It’s no secret that franchises rule the roost in Hollywood. Of 2018’s top 10 films at the box office, only two aren’t part of an existing franchise—and one of those two alreadyhas a sequel in the works. It makes sense. If a studio is going to spend $200 million on a movie, it’s a safer bet to put that money into a piece of IP that’s already proven popular with audiences rather than gamble on an original property. And as Hollywood has become more franchise-centric, filmmakers have gotten more ambitious within the constraints of their specific franchises. WithBlack Panther,Ryan Cooglermade a film about isolationism and blackness; withLogan,James Mangoldmade a tough-as-nails drama about mortality; and withSkyfall,Sam Mendestook the risk of asking whether someone like James Bond fits into the post-9/11 era.
But while there are certainly exciting films being made in the realm of franchise filmmaking, one franchise in particular stands above the rest:Mission: Impossible. Pound for pound, theMission: Impossibleseries is the best franchise currently running. Spanning 22 years, even its “worst” film has some fascinating merit, and beyondMission: Impossible II, the other fiveMissionfilms areat leasta triple, if not a home run.
Mission’s status as the King of Franchises was just solidified withMission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth and arguably best entry in the series thus far. Writer/directorChristopher McQuarriehas crafted an action masterpiece that also miraculously breaks new ground as the film dives deep inside the mind of Ethan Hunt. For the first time, audiences get an emotional root for what makes Ethan tick, as McQuarrie positionsFalloutas an emotionally intimate but also explosively epic affair.
ButFalloutcan’t take these leaps if the franchise isn’t already on a solid foundation, and indeed the roots of this series’ high quality date back to 1996’sMission: Impossible. The first film was crafted byTom Cruisehimself, who made his producing debut to build up a franchise he could control. But instead of crafting some vain “Tom Cruise Showcase”, the actor/producer enlisted an auteur to take the helm of what was ultimately a team story.
Indeed,Mission: Impossibleis unmistakably aBrian De Palmafilm. It doesn’t feel out of place in his oeuvre, and that set the stage for the subsequent filmmakers of the franchise to make each movie their own. While we can argue the quality ofM:I II, it’s distinctly aJohn Woofilm, and the radical departure in visual aesthetic and tone from De Palma’s film emboldenedJ.J. Abramsto makeMission: Impossible IIIa love story; it gaveBrad Birdthe license to stretchGhost ProtocoltoLooney Tunes-like set pieces; and it allowed Christopher McQuarrie to embrace the elegance ofAlfred HitchcockforRogue Nation.
Missionis a franchise that evolves with each film, but each evolution is rooted in purpose. The tone doesn’t change simply to makeMissionlook cool, or—and this is key—to make the franchise “fit with the times.” Unlike many other long-running franchises that have chased the trends of the day, theMissionseries has consistently avoided looking or feeling like anything else. Tom Cruise isn’t interested in following trends to ensure the nextMission: Impossiblemovie is hip with whatever’s popular at any given moment. Ethan Hunt hasn’t magically become a superhero, andMissionhasn’t delved into the sci-fi aside from the fact that Tom Cruise doesn’t age. No, Cruise is interested in making the very bestMission: Impossiblemovie at any given time, and if that means hanging off the Burj Khalifa or jumping out of an airplane, so be it.
Which brings us to the stunts.Mission: Impossibleis 22 years old. That’s a lifetime in Hollywood, and yet each film has managed to stand on its own footing when going toe to toe with whatever else is dominating the box office at that time. Stunts have always been a vital component ofMission, butGhost Protocoltook the idea of “action set piece” to the next level with the showstopping Burj Khalifa sequence. Now, we’ve seen action heroes hang off buildings in plenty of films, but what makesGhost Protocol’s sequence so spectacular is the fact that Tom Cruise did thatfor real. We know there were wires and safety precautions, but Tom Cruise—one of the biggest movie stars in the world—literallystepped out of a window and scaled the tallest building in the world.
And as blockbusters have become more and more reliant on visual effects to give audiences spectacle,Missionhas embraced the tactile quality of its set pieces, largely thanks to Cruise’s willingness to go the extra mile.Rogue Nation’s grounded nature and fleet-footed action felt distinctly different from 2015’s other blockbusters likeAvengers: Age of Ultronand evenStar Wars: The Force Awakens, just asFalloutreally stands apart from the essentially animatedAvengers: Infinity Warand legitimately animatedReady Player One.
And while those CG-fests may top out at the box office at the end of every year, quality-wiseMissionstill has a leg up. TheFast & Furiousfranchise took five films to become a global mega-hit, and even then all the family posturing and never-ending runways in the world can’t hold a candle to the stakes and elegance ofMission. The James Bond series is older to be sure, but there are also admittedly quite a few stinkers in that franchise (including the most recent installment), bringing its average down.X-MenhasApocalypse,The Last Stand, and that dreadfulX-Men Origins: Wolverine;Star Warshas the prequels (and your mileage may vary onSoloandRogue One);Pirates of the Caribbeanexhausted its characters and premise after three movies; andJurassic Parkprobablynever should’ve become a franchise in the first place.
In terms of average quality, Marvel Studios probably comes the closest, but even then it’s a little unfair to compare the two. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has churned out 20 films in 10 years with differing levels of connectedness, not to mention subpar entries likeThor: The Dark World. One could maybe make the argument thatBournealso comes close, but 2016’s disappointing fourth installmentJason Bournesadly ruined that winning streak.
And then there’s the fans. Toxicity in fandom has gotten out of control, fromStar Warsto the ridiculous DC vs. Marvel battles, butMission: Impossiblefans seem to simply want to talk about how much they love these movies. There’s no “correct” order in which to rank theMissionfilms, and the diversity of opinions on the matter is celebrated, not lambasted. It’s a little thing, but the effusive positivity within theMission: Impossiblefranchise’s fan community does not go unnoticed.
Over the course of six films,Mission: Impossiblehas never felt like it was going through the motions. None of these movies come off as Cruise taking an easy paycheck or a director half-assing his job. Each film is a huge swing built on a desire to entertain at the highest level of quality possible, and more often than not that ball goes over the fence.Falloutseals the deal.Mission: Impossibleis today’s best movie franchise, full stop.
