In anticipation of the new Mission: Impossible film, which skydives into theaters this week, P.T. McNiff, who’s been a fan from the beginning, and I, who only just watched five out of six films for the first time, examine the franchise to date. We provide context about Tom Cruise, the origins or the making of the films, the different directors who have chosen to accept these missions, the spy thriller genre, and M:I’s place in action blockbuster filmmaking. After that extensive primer, we share our personal rankings of all six films, give a quick Oscars assessment, and end with some hype for Dead Reckoning Part One. The fuse on this one is long, but sparks of excitement and joy constantly fly as the clock counts down. Listen on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Our relationship with the franchise and Tom Cruise. 2:29

Tom Cruise’s career and how he got here. 18:28

What makes the Mission: Impossible franchise work? 38:56

How is Ethan Hunt different than James Bond? 1:00:03

How Mission: Impossible went from TV series to film franchise. 1:06:14

Our rankings of the six Mission: Impossible films. 1:14:57

Oscars Watch 2:12:54

Preview of Dead Reckoning Part One. 2:19:45

Image Credit: New York Times

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

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