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Forum namePass The Popcorn
Topic subjectI just spent all night watching M:I and drinking double IPAs, let's rank 'em
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=6&topic_id=739313
739313, I just spent all night watching M:I and drinking double IPAs, let's rank 'em
Posted by Nodima, Tue Aug-25-20 08:58 AM
6. Or is it 7? I'll remember as I go!:

Mission: Impossible 2

It bears repeating that this is a John Woo sequel to a Brian de Palma film and that's fucking sick. Though it is also the M:I movie whose Wikipedia plot synopsis begins with this sentence: "Bio-chemical expert Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich sends a message to the IMF for Ethan Hunt, an old friend of his, warning that his employer, Biocyte Pharmaceuticals, forced him to develop a biological epidemic to profit from its remedy." This was a movie I really wanted to have aged well, given its premise and its director, but this just lacks the star power that makes these movies fuck.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

I FEEL WEIRD PUTTING THIS ONE HERE BECAUSE IT MAKES THIS WHOLE SERIES SING - but this is why nerds that decided their anti-nerd cinematic universe of choice was Fast & Furious get the side-eye. Ghost Protocol is in retrospect pretty fucking weak, living on stunts and dying on characters that have nothing to offer - hell, I remember liking Paula Patton back then, and there are some fun gags that point out how stupid this entire series is - but really this movie is the glue gloves and a real drag otherwise. "May there be peace on Earth."

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Villain's great, actors are great, cinematography is great...but maybe I feel that way because of what I'm going to say later? I just can't shake this feeling that I already want to yell at myself in a hotel bathroom over this one. He rode a plane INTO THE SKY FROM THE OUTSIDE OF IT.

Mission: Impossible III

I think every M:I fan would love to rank this movie higher (than the two movies I just ranked it higher than) given the extremely succulent performance from PSH...but there's plenty of other movie here, and a lot of it is trying to justify M:I2 in a way that just feels like cheese left out on the counter. Half the fun of cheese is the risk it'll wreck you, the other half being "Oh no, it's fine. I always spill red wine on my white custom made shirt."

Mission: Impossible

Started it all, epic twists, devious stunts...but I still feel like I don't really get it whenever I watch this movie, and the De Palma of it all makes me feel like I'm supposed to be getting it. In some ways my favorite thing about this stupid fucking franchise is that it started from such humble - but not quite DVD-thieving street racers - levels of espionage and gotcha filmmaking.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

This movie is utterly stupid and I don't care at all! The dialogue is so on the nose, the character motivation so willfully pointless, the blocking and acting so deliciously aware of its occurring in a movie but also, strangely and at the most unexpected times weighty and personable...this could really just be a thread about how awesome Fallout is and I'd totally accept that. How did they film that helicopter scene? How did they make a scene where Ving Rhames, who's really just been a cameo in this series for nearly a decade, and Michelle Monaghan, who you've really got to care about M:I3's actual story and Jeremy Renner's character arc to remember was even a part of this series, dismantle one third of a nuclear explosion the emotional crux of this entire double trilogy?

Can Top Gun: Maverick even hope to be not great?

~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz
739314, I'll Bite...
Posted by spenzalii, Tue Aug-25-20 12:08 PM
MI:II. John Woo flick. Not exactly a MI flick. Early 2000 movies did not age well

MI: GP. Probably has the coldest stunts of all of them. Paula looked fine as f*ck. The Kremlin bit was great. So was the skyscraper scene. 'Mission Accomplished' was hilarious. But on a whole it was more set piece than 'cohesive story' (and given the subject matter I use story loosely), so here it sits.

MI. The biggest gripe I had about this one is they showed THE ENTIRE PLOT in the trailer and commercials. But the tension in the Langley break in scene is still hard to beat today.

MI:III. Probably the most grounded since the first one. Didn't really care how PSH ended up dying, but I did like how the Rabbit's Foot didn't even matter. The breakout scene on the bridge was fun. Maggie Q is always nice to see. Probably the 'anti-MI:II', but as a mini reset it was fine

MI:RN. This wins simply by doing Spectre better than Bond did. The energy GP had was refined and reworked with better characters and a better story which made this one rock from beginning to end. While I like Solomon Lane, I never really felt him a threat (and why he's shooting at Ethan at the end when he's the only one that can get him the account codes I have no clue). Rebecca Ferguson was fantastic. Oh yeah, Cruise on the side of a plane? Come on!

MI:F. I was literally on the edge of my seat at the end of this movie (even though Ethan can't lose). I do wish they didn't have to kill Cavill, as I loved his take on John Lark. Absolutely worth hosing Wheden's Justice League.
739318, Where are your double IPA rankings?
Posted by Frank Longo, Tue Aug-25-20 05:44 PM
My M:I rankings:

M:I III: yes, PSH absolutely rules, but every time he's off screen, this movie plays a lot more like a random episode of Alias. One or two cool action sequences, and the Vatican bit is a highlight. But ultimately, this movie is PSH and change.

M:I II: prime John Woo goodness. Might honestly belong higher on the list in terms of sheer righteous action, but it's probably a better Woo movie than it is a M:I movie.

M:I IV: truly delightful set pieces. The Burj Khalifa stuff is untoppable. That said, three things bring this down a bit: 1. Paula Patton, as well as she does here, is immediately followed by Rebecca Ferguson, so the franchise improves from here. 2. Too much Jeremy Renner, and they didn't really know what to do with him. 3. There's this odd tone to Cruise in this movie... Bird just makes Cruise complain the whole time, lmao. Which, don't get me wrong, is funny, but I think it teeters on the edge of making him a spoilsport. Which just isn't Cruise.

M:I: the original is truly incredible summer filmmaking. Probably objectively the "best" of the franchise. Good twists, great De Palma set pieces, terrific acting and dialogue. Big fan.

M:I: Fallout: the best action setpieces of the bunch. Cavill owns. Really hard to not put this at number one...

M:I: Rogue Nation: ... but I think this is the one. The tone is just perfect from the very start, the setpieces are breathtaking, the intro to Ferguson is outstanding... just a perfect spy movie. Fallout has better spectacle, but Rogue Nation is probably the better movie as a whole imo. (I reserve the right to immediately change my mind on this.)

739322, is that what it's like to be possessed by frank longo?
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Aug-25-20 07:32 PM

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
739323, Was he wearing a Duke jersey and hat when he posted?
Posted by Frank Longo, Tue Aug-25-20 08:17 PM
739329, he had a beer flight on his chest and the laptop mounted above
Posted by Rjcc, Wed Aug-26-20 03:49 PM

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
739346, a true LOL
Posted by Nodima, Fri Aug-28-20 10:30 AM

~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz
739326, 2 is the only one I dislike
Posted by pretentious username, Wed Aug-26-20 02:19 PM
1. M:I - I'd say some small parts haven't aged well, but otherwise I think this is one of the most iconic action movies ever. Honestly Fallout should probably be #1 but the Pentagon scene is such a classic it keeps this at the top of the rankings. My palms sweat every time I see it.

2. Fallout - Love all the characters and the twists and turns. The Wolf Blitzer bit early on is so silly it almost takes me out of the movie, but it recovers pretty quickly and I'm on board the rest of the way.

3. Ghost Protocol - Became the standard bearer look-wise for the rest of the series. The entire Dubai sequence is incredible. Also LMAO @ throwing cars at each other.

4. M:I 3 - PSH as the villain makes this one very rewatchable. This movie doesn't get enough credit for setting up the stakes (Julia) for later films.

5. Rogue Nation - Very good, but the least memorable out of the newer crop.

6. M:I 2 - Fucking MTV ass movie.
739327, you've got to revisit, man.
Posted by Frank Longo, Wed Aug-26-20 03:43 PM

>6. M:I 2 - Fucking MTV ass movie.

Once you view it as a John Woo movie instead of an M:I movie, then most complaints go out the window and you realize you're watching Cruise-led melodramatic motorcycle kung fu, and it fucking owwwwwns.
739330, 2 is terrible through any lens
Posted by navajo joe, Wed Aug-26-20 04:41 PM
It's a particularly bad John Woo movie

And I say that having revisited it with in the last 18 months
739332, boooooooo
Posted by Frank Longo, Wed Aug-26-20 07:36 PM
739338, lol, I also rewatched it a couple months ago
Posted by pretentious username, Thu Aug-27-20 12:36 PM
I was kinda hoping it'd hold up better than I remembered.

It did not.
739343, I say again, unto thee, booooooooooo
Posted by Frank Longo, Thu Aug-27-20 07:44 PM
739334, My first post in a minute. I'll bite.
Posted by bwood, Thu Aug-27-20 07:43 AM
1. FALLOUT- Takes the espionage from one, the stunts from GP and pays off for the previous five movies while standing on it's own and being a direct sequel to 5. Everything here fucking owns.

2. The first - A true espionage movie and the CIA break-in is still fucking awesome. As is the finale on the train. Dated (obviously), buy this movie sings.

3. ROGUE NATION - Solid for what it is. The underwater sequence owns. And the way Alec Baldwin says "Hunt" at one point will never not be funny.

4. GHOST PROTOCOL - As pointed out the stunts and the film looks incredible due to Brad Bird's direction but otherwise pretty forgettable. Shame they didn't keep the IMAX aspect ratio for home viewing like they did for FALLOUT and a fuck ton of other movies that shot in the format.

5. 3 - Sad that Benji became a franchise mainstay because of this one. With that said, if it wasn't for Philip Seymour Hoffman, this would probably be the worst one.

6. 2 - For better or worse, it's a early 2000s John Woo movie. Take it as you will.
739340, 1. Mission: Impossible
Posted by will_5198, Thu Aug-27-20 07:06 PM
classic M:I from start to finish. they had to go different directions immediately with the sequel, because they are never going to make a better movie in the franchise with the same style. plus it has a super-taut 1:45 running time, which doesn't happen much anymore.

2. Fallout
they were about to burst the bubble after Rogue Nation but this was redeeming, and was warranted. crazy set piece after crazy set piece.

3. III
I need to rewatch this, because while I enjoyed Rogue Nation in theaters, I have no clear recollection of it. I remember more of III, in a good way.

4. Rogue Nation
I do remember it being better than this next movie.

5. Ghost Protocol
lots of excitement (I saw it on a real IMAX; Brad Bird!) leading up to this, and while I also had a good time in the theaters, rewatching this past month was pretty dull.

6: II
nah.
739385, Love the series, my rankings:
Posted by phenompyrus, Thu Sep-03-20 01:28 PM
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible 2 (in all honesty, this is the only one that I'd call OK at best, the rest are all fantastic at least)
739386, Rank
Posted by JiggysMyDayJob, Thu Sep-03-20 03:23 PM
MI: Starts the series off and seriously some of De Palma's best work of the '90s behind Snake Eyes.

MI Fallout: Story wasn't that great but the set pieces and action scene after action scene made it worth it. Loved Cavill as the villain, wish they could've saved the character.

MI Ghost Protocol: Loved it all, the scenes in Dubai and the finale with the cars was amazing to me.

MI Rogue Nation: Went back to its spy routes, didn't so much enjoy it as much as MI: GP but Rebbeca F > Paula P > Maggie Q. Now I wish I could get an MI movie with all three of these ladies kicking ass, I felt Paula P and Maggie Q should've been in additional MI films.


MI III: PSH was a great bad guy, Fish was meh along with the story. This one felt the most of Cruise. This was around the Oprah Couch phase and it shows.



MI II: Never existed and was a purely a shared fever dream by millions of people.
739389, #3 is the worst of them to me
Posted by blackfoot_female, Thu Sep-03-20 06:01 PM
#2 is sometimes too cartoony, but is definitely still fun. #3 is the only one i don't love
739456, we literally just rewatched all of them (in reverse order)
Posted by Jay Doz, Mon Sep-14-20 01:36 PM
My rankings:

Great
1. M:I-6
2. M:I-5
3. M:I-4

Good
4. M:-I

Awful
5. M:I-2
6. M:I-3

It's also funny how IMF in M:I-4 through 6 is essentially Ethan Hunt and some motley crew of his buddies barely saving the world, but in M:I-3 it's this full-on bureaucracy with HR, IT, and everything else.
739458, yall are killing me saying 3 is bad lmao
Posted by BrooklynWHAT, Mon Sep-14-20 03:42 PM
739459, It's definitely not bad! It's just the worst in a fantastic series.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Sep-14-20 04:55 PM
739491, All are at least passable, but II is worse than III
Posted by spenzalii, Fri Sep-18-20 09:00 AM
The worst I think you can say is III was an over-correction for II, or Fish was kinda wasted. And it really comes down to directors. You end up with MI:II-Hardboiled, and MI:III-Alias.

The series doesn't really come into it's own until IV. V and Vi had the same director so of course they are more cohesive AND they built off what came before rather than did something new.

Taken as a whole, it has to be one of the most consistent and enjoyable movie series out there.
739494, You summed up exactly why II is better than III! lol
Posted by Frank Longo, Fri Sep-18-20 05:22 PM
>And it really comes down to
>directors. You end up with MI:II-Hardboiled, and MI:III-Alias.
739495, Aight let’s go.... 6,1, 4, 5, 2, 3
Posted by TheRealBillyOcean, Sat Sep-19-20 12:29 AM
739496, This is acceptable.
Posted by Frank Longo, Sat Sep-19-20 12:45 AM
739498, I remember watching 2 in theaters & diving onto every couch...
Posted by TheRealBillyOcean, Sat Sep-19-20 11:45 AM
or bed for weeks like a stunt double.