I once said that Commando is the greatest action movie of all time, and I stick to that statement. But, when it comes to the best action series of all time, there can be only one choice for me, and that's the Mission: Impossible movies, starring the incomparable Tom Cruise, our last bona fide movie star.
There are currently six Mission: Impossible movies, and they all range from being good, to mind-blowing. With Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One coming out July 12th, and its follow-up, Dead Reckoning Part Two, coming out at some point in the near future, I thought it was time to gush about why I think Mission: Impossible is the very best action series we currently have.
The Stories Around The Action Are Consistently Good
I remember when I first saw the original movie back in 1996 (I still, to this day, have never seen a single episode of the TV show that it was originally based on). In the film, Ethan Hunt was framed for a murder he didn’t commit, and he had to break into a CIA building to prove that he didn’t do it. And, let me just tell you, when I saw it, I was bored out of my mind.
Because, in a way, Mission: Impossible is kind of like the Fast & Furious series, and by that, I mean that the films just kept getting bigger and bigger. The original was more of a spy thriller, whereas even in the second entry in the series, it became more heavily focused on cool action scenes. But, unlike the Fast movies, which got progressively sillier for no real reason other than to just one up itself, these have had consistently good stories centered in all of the crazy action.
For example, in my favorite M:I movie, Rogue Nation, which we give a staggeringly high review, I was on board from the very beginning when Cruise did that insane plane stunt. Throughout, though, I was also wondering who was or wasn’t in the Rogue Nation, and what would be the fallout when it all ended.
Oh, and speaking of fallouts, in M:I - Fallout, which we also gave a great review, I was constantly wondering if Henry Cavill’s character was going to ultimately be a good guy or a bad guy. Even though the action was amazing (as always), I was just as engaged with all of the spy stuff that was going on until the very explosive ending. Honestly, action is only really good when you care about the characters’ safety, and I care about every single one of the characters in the franchise. So much so that I even watched the first movie again not too long ago, and I loved it this time! It just had to grow on me.
The Movies Still Continue To Surprise Me Like None Other
Honestly, I don’t know why I’m surprised time after time by the stunts I see in these films, but I’m always blown away whenever I buy a ticket to a Mission: Impossible movie. I just know that there’s going to be at least one stunt that wows me. Some people may argue that the John Wick series is superior when it comes to action, and I will say that when it comes to fight scenes, John Wick has M:I licked.
But, I’ll tell you what. When John Wick gets hit by a car, or falls off a roof, or shoots like a million dudes, I’m not surprised. I think it’s cool, sure, but it’s almost like a live-action cartoon. I watch it, and then forget about it until the next choreographed fight scene. That said, I’ll never forget when I first watched Cruise climbing the world’s tallest building in Ghost Protocol. I’ll never forget the exhilarating motorcycle chase scene in Rogue Nation. Do you know why I won’t forget them? Because they always surprise me.
Maybe it’s the way they’re shot, or the fact that I know that, for most of the stunts, that’s Cruise riding that motorcycle, or running down a building. The mere fact that I know that he's genuinely doing some of these mind-boggling stunts truly puts Mission: Impossible head and shoulders over any other action series (with the exception of Jackie Chan movies, of course). Oh, and speaking of Cruise…
Let’s Be Real. Tom Cruise Really Is Our Last True Movie Star
I won’t see every Tom Cruise movie, but do you know what? I will see most of them. And, apparently, I’m not alone, because he's still a major draw at the box office. Don’t believe me (I mean, why would you not?), just check out the astronomical numbers for 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, which shattered records last year. Sure, you could drum up the film's success to it just being an overall great movie, but there have been a lot of continuation of films (*Cough* Independence Day: Resurgence *Cough*) that haven’t done nearly as well. I mean, could you honestly imagine if they made this movie without him? It probably wouldn’t have even cracked the top five without his megawatt star power.
That’s because he is our last true movie star. Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese chalk some of this up to Marvel pushing characters (Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man...) rather than creating new stars. I don’t particularly agree with this assessment (I’d argue that Guardians of the Galaxy helped push Chris Pratt into mega stardom), I will say that Marvel actors can be replaced (see Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard as James Rhodes, or Harrison Ford becoming the new General Ross after William Hurt’s death).
You know who can’t be replaced? Tom Cruise. He is not only the face of the Mission: Impossible movies. He IS these movies. He's the kind of movie star who you see on a poster, and you’re like, I’m seeing THAT movie. I can’t think of any other actor who can do that in this day and age, which just makes each subsequent M:I movie feel that much more vital. They contains our last true movie star, and we need to cherish that!
These Movies Make IMAX A Must
You know, if any other actor got upset that another movie was going to be taking away IMAX screens from their film, I’d think, "you've got a lot of nerve, pal." But, because it’s Cruise, and he’s upset that Oppenheimer’s release window may be too close to Dead Reckoning, well, I think I’m going to side with Cruise.
No offense to Christopher Nolan and Oppenheimer, but does it really need to be seen on an IMAX screen? I know IMAX is kind of Nolan’s thing, and while I haven’t seen Oppenheimer yet (but will), I feel like M:I MUST be watched on an IMAX screen. These stunts are just too bonkers for any smaller-sized screen to contain.
I’ve felt this ever since the third one, which started upping the ante when it came to the stunts, and I know for a fact that they are going to be even crazierhere. Honestly, I rarely ever make it a point to see movies in IMAX, but I will for Dead Reckoning Part 1. What am I even doing with my life if I don’t?
Time After Time: Mission: Impossible Is A Contender For Movie Of The Summer
Our very own Mike Reyes said it best when he called Rogue Nation the best movie of the summer in 2015, because it was. But, I’ll do one better and say that Fallout was also the best movie in the summer of 2018.
Honestly, it’s going to be close this year since we also got Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but technically, that movie came out in spring (June 2nd), so I think it’s safe to say that if Dead Reckoning continues the consistent track record that these movies have, then it will also be the best movie of the summer of 2023, and for that, we should all be thankful.
What do you think? Do you find these movies to be the best action flicks that we currently have? For more news on all things Mission: Impossible, be sure to swing around here often.
