9. Mission: Impossible III
Having severely disliked the first two instalments of the Mission: Impossible series, it's fair to say expectations were pretty low regarding the third entry. A first-time director who was most notable for creating one of the most overrated shows on TV ever also didn't help matters, but that makes the surprise of Mission: Impossible III being really good all the more exciting. Mission: Impossible III is a thrilling ride that also uses Tom Cruise's acting ability, something the prior instalments forgot about as they were more focussed on stunts and action scenes. And whilst there are plenty of great action scenes to indulge yourself in here, they are more effective because for the first time, you believe in Ethan Hunt and his mission. The casting of the always supreme Philip Seymour Hoffman was a stroke of genius as he makes a rare outing in commercial cinema. Hoffman's villain sparked life into the movie series that was seen to be down and out, and having an interest villain always makes the hero look significantly better. Despite it being JJ Abrams's first feature as a director, he directs with confidence and precision and gave Brad Bird the perfect pedastal to build on for his fourth (and best so far) instalment.