With the release of Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation on July 30th, we thought we'd take a look back over the previous four movies and rate some of the best action scenes.
From the very first film all the way back in 1996, Mission: Impossible has been marked by some of the most incredible sequences in cinema history. In Rogue Nation, one scene will involve IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) hanging off the side of an aeroplane. As it's taking off. What's more, Cruise actually did this. He literally hung off the side of an aeroplane as it was taking off. Yes. Really.
We're thinking for Mission: Impossible 6 that he'll strap himself to an ICBM as it takes off or something. It's the only way he could logically top this.
5. The Car Park Fight from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL
Set inside a moving car park structure in Dubai, the final fight scene from Ghost Protocol was particularly hairy. For one, adding physical cars into a moving environment was pretty damn scary. Couple that with the fact that Tom Cruise and Michael Nyqvist are jumping between cars like stepping stones and you've got one of the most unique fight scenes in recent movie history. Also, the ending is amazing. And gruesome. But mostly amazing.
4. The Rock Climbing Scene from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2
Shot on location in Argyle Place, New South Wales in Australia, the opening scene of Mission: Impossible featured Cruise - without ropes or safety equipment - climbing a huge rockface. Let's just reiterate that - no wires, no safety harnesses, no safety net. The guy was literally hanging off the side off a cliff with his bare hands. It's legit impossible (heh) to think of any other actor who'd be willing to put themselves on the line like that. Especially when you consider that MI:2 was made in 1999 and could have very easily been recreated with CGI.
3. The Rooftop Slide Scene from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3
For our money, Mission: Impossible 3 was the best of the lot. You had an incredible villain in the form of the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. You had JJ Abrams, his first feature-length film and you had an older, wiser Tom Cruise. Maybe not THAT wise when you consider that he slid down the side of a building without greenscreen. For this sequence, Hunt performs a 'Fulcrum' which involves him swinging from one building to another, landing on a slanted rooftop before taking out two guards. It's incredible stuff. Also, the baseball thing at the start was pretty funny.
2. The Burj Khalifa Scene from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE GHOST PROTOCOL
In Ghost Protocol, an eight-minute sequence involved Tom Cruise's character climbing, unaided, up the side of the world's tallest building. In the middle of a sandstorm. For the real-life filming, Cruise actually went out onto the side of the Burj Khalifa and shot scenes - some involving no ropes with Cruise hanging on by his bare hands. You've got to admire that level of chutzpah, when you think of it. With the increasing use of CGI and stunt doubles, the Cruiser really does stand apart as someone who's still more than willing to do it himself. Seeing this for the first time, how many of us were on tenterhooks watching?
1. The TGV Scene from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
Although most people remember the first Mission: Impossible for the vault scene where Hunt dangles from above while attempting to steal files, our favourite scene of the entire series is the TGV scene at the end. In a desperate attempt to stop the traitor Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), Hunt tries to sabotage his helicopter escape. Danny Elfman's incredible score just adds to the ridiculousness of it all. Fighting on top of a moving train is a spy trope; here, it's fantastically well-realised. Not only that, the scene still holds up very well when you considered that the film will be TWENTY years old next year. How many films can you think of that still have that kind of lasting power? RED LIGHT! GREEN LIGHT!
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is in Irish cinemas on July 30th and is rated 12A.
