Ranking The Mission: Impossible Movies - From Worst To Best

It feels odd to put a blockbuster this enjoyably solid, this far down a list - that's really only due to the quality of its own competition.

Pixar genius Brad Bird made his live-action directing debut here. His distinct fingerprints are apparent throughout; the gusty approach, vibrant cinematography, inventive set-pieces, and an obvious emphasis on humour (especially with the hilarious ongoing punchline of unreliable technology). It leads this effort to easily stand tall amongst his animated masterworks.

Cruise is reliably good but there's a massive emphasis given to his teammates this time with a franchise-best ensemble; Simon Pegg’s bumbling rookie, Jeremy Renner’s mysterious ally, and Paula Patton take-no-prisoners IMF agent - they all spark with a likeable chemistry that is contagious.

With Cruise’s star power waning at the time, this was the only time the franchise was sort of on the ropes (Renner had even been brought in as a fail-safe plan). Luckily, with a go-for-broke attitude, it put them back on top.

Its only flaws are a weak villain and an exhaustive pacing that runs out of steam in the final moments - regardless, this is top-tier popcorn entertainment.