'Mission Impossible' and its 20-year journey on the big screen

Since 1996, the action-intelligence series "Mission: Impossible" has released five episodes and is a "brand" associated with the name of superstar Tom Cruise.

Mission Impossible is a famous American intelligence television series that aired in two periods, 1966 - 1973 and then 1988 - 1989. In 1996, director Brian De Palma decided to bring the intelligence organization Impossible Mission Force (IMF) to the big screen.

Superstar Tom Cruise was cast as the lead spy Ethan Hunt. Since then, he and the Mission: Impossible franchise have become synonymous. Before this summer's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, the previous four installments had grossed more than $2 billion worldwide and were the 20th highest-grossing film series in cinema history.

1. Mission: Impossible (1996)

In the first episode with a budget of 80 million USD, spy Ethan Hunt and his teammates are assigned to protect secret documents at the US Embassy in Prague (Czech Republic). Things do not go as Hunt planned when all members of his team are killed. The IMF organization believes that there is a traitor in the spy ranks. Because Hunt still survived the failed mission, they believe that he is the person they are looking for. Therefore, Hunt is forced to escape from the organization's pursuit and find a way to bring to light the person who framed him and his teammates...

With its thrilling pace and memorable scenes such as Ethan Hunt hanging from the ceiling, Mission: Impossible grossed $457 million and became the third highest-grossing film of 1996. Critics and audiences gave positive reviews to the film, but the cast and many fans of the original TV series were upset. They did not accept that Mission: Impossible had changed the image of a protagonist from the TV version to a villain like in the film. However, Mission: Impossible was still a success in many aspects and was the beginning of the action-intelligence film franchise associated with the name of Tom Cruise.

2. Mission: Impossible II (2000)

In episode two, Ethan Hunt is forced to cut short his vacation after receiving news that someone has impersonated him to steal the deadly Chimera virus and the antidote Bellerophon from a scientist. Sources say that the culprit holding the virus is former IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) and only Ethan Hunt can stop him. Ethan assembles and leads a team of super-thief Nyah (Thandie Newton), computer expert Luther (Ving Rhames) and pilot Billy (John Polson) to carry out the mission...

With a larger budget and higher revenue than the first episode ($546.3 million), Mission: Impossible II is the lowest rated in the series. The film is highly appreciated for its entertainment value with eye-catching action scenes directed by John Woo, but the script is a minus point. This is also the episode where the director fully exploits the masked disguises of the spies.

3. Mission: Impossible III (2006)

After receiving negative reviews, the Mission: Impossible franchise returns six years after its second installment with a new director, JJ Abrams. He made the hit TV series Lost a success and is trusted to take the helm to get Mission: Impossible back on track. In Mission: Impossible III, Ethan Hunt retires from performing missions and spends his time training new recruits and preparing for his wedding to the beautiful Julia (Michelle Monaghan).

When Ethan and his teammates learn that a former student of his has been kidnapped, they attempt to save her but are unsuccessful. The clues lead Ethan to the international mafia boss - Owan Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Owen is a dealer of valuables in the underworld. Now, Ethan's mission is to stop him before he gets his hands on a mysterious item called "Rabbit's Foot".

The third installment of the series features Oscar-winning star Philip Seymour Hoffman, Asian beauty Maggie Q and actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The scenes were filmed in many famous locations such as Berlin, Rome and Shanghai. As a result, although not as successful in terms of revenue as the second installment, earning only 397 million USD, Mission: Impossible III still received many compliments for its surprising script and thrilling details.

4. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol(2011)

To date, Ghost Protocol remains Tom Cruise's most successful film in terms of revenue, with $694.7 million in global revenue. It is also the best-selling and most successful film in the series. Directed by two-time Oscar winner Brad Bird, Ghost Protocol follows Ethan Hunt and his teammates on their journey to stop terrorist Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist).

Hendricks is believed to possess the launch codes for Russian nuclear weapons and will use them to attack the United States. Ethan's team attempts to break into the Kremlin to capture him, but everything goes wrong when Hendricks escapes and the Kremlin is bombed. This disaster causes the US President to decide to dissolve the IMF, forcing Ethan's team to track Hendricks's tracks in Dubai and Mumbai to clear the organization's name.

Ghost Protocol captivates viewers from start to finish with its exciting sequences and beautiful camera angles. A typical example of this is the scene where Ethan Hunt swings from the tallest building in the world - Burj Khalifa - in Dubai. In this famous dangerous scene, Tom Cruise performed it himself without the help of a stuntman.

5. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

After four years, the audience meets the spy Ethan Hunt again in a new mission. In Rogue Nation, the IMF is in danger of being destroyed by the shadowy organization The Syndicate. To protect the IMF, the spy Ethan Hunt is determined to fight The Syndicate himself, despite knowing that his life could be in danger at any moment.

In addition to the familiar name Tom Cruise, the blockbuster Rogue Nation also has the participation of stars such as Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin. With a budget of 145 million USD and a brand available from the previous four episodes, the film directed by Christopher McQuarrie is one of the most anticipated works of this summer.

According to VNE