Nearly 30 years after the first installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, we’ve reached the end of Ethan Hunt’s journey. I hold the Mission: Impossible movies near and dear to my heart. Though there are very few through lines between my family’s taste in cinema, Mission: Impossible seemed to be the one film series that we could all reliably watch and enjoy together. Every time we went on vacation, it was inevitable that we’d end up watching one of the entries. Naturally, I’ve become very fond of them.
To prepare to say goodbye to Hunt and the gang, I spent the past month reacquainting myself with each Mission: Impossible film. Initially, I planned on writing about my personal ranking of the films, but I quickly scrapped that idea. Why? Because attempting to rank the movies in a franchise is a delicate and divisive task. While many people can agree on the bottom of the barrel films, things get a bit messier when deciding the top ranks. So, instead of doing a traditional ranking of the “best” MI films or my “favorites”, I’m going to use today’s newsletter to rank the films based on their mask usage.
Yes, mask usage. Throughout Mission: Impossible, there are various cases where characters will use state-of-the-art technology to create hyper-realistic masks. These masks help to disguise the characters as other people, helping them do whatever they need to do for the mission at hand. While it sounds silly (and don’t get me wrong, it is), it actually gave me something to look forward to during my rewatches. How were they going to use the mask this time? Will it be minimal or excessive? Will I cheer or roll my eyes? Let’s explore exactly how each Mission: Impossible film ranks in the world of masks.
(mild spoilers ahead!)
7) Mission: Impossible 2
MI2 is often ranked last for a multitude of reasons, but today it takes the lowest spot due to its overuse of the mask. What had felt new and fresh in the first film is immediately cheapened in the second; it was as if every major plot point had to involve the mask. Tiring! A girl can only handle getting duped so much, and by the end I was surprised anyone was real.
6) Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Though I’m ranking Rogue Nation #6 on this list, the mask reveals are by no means bad. Unfortunately, they just weren’t too memorable to me. And if a mask reveal doesn’t stick out as really good or really bad, then that’s a problem in my book.
5) Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Benji, who expressed great interest in wearing a mask in Ghost Protocol, finally gets his time to shine in Fallout. In fact, he’s the only person to don a mask in the entire film! I thoroughly enjoyed the early mask reveal, as it was one of the more creative cons that the team pulled off. That being said, overall the mask reveals were just middle of the road compared to others.
4) Mission: Impossible
The concept of the mask was novel, which really gave it that “wow” factor. However, since the masks used in the film were actually real, you miss out on the fun shock factor that comes with a mask reveal. Like c’mon, that face looks a little too stiff to actually be someone real. On the flip side, practical effects are few and far between nowadays, so I can appreciate the efforts here.
3) Mission: Impossible III
MI2 and MI3 are in two completely different realms when it comes to mask usage. As I watched these in succession, it was as if my gripe about the overuse of masks had magically been taken into consideration for the film’s next installment. We only get two mask reveals here, with one of them being one of the most shocking and unexpected reveals of the franchise. The element of surprise solidifies MI3 as one of the better films for mask reveals.
2) Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
The only thing I love more than a plan with a mask is a plan with a mask gone wrong. When the mask printer goes kaput a few minutes before a big heist, it forces the crew to think on their toes and adapt to a new plan. This made me appreciate the masks more, as it forced me to not take them for granted. I also liked that the Kremlin “mask” reveal (though mainly just a fake nose and mustache) was a full body costume change into an aggressively American outfit. Nice touch.
1) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
To my own surprise, Dead Reckoning takes the number one spot. Why am I surprised? Well, the first mask reveal of the movie is probably one of my last favorites, mainly because it’s incredibly predictable. A mask reveal that you know is coming is no fun, obviously. However, this movie redeems itself with scenes of mask paranoia that I found genuinely funny. Having the CIA agents pull on people’s (real) faces expecting them to be Ethan Hunt is just an incredible bit. Pair that with the masks playing a critical role in the latter half of the film, and we have ourselves a winner.
Even though I spent the second paragraph of this newsletter complaining about the difficulties of ranking a franchise of films, I still won’t leave you all hanging. Here’s my personal ranking of Mission: Impossible, without commentary (feel free to agree/disagree in the comments!):
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Pt. 1
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible Fallout
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossible II
i need to watch (rewatch?) the whole franchise asap because i just do not REMEMBER which ones are which
Excellent analysis as usual. I’m stoked to watch the final chapter. I was frantically trying to watch as many of the old installments as possible but rewatching Dead Reckoning Pt 1 is a must, ASAP.