Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible - Dead-Reckoning Part One

Rotten Tomatoes is a reliable tool for gauging the quality of a movie or TV show, but when it comes to the Mission: Impossible franchise, the review aggregation website hasn’t quite got it right. Loosely based on the ’60s TV series of the same name, the Mission: Impossible movies kicked off in 1996 with the release of the first film, simply titled Mission: Impossible. Since then, there have been six more installments in the series, with an eighth Mission: Impossible film scheduled to be released in 2025.

Every entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise sees Tom Cruise’s IMF agent, Ethan Hunt, taking on a new global threat. Overall, the series has proven to be highly successful, with the seven films earning a combined total of just over $4.1 billion at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers). In terms of critical reception, the individual Rotten Tomatoes scores for each Mission: Impossible movie differ wildly, though the later installments are more well-regarded. However, when it comes to the best entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Rotten Tomatoes has got it wrong.

Rotten Tomatoes Named Dead Reckoning The Best Mission: Impossible Movie

The Latest Installment Beat Out The Other Films In The Franchise

Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise try not to crash a car in Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One

Tom Cruise hanging onto a train hitch in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.

As it stands, the lowest-rated Mission: Impossible movie on Rotten Tomatoes is 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2, which has a score of just 56%. At the top, meanwhile, is 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout, with an impressive score of 97%. It makes sense that both of these films would be at opposite ends of the spectrum. After all, Mission: Impossible 2 was criticized for its lack of substance and nonsensical plot, while Fallout garnered acclaim for its originality and action sequences. Yet, despite Fallout having the highest score, Dead Reckoning Part One has been deemed the best of the bunch.

Movie
Rotten Tomatoes Score

Mission: Impossible (1996)
66%

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
56%

Mission: Impossible III (2006)
71%

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
93%

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
94%

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
97%

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
96%

A list of the 300 best movies of all time, as voted for by Rotten Tomatoes users and approved critics, has 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One at number 61. The latest entry in the series, Dead ReckoningPart One, centers around Ethan and his team trying to bring down a powerful piece of artificial intelligence. Originally intended to be the first installment in a two-part story, Dead Reckoning disappointed at the box office despite glowing reviews. Its position on the list, however, is questionable, especially when the placements of other M:I films are considered.

Fallout Is The Best Mission: Impossible Movie, Not Dead Reckoning

The 2018 Hit Is The Superior Movie

Walker, Hunt, and Ilsa looking down in Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

Two other Mission: Impossible movies have made it into the top 300; 2015’s Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is at number 269, while Mission: Impossible – Fallout finds itself at number 71. While all three films deserve placement on the list, it seems strange to place Dead Reckoning a whole ten places above Fallout, especially given that the latter has a better Rotten Tomatoes score. Not only that, but Fallout is widely regarded to be the strongest in the series and is certainly more beloved than Dead Reckoning, especially for its thrilling cast, exhilarating action sequences, and discussions on personal sacrifice as a core theme of the sequel.

Rotten Tomatoes isn’t the only way of measuring a film’s quality, nor is it the sole authority on the best and worst Mission: Impossible movies.

Additionally, while box office takings don’t always tell a whole story, the fact that Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the highest-grossing in the franchise, earned more than $200 million than its immediate successor demonstrates how the 2023 sequel didn’t appeal to moviegoers compared to previous installments. There’s even a case to be made that Rogue Nation deserves a higher spot than Dead Reckoning, which received some criticism for only feeling like half a movie. Of course, Rotten Tomatoes isn’t the only way of measuring a film’s quality, nor is it the sole authority on the best and worst Mission: Impossible movies.