Rotten Tomatoes Confirms That Mission: Impossible Is One Of The Best Trilogies Ever - Just Not The One You Think

Summary Modern Mission: Impossible trilogy solidified as one of the best action trilogies ever made by Rotten Tomatoes.

Tom Cruise-led movies dominate the list, showcasing Mission: Impossible's rise to surpass contemporary franchises like Bond.

Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust storyline in the last three films reshaped the franchise into an elite trilogy.

Rotten Tomatoes' list of the top 300 movies ever made solidifies the prestige of the modern Mission: Impossible trilogy. Since making its first installment under the direction of Brian De Palma (Carrie, The Untouchables) in 1996, the Mission: Impossible film series has gradually solidified itself as one of the most exceptional action spy franchises of all time. Given the success and critical acclaim of the Bond franchise under Daniel Craig, Mission: Impossible has historically been placed in its shadow until its most recent installments made it resounding clear that Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible could do more than just compete.

The best Mission: Impossible movies have also been the best movies of their respective years, with 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout setting a franchise high with a 97% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. The Mission: Impossible films of the 2010s have undeniably gotten better with age, much like its seemingly superhuman star actor Cruise, who at the age of 61 is still doing his own stunts. The future of the Mission: Impossible franchise looks uncertain if Cruise departs after the highly anticipated Mission: Impossible 8 (formerly Dead Reckoning Part Two), considering he is the face and soul of the series.

Related 10 Biggest Details & Reveals From Mission: Impossible 8's Set Photos & Videos The various forms of behind the scenes content for Mission: Impossible 8 has already provided some major clues for the highly anticipated sequel.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Rogue Nation, Fallout, and Dead Reckoning Are A Great Movie Trilogy, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Dead Reckoning is listed as number 61 on Top 300 list

Close

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the modern Mission: Impossible trilogy is not only one of the greatest action trilogies ever made but also one of the best movie trilogies of all time.

The last three Mission: Impossible films, Rogue Nation (2015), Fallout (2018), and Dead Reckoning (2023), all rank in Rotten Tomatoes list of the top 300 movies ever made. They are the only films of the Mission: Impossible franchise to be included on this list, and one of the few trilogies out of the 300 elite movies. The highest on the list was Dead Reckoning, earning the 61st overall spot. Other trilogies in the top 300 include Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, Richard Linklater's Before trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and all four of the Toy Story movies.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the modern Mission: Impossible trilogy is not only one of the greatest action trilogies ever made but also one of the best movie trilogies of all time. By comparison, Casino Royale (2006) just barely cracked the Top 50% at 149th overall. Fallout ranked right behind Dead Reckoning in the 71st position, while Rogue Nation snuck in at the 269th spot. Of course, it can be argued that these three Mission: Impossible movies are not a "true" film trilogy since they are part of a larger franchise that also includes Ghost Protocol (2011) and the upcoming Mission: Impossible 8 (2025).

Mission: Impossible Movie Rotten Tomatoes Rank Rotten Tomatoes % Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 61 96% Fallout (2018) 71 97% Rogue Nation (2015) 269 94%

Related This 20-Year-Old Tom Cruise Movie Can Lay The Blueprint For His Future After Mission: Impossible Tom Cruise won’t be able to do Mission: Impossible movies forever, but one of his old movies may have paved the way for his acting future.

Mission: Impossible's Last 3 Films Are Better Than Anything Else In The Franchise

Rogue Nation was the launching pad for the latest outstanding installments

Close

While the positioning of the three Mission: Impossible films on the RT 300 list is certainly up for debate, Rogue Nation, Fallout, and Dead Reckoning all deserve to be a part of it.

The last three films of the Mission: Impossible franchise are a trilogy for Rebecca Ferguson's character Ilsa Faust, who was first introduced in Rogue Nation. Faust started out as an antagonist who became Ethan Hunt's ally and eventual romantic interest before she was given a more team-player role and killed off in Dead Reckoning. Ferguson undoubtedly played a major role in the gradual success of the franchise, becoming one of the essential characters in Fallout which also featured a dastardly Henry Cavill as a double agent. She is not set to return in the next Mission: Impossible installment.

While the positioning of the three Mission: Impossible films on the RT 300 list is certainly up for debate, as is the case with many of their selections for that matter, Rogue Nation, Fallout, and Dead Reckoning all deserve to be a part of it. The first Mission: Impossible received mostly positive reviews, while the second installment appeared to be steering the franchise in the wrong direction, earning a score of just 56% on RT. Mission: Impossible III featured a strong villain in Philip Seymour Hoffman, but it wasn't until Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation that the franchise truly found its stride, improving ever since.

Related Rebecca Ferguson’s Mission: Impossible Comments Are A Brutal Reminder For Blockbuster Movies Rebecca Ferguson's comments on her Mission: Impossible exit raise an important point about adding too many characters to expand film franchises.

The Next Mission: Impossible Will Ruin Its Trilogy Ranking

Mission: Impossible 8 could create an impressive tetralogy

Close

Dead Reckoning once again raised the bar for Mission: Impossible movies, which makes the expectations for Mission: Impossible 8 seemingly insurmountable. Based on the recent track record of M:I films, if the 2025 installment isn't one of the greatest movies of all time, it will essentially fall below expectations. Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie have given no reason to doubt their handling of the franchise, and Mission: Impossible 8 has all the ingredients to become another major filmmaking achievement. Unlike other standalone Mission: Impossible projects, it will be directly linked to Dead Reckoning, and could create an elite tetralogy.