 Doing a movie feuds episode on the Mission Impossible franchise is almost an impossible mission itself. That's not gonna stop me from trying. Stasha. Light the fuse. There is no fuse. There is no Stasha. It takes a fair amount of films before we get a solid cast put together for our lead, Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise. Let's be honest though, Hunt and Cruise are pretty much the same person. Especially considering TC has been doing all of his own stunts for years on these films. I call him TC now. I just marathon through these movies again. We're close. He jumps out of planes, holds his breath underwater for over six minutes, breaks his very real bones for death-defying shots, from flashing that trademark smile to get the girl in MI2 or becoming emotionally drained throughout the majority of MI3. It's all TC, baby, all the time. Expert computer hacker Luther, played by Ving Reims, is the only other cast member to have appeared in all six films. Although his involvement in screen presence has definitely varied. All six flicks feature some really great supporting actors. Mission Impossible 1 gives us John Voight, John Reno, Vanessa Redgrave, and the mighty duck man himself, Emilio Estevez. He died in this film, along with his career, the way I think we all dream of going one day. By getting face first impaled into an elevator break. It's the last time I ever saw him on the big screen. You could say Emilio really got the shaft in this picture. Thank you. Speaking of getting the shaft, is there anyone more beautiful than Thandi Newton in MI2? I'm sure I don't know, but she soaks up every ounce of scene she's in, unless TC is present with his beautifully lush, flowing mane. That hair is basically its own character, and it's a damn fine one. That hair. There's something in the way you move. Something in the way you do it. Something in the way you move. Oh, shout out to Ellie Golding fans out there. Doug Ray Scott plays the villain here. He's perfectly generic, which unfortunately is the case for most of the MI bad guys. Mission Impossible 3 being the exception. Philip Seymour Hoffman is top tier villain as a black market weapons dealer, Owen Davion. His dry, matter-of-fact delivery combined with brushes of insanity plays so well off Cruz's Boy Scout persona. And he's right up there with Hans Gruber in my book. That was me closing an imaginary book for no reason at all. What JJ Abrams really got right in 3 was Ethan's character. Prior to the third, he was really nothing more than a great agent using unconventional methods to get the job done. MI2 attempted to give him a love story, but since it was framed up in such a frivolous film, it really didn't matter. JJ recognized this as well and never mentions Newton's character in the follow-up movie. She's never actually mentioned again, period. Just wiped off the face of the earth. No, it's Michelle Monahan who wins Hans Hart. If you ask me, it's a bit of a step down, but we're talking about 2A grade material women here, so in either case, Ethan Hans winning. Speaking of top-tier women, Maggie Q and Carrie Russell get some short, but sweet time on screen as well. It's a shame we didn't get to keep one of them in the franchise moving forward as they both easily leave their mark in this flick. The same can be said for Lawrence Fishburne, who plays one of the many bosses Hunt will piss off during his time with The Force. Simon Pegg is Benji, however, manages to stick around from this point forward, and he provides some nice comedic relief during some of the more intense encounters. The MI movies thankfully keep the jokes to a healthy minimum. The final three mission films so far carry over the fan favorites and keep building upon that beautiful structure they have set up. Jeremy Renner shines in Ghost Protocol as a more by-the-books objector of Hunt. Paula Patton is absolutely jaw-dropping and kicks some solid ass, but she's ghost when the credits end. She had to make room for the second-best protagonist in the franchise when Rogue Nation gets underway. Rebecca Ferguson as British agent Lisa Faust is essentially a female Ethan Hunt, one that I just so happen to be in love with. She is smart, calculated, combat-ready, and packs legs that run for days, which is good because she's often found in situations where she needs to use them. Ever since 30 Rock, I can't take Baldwin serious, but I still appreciate his presence as CIA director. I think that's his role in Five. I honestly don't pay much attention when it comes to the plots of these flicks. I'm just in it for the spectacle. Mission Impossible Fallout brings back almost all these characters and continues to pile on additional awesomeness. Henry, this mustache was definitely necessary. Cavill gets to throw his weight around in some great bare-knuckle brawls. I'm not sure whose idea it was to have him prime his arms before throwing punches, but props to you. I want to see more arm cocking in my action films going forward. Angela Beset shows up from time to time as well, and Sean Harris reprises his role from Rogue Nation as Solomon Lane. If I could be honest, for the first time on this episode, he doesn't do much for me as a villain, both personality-wise and sexually, speaking. I'm going to do some real top-level story talking, because as previously stated, I'm not in here for the political intrigue. I'm here for the blockbuster Tom Cruisery. That said, MI1 is easily the slowest role of the bunch, filled with misdirection, double crosses, explosive gum, and the most iconic moment of the entire franchise. Ethan Hunt vent dropping into a room to access a secure computer, and this scene would be referenced and replicated in each and every installment moving forward, and I will talk about those moments later on. A lot of the MI franchises carry the same themes from this first one, and oftentimes the plots themselves seem pretty boilerplate. Hunt is framed and has to prove his loyalty by exposing a real threat to the agency. Typically, this is achieved with a well-made mask and a voice replicator strip, and if this tech exists and was available publicly, wow, places we would go kids, things we would see. Mission Impossible 2 is the Mario Bros. 2 of this franchise, meaning it's stupid and out of place. Can it be enjoyed? Yeah, sure, but it's not your favorite. You're trying to be different and it's not working. It's dumb and slick, but mostly dumb. MI2 is the Prince of Persia warrior within of this series. Sorry, I'm going to stop doing the video game references now. Director John Woo, John Wooed the shit out of this, too, with slow-mo, nonsensical fighting sound effects, stylish vehicle combat, and TC climbing a wall in the gayest way possible. And don't take that as an insult because it's a compliment. This movie is so goddamn stupid that it works. It is easily the worst out of the MI runs so far, but I will gladly rewatch this bitch in all of its glorious schlock. Oh yes, the plot. It's something about a chimera disease being unleashed upon the city. Hot love interest injects herself with it while TC kills everybody around her in slow motion while doves fly. Gone are the days of taking off shades and throwing them at the camera as they explode. We've come so far. The film jumps years ahead and we see a now-retired Ethan at his engagement party. He's out of the game, but the game's not out of him. The outline didn't work at all. It's not too long before Hunt is back in the fray to save a friend and protégé from the past. It doesn't go great and it leaves our protagonist thirsty for revenge. Ethan gets a bit of a fiery head, which ultimately puts him in hot water as Davion learns of the recent marriage. He's gonna find her, whoever she is, he's gonna hurt her. That was my Davion. That is unless Hunt and his team retrieve the mysterious rabbit's foot. JJ loves those mystery boxes, doesn't he? This one is essentially a red herring as it's never confirmed what the rabbit's foot actually is. But I know. It's a cloverfield monster. It's the island from Lost. I'm joking, it doesn't matter. Ghost Protocol directed by Brad Bird is the funniest of the lot. Bird brings that incredible charm into the live-action world with ease. After the United States is implicated in a disastrous bombing at the Kremlin, they have no other option but to initiate Ghost Protocol. I love when the title is said in the movie. It's so good. With IMF no longer existing, the small team needs to find those responsible and bring them to justice. These Mission Impossible movies really start to feel that connection from MI3 and Dawn, as plot points continue to carry over. Hunt's wife is constantly moving locations to keep her off the grid. That was me moving locations constantly. The ripples of the Kremlin attack can be seen in Rogue Nation when the covert agency is under investigation and Ethan is once again in the crosshairs. By that very company he pledged an oath to. That's deep. That's deep space nine. That's deep blue sea. That's deep rising. That's deep impact. That's deep, I don't know, other movies. What's new in Nation is an anti-IMF known as the Syndicate. This shadow government, or Rogue Nation, if you will, they also say that in the film. I love when they say the titles in the movie. We'll stop at nothing to spread fear and misinformation all over the world. Fallout is essentially a part two of Rogue Nation, as it continues the Syndicate storyline and the main antagonist is back, who once more does nothing for me physically. Bringing the wife into the mix was a great full circle, well half circle moment, because she was introduced like halfway through this. You get what I'm saying. We also get to see Ethan showcasing those rock climbing skills again, although he's definitely not as cavalier about it to this time around. He's pretty on edge. Pardon? The Mission Impossible theme song carries all the way over from the 1966 hit TV series of the same name. It was composed by Lalo Schifrin and updated by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. The song would go through various revisions through each installment, but that spirit would stay intact. I mentioned that extremely iconic terminal jump. I want to briefly touch on how each movie tries to top the previous. Mission Impossible 2 doubles down on that rope drop. We see Hunt dive from a helicopter into the atrium while avoiding an unsuspecting guard. Then in MI3, Hunt proves a wall won't keep him out, as he Humpty Dumpties a very large one in Italy, only to fall in the same trademark manner as before. Oh yes, he also throws himself off of a building. Sling shots to another one, picks off two guards while simultaneously window washing an entire wing of a structure with his back. It was going to be tough for Ghost Protocol to top that. Except for it wasn't at all. Now we have the real Tom Cruise stuck to a real window in real Beijing, which just so happens to be located on the tallest building in the world. We must go higher. Rogue Nation demands it. And Cruise says so it shall be. As he hangs to the side of a goddamn Airbus 400 for his eighth time to get the shot just perfect. If that wasn't good enough for you peasants, Tom Cruise learned how to hold his breath for a very long time. Six and a half minutes to be exact. In order to shoot the underwater terminal scene, the way only Merman could do previously. TC just out Aquaman to Jason Momoa's ass. Mission Impossible follow its name is certainly appropriate. Seeing as there's a sequence where Tom Cruise halo jumps from five miles off of the ground. And gosh darn it, he's a stickler for getting the shot just right. So of course one or two takes isn't going to do the job. He needed 106. The CGI storm and entire city of Paris were added in post-production. Which begs the question, did Tom Cruise really need to jump out of that plane? The answer is of course yes. Overwhelmingly yes. This collection of movies offers so much in terms of crazy action. Helicopter to train explosion throwing. A bombastic prison escape. Motorcycle on, motorcycle tip to tip man hugging. Unnecessary flip to parachute pull. Drone missile shockwave cruise launch. Intense edge of your dick chase scenes. Tom Cruise running for extended periods of time. Sometimes with female Tom Cruise whom I love. So shortage of creativity in these flicks. I'm still impressed at how seamless the mask shots look even in the first. The makeup artists, set designers, stunt doubles and everyone else involved should absolutely be commended in the most passionate way possible. Thanks everybody. Well this winner is truly bullshit. MI3 through 6 are interchangeable for me. I used to tell people 3 was the best because god damn it I love that villain so much and it got the series back on track. But after watching all of them recently, Ghost Protocol tickled my fancy more than any other could even possibly imagine. And this does pain me to say more than you'll probably ever know because this installment doesn't have my lovely bride, my Ferguson, my everything. I guess that speaks volumes to the level of appreciation I have for it. All that said this is more than just a mission impossible. This is movie feuds. How the hell are they gonna top this stuff in 7? TC is gonna have to jump from space isn't he? Or is he gonna have to fight someone on an asteroid? I don't know what they're gonna do. But in TC I trust. Get things done. Thanks for watching The Feud. You wanna keep up with the show? Make sure to subscribe to Adam Does Movies for all the latest movie feuds, Adam Rance and the stupid cringe show that I produce. You can also check out my playlist. I've done a ton of these episodes so there's plenty of hours left to watch. Take care. And stand here for a little while while you decide your future.