20. Rabbit’s Foot
In order to save the life of his wife, Hunt must travel to Shanghai and obtain the Rabbit’s Foot.
The actual acquiring of the Rabbit’s Foot isn’t that inspiring except for the fact that Hunt has to swing on top of the building. Add in the fact that he has to base-jump from the top of a building and you have some crazy stunts.
19. Destroying Chimera Shootout
Ethan’s team breaks into Biocyte in-order to destroy the remaining samples of Chimera. He runs out of time because Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) has arrived to ruin Cruise’s plan.
This is why you hire John Woo for your movie. An engaging soundtrack, plenty of explosions, and more guns than the majority of the series next three entries, this sequence is for the John Woo fans. Unfortunately, it concludes with a conversation between Hunt and Ambrose while Nyah injects herself with the last sample of Chimera.
18. Keri Russell Rescue
Ethan Hunt has retired from the IMF and has decided to live the civilian life. That wouldn’t make for a very compelling movie so he is brought back into the fold to rescue his old protege, Lindsey Farris (Kari Russell).
This scene is full-throttle right to the heart. Farris is a little out of it due to her being a prisoner and needs an adrenaline shot. It gives the audience its only chance to see Russell and Cruise team-up because her rescue also introduces a vital plot device. The villain this time around can implant explosives into the brain and the plot needed a character to show this in action. Unfortunately, that meant the quick demise of Lindsey Farris.
17. Rooftop Chase
Ethan Hunt is trying to reach John Lark before he gets away.
There’s a great mix of humor and stunts in where Cruise is dealing with some tricky terrain all why Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) uses a navigation device. The scene has grown in stature because Tom Cruise suffered an injury during one of the jumps that closed production for eight weeks.
16. Motorcycle Chase Redux
When Rebecca Ferguson’s Iisa Faust gets away with the ledger, Cruise’s Ethan Hunt chases after her.
What starts off as a car chase evolves into a motorcycle chase. Even though Ethan Hunt has died for a second time in this franchise, he was stable enough to chase after Faust. If that wasn’t enough he also suffers a massive car accident and is right as rain. Ethan Hunt is unstoppable.
15. Bathroom Brawl
Ethan Hunt and August Walker must fight a decoy John Lark.
We know the enemy is capable when he can hold his own against Ethan Hunt and Walker (Henry Cavill). Shattered glass, broken doors, and some intense face scanning are pieces of this engaging hand-to-hand combat sequence. It also ends with quite the bang.
14. Prison Breakout
The most entertaining cold open for the Mission: Impossible franchise finds Tom Cruise breaking out of prison.
We eventually learn why Ethan Hunt was imprisoned, but that isn’t really important. What the secret sauce is to this scene is the first true showcase of the chemistry between Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise. Ethan Hunt will always find a way to get Benji Dunn to do exactly what he wants. Not to mention the scene features a perfect use of Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head.”
13. Underwater
The big set-piece for M:I 5 has Ethan Hunt underwater to install some software.
If you have a fear of drowning, this might be the most intense sequence in the entire franchise. Tom Cruise famously practiced for months so he could improve his lung capacity for the scene. Just when you think it is too easy Hunt suffers a setback and he barely makes it out alive.
12. HALO Jump
In order to make it to the mission, Hunt and CIA Agent August Walker perform a HALO jump.
The movie really doesn’t do this stunt enough justice. We have Tom Cruise jumping out of a plane and with an absolutely ridiculous stunt. All captured on IMAX cameras. The thrill is not only the jump, but that Cruise’s Hunt has to rescue Agent Walker who has lost his oxygen.
11. A Mole Hunt: Fish Tank Explosion
Ethan Hunt is checking in with IMF director Kittridge. Since Hunt is the only member of the IMF alive, Kittridge assumes Hunt is a mole that set up his team. Hunt escapes with a diversion of blowing up the fish tank and jumping out of the restaurant where the meeting took place.
This isn’t much of an action scene in the traditional sense, but it does have a few Mission: Impossible tropes that happen throughout the series. The fact that Ethan Hunt is routinely disavowed from the IMF makes one wonder why he is still in that field of work. Tom Cruise jumping out of things in dramatic fashion all started right here.
Related Topics: Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise
