody, including likely the corniest line of the entire franchise. (You know what you did, Anthony Hopkins.) The third act does (finally) embrace the campy-ness and goes all-in on it, with some of the most over-the-top shots I have ever seen. Think Tom Cruise walking through a literal ring of fire while a white dove flies past him with a choir singing a knockoff of "O Fortuna" kind of over-the-top moments, and these are quite fun! It makes you ask yourself, "Why isn't the entire movie like this?" as you remember how you struggled through the first two acts. Also, Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) is a stereotypical action movie woman - she gets in a very awkward and at-times uncomfortable love triangle between male leads Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) and doesn't have much more to do other than "be pretty and fall in love with the male lead." Which is a shame because her character becomes a central component of the final act, despite receiving hardly any screen time during this time because if she did, it would've been just her with neither man around to tell her what to do. We can't have that, now, can we? (The sarcasm is real) Honestly, this movie is pretty sexist, as there are a lot of outdated lines regarding women scattered throughout. Also, Dougray Scott is a pretty lackluster villain, which is pretty surprising given what the franchise has in store for us in the next installment. But, outside of his terrific character introduction, (which is also probably the best moment for masks utilized throughout the franchise, a staple of the original TV show) he is woefully inadequate in the villain role, and is nothing more than "Sean Bean lite" in my book. Also, this movie inspired nearly every Tom Cruise cliché out there, from wearing sunglasses all the time to riding a motorcycle to wearing sunglasses WHILE riding a motorcycle to the infamous open palm running. So there's that. If you're revisiting the franchise there's not much of a reason to include this one unless there's an enjoyable amount of alcohol involved. Because a below-average action film for 2000 means the "age" of it will be that much more apparent. At least it doesn't lean into the tech as much as its predecessor did....

My Number: 4/10

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Mission: Impossible III

Mission: Impossible III (2006): Agent Ethan Hunt comes into conflict with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer who threatens his life and his fiancee in response.

And then there's the J.J. Abrams-directed Mission: Impossible III. Despite the frustrating shaky-cam from Abrams doing everything it can to diminish the overall viewing experience, this is where the franchise begins to climb up the proverbial action genre mountain, which it reins over today. This time around, the production crew finally begins to lean into the best things about this franchise: the over-the-top action setpieces, and combines it with by FAR The strongest villain this franchise has to offer. Owen Davian (played by the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman) is one of the most underrated action movie villains of recent memory, maybe even of all-time. Philip Seymour Hoffman's iconic performance of the maniacal arms dealer is worth the price of admission alone. He's wreckless and pure evil, but also cool, calm, and collected. He wants to watch the world burn, but does so with the suave you'd expect from James Bond. The biggest fault of this entire film is not featuring him nearly enough: Davian's presence is felt the entire movie, but he's only actually in a few scenes. However, he steals the show in every one of these scenes and brings the best out of Tom Cruise, who also delivers his best performance of (at least) all of his films from the 21st century here. I think Abrams realized in post-production that the scenes between Hunt / Davian were the best in the film, with the best of these scenes actually being shown at both the beginning and climax of the film. Usually I would be VERY critical of this decision, but I'm willing to forgive here since this is the best sequence of the entire film, by far. There is still a fair amount that doesn't work here: the final act is a little ridiculous, even by Mission: Impossible standards, and the attempt to "humanize" Ethan Hunt doesn't really work. (There's a reason none of the other films have even attempted to do this.) Julia (Michelle Monaghan) is also a rather shallow counterpart to Hunt, as she becomes not much more than a damsel-in-distress as time goes on, but her treatment is worlds better than that of Thandie Newton in MI-2, so at least there's that. Also, most of the effects still hold up today, which is nice. Combine all this with a legendary performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman, and you have a good film, and a fitting one to start the meteoric rise of this franchise.

My Number: 7/10

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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2018): The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is perhaps the hardest Mission: Impossible film to accurately describe. On the one hand, it is by far the most lighthearted and fun M: I film in the catalog. Director Brad Bird (yes, that Brad Bird) brings his signature wit and humor to the franchise and turns the action up to eleven in the process. He successfully recognized the greatness of Benji (Simon Pegg) and made him a centerpiece of the crew, even if the rationale for how Benji got to where he was could basically be described as "I DON'T KNOW." Also by this installment Tom Cruise had sunk his teeth fully into the franchise, but believe me when I say that's a good thing. The stunts here are totally over-the-top, from the fun and dramatic opening Kremlin sequence, to the iconic Burj Khalifa sequence (shot on location in Dubai with Tom Cruise, as is the norm for this franchise) to the absurd garage sequence at the end of the film. The action is pulse-pounding, and hardly ever slows down from start to finish. The franchise introduces several interesting new characters to compliment Tom Cruise just doing the craziest stunts he can think of, between Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Jane. (Paula Patton) Unfortunately, the later's motivations are rather shallow and based around a man, while the former gets a well fleshed out backstory. (And is also the most interesting part of the film.) The villains are fun and memorable, and are played by terrific actors in Michael Nyqvist and Léa Sydoux, but of course the loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman is felt greatly in this installment. As it is everywhere else. (RIP) Ultimately Ghost Protocol was largely overlooked in 2011 because it was coming out towards the tail end of a mini golden age for action movies, but it still more than holds up today, and love or hate Tom Cruise.....the best thing this franchise did was simply let him do the craziest things he could possibly think of, and Ghost Protocol is where that strategy truly begins. There is not another actor living today that has the kind of creative control Tom Cruise has when it comes to action movies, (though Dwayne Johnson des have his eyes set on Cruise) and while the ones that fail fail HORRIBLY (looking at you, The Mummy) the ones that succeed are simply the best action films on the market any given year. Ghost Protocol is no exception to that rule.

My Number: 7.5/10

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Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2018): Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

(I reviewed this film when it came out. You can check that out here.)

This movie is one of the best action movies I have ever seen. Filled with over-the-top stunts and helmed by a vintage Tom Cruise, Rogue Nation completed Mission: Impossible's meteoric and somewhat unlikely rise to the pinnacle of the action genre. Its story, while not groundbreaking, is as engaging as it needs to be, featuring a memorable villain in Solomon Lane and an intriguing supporting character in Ilsa Faust. Rebecca Ferguson's career-setting performance in this supporting role delivers the female heroine this franchise needed, as she combines her stunning looks with an intimidating physique as she takes down numerous thugs with ease. This franchise has come a long way in the women department. (Even if Rebecca Ferguson is the only woman in this film, progress is better than nothing, right?) But the main reason you come to this franchise is for the action, and Rogue Nation has plenty of it. If there was any question this franchise has become all about one-upping itself, Rogue Nation answers with a resounding "yes." The film opens with a stunning setpiece that involves Tom Cruise hanging out of a plane as it takes off (which he actually did, of course) and never looks back. Honestly there are very few films with better looking action setpieces out there, and they haven't aged one bit in the last 3 years since the initial release because, unlike so many other action films out there, director Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise, and company stubbornly insist on doing everything you see in real life with practical effects because they know what is glaringly obvious to the viewer: we can tell when you're cheating.  And there's no cheating in Rogue Nation. Also, say what you want about Tom Cruise, but the dude is an action star for a reason, and even at 53 years old in this installment, he can still act the part as if he was 30 years younger.  Combine the stunning visuals with a good villain, a memorable supporting actress, the sprinkle some witty dialogue from people like Simon Pegg on top? You have one of the better action films ever made, and easily the best installment this franchise has to offer. 

My Number: 9/10