Every Mission: Impossible Movie Ranked Worst To Best

For almost three decades, the Mission: Impossible franchise has been one of the most exciting film series around, constantly pushing the boundaries of its world-saving drama with death-defying stunts, moralistic heroes, and shadowy antagonists intent on enacting their evil plans. The newest entry, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, has now released, so now seems like as perfect a time as any to go back and rank the Mission: Impossible series from worst to best.

Starring Tom Cruise as the elusive, tireless secret agent Ethan Hunt alongside a host of A-listers - including Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson as his most recurring allies - Mission: Impossible came from humble beginnings, a remake of the mostly forgotten but iconic (that theme song!) TV show of the same name.

Shifting in scope and scale over the years, Tom Cruise and the franchise's directors, including Christopher McQuarrie, J.J. Abrams and Brian De Palma, have made sure to make it a remarkable exercise in stunts and action-heavy set pieces, but also a deceptively compelling tale of one man's desire to save the world at any cost.

Currently entering the final era of its long run with a potential finale (though Cruise and current mastermind McQuarrie aren't counting out more sequels), the Mission: Impossible films have all been excellent, to varying degrees. It's a difficult task to accomplish, but here are all seven Mission: Impossible films ranked worst to best.

Be warned, though: This article will self-destruct.

The fact that Mission: Impossible 2 is the obvious black sheep of the franchise just goes to show how excellent the series is overall, because while it can't compete with the rest of the films, John Woo's explosive sequel is still an exhilarating experience in its own right.

Admittedly, its flaws are numerous. Hunt, soon to become a moralistic do-gooder in later films, is portrayed here as much more of a smug, one-note action man, which gives the film a muted emotional drive, and Woo's maximalist direction doesn't sit too comfortably with the franchise's trademark tension.

But once you separate it from the films surrounding it, Mission: Impossible 2 still makes for a remarkably good time, with explosive action and enough bonkers set pieces to make it a solid 2000s action flick worth returning to. Little of the franchise can be found in Hunt's mission, but it sure is mindlessly fun in isolation.