It’s been over 20 years since we first met Ethan Hunt, the suave MI6 agent accomplishing dangerous missions, traversing life-threatening territories, performing gravity-defying stunts, and engaging in fierce duels, leaving you breathless by the time he is done! Tom Cruise did an exceptional job when he infused life into the 1966 TV series and converted it into an action spectacle that the audience has been lapping up for years. With the actor gearing up with yet another adrenaline-fueled journey, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part 1, releasing on July 12 in India, here’s a look at where the other movies stand on the IMDb rating.
All 6 ‘Mission Impossible’ movies of Tom Cruise rated, according to IMDb
1. Mission Impossible: Fallout – Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
IMDb rating: 7.7
The sixth and one of the longest instalments in the series is set three years after the capture of Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), leader of the terrorist organisation, Syndicate. The group has become active again in the form of the Apostles setting in motion a deadlier carnage of nuclear attacks. IMF agent Ethan Hunt and his team are assigned to thwart the bloodbath by recovering the plutonium used for the nuclear bombs. We meet Ethan’s new love interest and former MI6 agent, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), along with the muscular Henry Cavil as agent August Walker, and his old team members, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg). Ethan’s mission is not only to save the world and tackle a deadly new villain but also to save his loved ones. The movie raised the expectations for the next mission.
2. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
IMDb rating: 7.4
Following the events in Moscow in the fourth movie, the IMF has been disbanded. Ethan Hunt’s world is upended by the highly-skilled international terrorist organisation, Syndicate. Comprising rogue agents from different governments, the Syndicate wants world dominion. The stakes are high this time as Ethan and his team race against time to stop Syndicate from wreaking havoc while battling personal demons. He also crosses paths with Ilsa Faust, a foe turned friend. The tightly-knitted, fast-paced narrative will keep you hooked in anticipation.
3. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
IMDb rating: 7.4
This is where the actual fun begins. The movie comes as a welcome relief from the slow-paced narratives of its predecessors. Cruise goes all out with the action – don’t miss the hair-raising jump on the facade of the Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world – and keeps you engrossed with an engaging plot. The movie starts on a high-octane note with Ethan and his team infiltrating the Kremlin and being wrongly accused of bombing it. Following the disaster in Russia, the MIF is shut and Ethan is forced to go without government help to clear IMF’s name and find the real perpetrator. The excitement amplifies with each scene as Cruise wows us with his action.
4. Mission: Impossible – Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
IMDb rating: 7.1
‘Your mission should you choose to accept it’ – this is where it all began way back in 1996 when we were first introduced to Ethan Hunt. The movie also shows that Cruise can pull off action of varied kinds. Though it seems a little lame compared to its successors, the premise back then seemed interesting nonetheless and gave fans another spy action-thriller franchise (after James Bond) to simp over. The plot revolves around Ethan Hunt who is wrongly framed for crimes by a mole in the CIA. While being excommunicated by MIF, Ethan embarks on a rip-roaring journey to find the mole.
5. Mission: Impossible III – Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
IMDb rating: 6.9
The movie makes up for the uninteresting second part of the series and proves that it is capable of turning it into a successful franchise. The plot, though slow-paced, sees Ethan getting married to a doctor, Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan). However, his happy life is thrown apart when a ruthless new villain, arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) kidnaps Julia and Ethan is forced to team up with new agents to save her. There’s action galore with Hoffman being one of the evilest villains of the franchise.
6. Mission: Impossible II – Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
IMDb rating: 6.1
Ethan returns with yet another thrilling mission in the sequel that is high on action but low on the plot. The narrative is quite basic – Ethan has to race against time to stop a former MIF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougary Scott) from releasing a deadly genetically-modified virus. He seeks help from a petty thief and Sean’s ex-girlfriend, Nyah (Thandie Newton), to infiltrate his highly-secure place and find the virus. The only saving grace of the movie is the exciting bike chase sequences and Cruise’s screen presence.
