The 14 Best Lines In The Mission: Impossible Series
Contains spoilers for "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One"
When you think of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, there's a good chance your mind goes to stunt work. While death-defying stunts weren't always a part of the series' DNA — the first film's bullet train sequence relies heavily on CGI — they've now become synonyms with both Tom Cruise and the property as a whole. While action is the name of the game for IMF members, there's one aspect of "Mission: Impossible" that often gets overlooked: the dialogue.
Sure, the lines uttered by Ethan Hunt and his team are no Shakespeare, but they do have a goofy brilliance to them. Though Ethan's a pretty serious guy, he's not opposed to the occasional quip when the time is right. For badass heroes like him, attitude is just as important as skills, and the fact that Cruise delivers these lines with the utmost sincerity doesn't hurt.
Ethan's teammates — and his enemies — also have their fair share of memorable retorts. When you have a supporting cast that includes stars like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, and Angela Bassett, how could you not offer them something good to chew on? There's plenty to enjoy about the franchise, and we're here to give these terrific quotes some love. Here are the best lines in the "Mission: Impossible" series.
Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset (Mission: Impossible)
The first "Mission: Impossible" film — directed by cinema legend Brian De Palma — begins with a mission that goes terribly wrong. Ethan and his team travel to Prague to retrieve an important list. Things don't go to plan, and Ethan's entire team (or so he thinks) is killed. What he learns shortly thereafter is that the mission was a trap intended to weed out a mole within the IMF. With Ethan the only survivor, his boss, Kittridge (Henry Czerny), concludes that he must be the mole.
Kittridge confronts Ethan with this information in a glass-fronted restaurant filled with IMF agents, mistakenly believing he has Ethan cornered. When Kittridge condescendingly tells Ethan that he seems upset, Ethan responds, "Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset." Ethan is shaking with anger at this point, and it's clear Kittridge has underestimated his opponent. Ethan uses a special explosive gum his dearly departed friend Jack (Emilio Estevez) had given him earlier in the film to make his escape, destroying a huge fish tank in the process.
Cruise's performance in the scene is quite good, and this line reading is no exception. His snarling grimace tells us just how dangerous he can be — as if his combat skills weren't evidence enough. It's true Ethan generally keeps a cool head under pressure, and this witty quote perfectly encapsulates his character and is a harbinger of things to come.
Well, this is not mission difficult, Mr. Hunt, it's mission impossible. (Mission: Impossible II)
Once you learn that IMF literally stands for "Impossible Missions Force," it becomes obvious that a certain amount of absurdity is central to the franchise. Though the IMF is supposedly the only thing keeping the world from falling into total chaos, its members can't help but be a little silly. Case in point: "Mission: Impossible II," which is arguably the worst film in the series, but has its moments.
One of the best aspects of "Mission: Impossible II" is the inclusion of the great Anthony Hopkins, who has an uncredited role as Ethan's boss, Commander Swanbeck. Sadly, Hopkins doesn't have much to do in the film apart from giving Ethan his mission — which involves stealing a deadly virus from a group of terrorists — but he makes the most of his screen time. The most chuckle-worthy line in the film comes when Ethan questions the mission's difficulty. "Well, this is not mission difficult, Mr. Hunt, it's mission impossible," Swanbeck responds.
It's a goofy line, sure, but it's a treat to watch Sir Anthony Hopkins try his hand at this kind of campy action nonsense. Obviously, the mission is not truly impossible because Ethan saves the day (and the girl), but we're grateful to Hopkins for giving us the series' one and only title drop.
Now I'm out (Mission: Impossible III)
One of many "Mission: Impossible" characters gone too soon — we're looking at you, Emilio Estevez — Keri Russell took a brief foray into the IMF in "Mission: Impossible III." She plays Lindsey Farris, a young agent Ethan trained who has been captured. Lindsey sadly dies due to an explosive device put inside her head, but not before Ethan does everything in his power to save her.
Ethan frees Lindsey from where she's being held, but they still have a warehouse full of armed men to contend with. After Ethan injects Lindsey with an adrenaline shot, the dynamic duo fights off the gunmen with graceful synchronicity. When Lindsey runs out of ammo, she asks Ethan how much he has left. "Enough," he replies. It turns out he only has one bullet left, which he uses to blow the remaining goon out of the window. "Now I'm out," he grunts.
The scene is a beautiful example of what makes Ethan an impressive agent. He can do a lot with very little and can always pivot if things don't go his way. The "Now I'm out" line reminds us why we love Ethan so much — he defeats his enemies with panache.
Humpty dumpty sat on a wall (Mission: Impossible III)
Every "Mission: Impossible" movie includes at least one brief line or moment that is totally absurd. The best of these are not sequences that make us roll our eyes but instead make us laugh in sheer delight. You might miss one of the greatest comedic moments in franchise history if you aren't paying attention, but luckily we are. In "Mission: Impossible III," Ethan and his team travel to the Vatican to capture a notorious arms dealer played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. To get into the Vatican, Ethan must do something he is very good at — scale a wall.
Climbing up and down walls is an old hat for Ethan, and he does it with ease. But what's so great about this scene is not Ethan's climbing skills but what he says when he completes the task. The iconic theme concludes just as Ethan reaches the top, then he looks almost directly into the camera and declares: "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall."
Only Tom Cruise could deliver this line in a way that is both hilarious and sounds believably like something Ethan would say after scaling a wall. It's a triumph of adventurous whimsy, and moments like these make the series what it is.
I'm going to die unless you kill me (Mission: Impossible III)
Following an infatuation with his boss's wife in the first film and an ill-fitting romance with Thandiwe Newton in the second, Ethan finally finds someone he's compatible with in "Mission: Impossible III." Ethan and Julia (Michelle Monaghan) have a speedy wedding before Ethan jets away on his mission, and she's on his mind the entire time.
As it turns out, Ethan is right to worry about getting back home to his new wife. His target for this mission, Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is extremely pissed at Ethan for hanging him out of an airplane, so he kidnaps Julia as revenge. He also implants an electrical charge in Ethan's head — the same one that killed Lindsey at the start of the film.
By the time he finds Julia, the device in his head is just moments from going off. Luckily, Julia is a nurse and knows how to use a defibrillator. Ethan quickly explains to Julia what's going on and tells her, "I'm going to die unless you kill me." She gamely electrocutes him to death and back to life, shooting the traitorous Musgrave (Billy Crudup) in the interim. It's an oddly romantic line for a couple who are far from average, and as far as Ethan-isms go, it's an especially pithy one. How else do you explain to the woman you love what she needs to do to save your life?
Mission accomplished (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol)
Though Tom Cruise utters his fair share of comical catchphrases throughout the "Mission: Impossible" series, none are as on the nose as one of the climactic lines in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol." During a mission in Russia, Ethan and the team are blamed for a deadly terrorist attack on the Kremlin. The entire IMF is disavowed and the remaining agents set out to stop a dangerous group led by Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist). After scaling the Burj Khalifa — just another work day for Tom Cruise — Ethan has one final showdown with Hendricks inside an automated parking garage.
Ethan falls several floors and almost certainly breaks several bones, but not before disabling Hendrick's nuclear missile just moments before detonation. Ethan can hardly move at this point, but he still has time to mutter two fateful words: "Mission accomplished." It's the kind of line that can only be spoken once without becoming totally hokey, and Cruise chooses his moment perfectly.
Not in the plane, on the plane (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation)
Every "Mission: Impossible" film ramps up the stakes higher and higher, and the fifth film in the series, "Rogue Nation," includes several jaw-dropping stunts. One of these involves Tom Cruise on top of a moving plane. Yes, you read that right, on top of a plane. The other characters in the film are just as shocked by Ethan's antics as the audience is, leading to one of the film's most amusing lines.
One of the most thrilling sequences in "Rogue Nation" comes right at the beginning, in case viewers forgot what movie they were watching. Ethan and the team are on a mission to intercept a cargo plane in Belarus. Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames) fail to hack the plane's system, so Ethan takes matters into his own hands — literally. He grabs hold of the plane as it's about to take off and asks Benji if he can open the doors. "How'd you get in the plane?" Benji asks. "Not in the plane, on the plane," Ethan responds.
Benji looks up from his computer to see Ethan dangling off an Airbus 400, and he's so astonished he briefly forgets what Ethan's asked him to do. Meanwhile, Ethan is still hanging off the plane as it reaches altitude, and he has to hang on even longer when Benji opens the wrong door. It's an incredible set piece to open the film, and Ethan's frustrated declaration about what he's doing is the cherry on top.
Shoes please (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation)
"Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" gave fans one of the greatest gifts the franchise has seen: the addition of Ilsa Faust, played by the lethal Rebecca Ferguson. An MI6 agent with a mysterious past, Ilsa's obligations to her employer complicate her relationship with Ethan. They have their second meeting at the Vienna State Opera, where Ilsa — in a striking yellow dress — has been sent to assassinate the Austrian Chancellor. Ethan stops the assassination, of course, but this puts Ilsa in a spot of trouble, as she is attempting to infiltrate the Syndicate.
As they try to evade the men with guns, Ethan and Ilsa find themselves on the opera house's roof. Ethan's plan to escape involves a rope and a very long repel, and Ilsa is willing to follow him as long as she can make one minor wardrobe adjustment. As they prepare to jump down to the lower part of the roof, Ilsa makes her request. "Shoes," she tells Ethan. When he looks at her in confusion, she repeats herself. "Shoes, please." Ethan quickly removes her strappy stilettos so they can make their exit.
The "Mission: Impossible" films move at such a quick pace, and small, quippy moments like these make all the difference. It's a delight to see Ethan look out of his element for once as he removes a woman's high heels. The line also tells us a lot about Ilsa, who Ferguson calls "a practical character." As the famous quote goes, Rebecca Ferguson can do everything Tom Cruise does — backward and in high heels. But barefoot will do too.
Sir, Hunt is the living manifestation of destiny -- and he has made you his mission (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation)
Poetic may not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of Alec Baldwin, but he does have the honor of speaking one of the most eloquent lines in "Mission: Impossible" history. Baldwin plays Alan Hunley, a character who appears initially as an antagonist in "Rogue Nation." As CIA director, Hunley has a bone to pick with the IMF and becomes convinced Ethan made up the Syndicate in order to exercise his only political agenda. He eventually comes around to Ethan's point of view, but not before Ethan pulls a few snazzy tricks.
Ethan and the IMF team learn that the Syndicate is after the British Prime Minister, so Ethan impersonates MI6 Chief Atlee (Simon McBurney) to get a one-on-one with the PM. Hunley is also in the room, and he gives a rousing speech about Ethan's unique abilities, warning the Prime Minister not to underestimate him. "Sir, Hunt is the living manifestation of destiny — and he has made you his mission," Hunley concludes.
The sentiment is beautifully put, and Hunley is correct in his assessment of Ethan. There is nothing Ethan can't do — if he puts his mind to something, it will happen. The performance elevates what is already a clever and well-written line. If you're a connoisseur of Baldwin's work, you know the man has a way of annunciating like no other. Every word becomes staccato and multi-syllabic in his mouth. The speech is quite theatrical, and it becomes even more so when Ethan rips off his mask and reveals he's been listening to the whole thing.
I am the storm (Mission: Impossible – Fallout)
Ethan Hunt may be the most impressive secret agent the world has ever seen, but he's a pretty humble guy, all things considered. Sure, he occasionally mutters a witty quip here and there, but he mainly stays focused on the job at hand. In "Mission: Impossible — Fallout," writer-slash-director Christopher McQuarrie came up with a brilliant way to get Tom Cruise to deliver a stirring line without feeling cheesy or forced.
"Fallout" opens with Ethan having a terrible dream involving his former wife, Julia, before getting into the meat of the film. Ethan's first order of business is to pick up a mysterious package. In order to receive the package, he must recite a secret password. "Fate whispers to the warrior — you cannot withstand the storm — and the warrior whispers back — I am the storm."
There's something spine-tingling about watching Ethan standing in a dark alley in the rain whispering "I am the storm." Ethan would never say something like that in regular conversation, which is why it was smart to write it into the script in that way. Despite its considerable length, "Fallout" has no wasted moments. This sequence sets the tone for the entire film and serves as a succinct synopsis of Ethan's impenetrable resolve.
That's the job (Mission: Impossible – Fallout)
The "Mission: Impossible" franchise has included many great actors over the years who have added poise and power to the series. The biggest get in "Fallout" is the great Angela Bassett, who brings her unparalleled gravitas to the role of CIA Director Erika Sloane. Sloane doesn't trust Ethan and the rest of the IMF, so she brings along her right-hand man, Walker (Henry Cavill, of arm-cocking fame), to accompany Ethan on his mission. Sloane makes her dislike of Ethan clear, and she reminds Hunley that they wouldn't be in the pickle they're in had Ethan not let go of the plutonium. Hunley counters that Ethan's entire team would be dead if he had done that, to which Sloane responds, "That's the job."
Were Sloane played by any other actor, "That's the job" would be a forgettable, run-of-the-mill line. But this is Angela Bassett we're talking about here, and she delivers the line with total austerity. She pronounces every syllable with perfect elocution while her expressive eyebrows go on their own journey.
Frankly, all of Sloane's lines are delightful in large part because Bassett is the one speaking them. Earlier in the scene, she calls the IMF "Halloween" and describes the agents as grown men "playing trick-or-treat." Later, she declares: "You use a scalpel. I prefer a hammer." The reason "That's the job" clinches a spot on the list is its bare simplicity. It gives Bassett a chance to show us her unmatched command of a script in just three words.
We'll burn that bridge when we get to it (Mission: Impossible – Fallout)
The IMF is filled with smart, skilled people who are quite capable of making detailed plans. However, when Ethan and his team are around, plans tend to go awry. If we were to describe Ethan's in-the-field modus operandi in a phrase, it would be something like "flying by the seat of his pants." Ethan's strategy is all about acting first and dealing with the consequences later, and there are almost always consequences to his actions.
His spontaneous way of doing things is epitomized in a classic Ethan line in "Mission: Impossible — Fallout." Ethan is having a discussion with Walker about the film's big bad, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). Ethan is attempting to impersonate a terrorist named John Lark and make nice with the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) by kidnapping Lane, and Walker worries that Lane will spill the beans that Ethan was the one who captured him in the first place. "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it," Ethan responds.
As far as mixed metaphors go, it's a fairly clever one. When it comes to Ethan and his team, there's always another dangerous obstacle — a bridge, if you will — looming in the distance. Ethan has no use for keeping up appearances or maintaining relationships with so-called allies, hence his propensity for burning bridges. It's also a visually evocative metaphor — though it hasn't happened yet, it's easy to imagine Ethan literally burning a bridge in order to complete his mission. While the line may not get an A+ on an English exam, it gets an A+ in our book.
You're playing four-dimensional chess with an algorithm (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One)
Apart from Tom Cruise himself, Ving Rhames' Luther Stickell is the most senior member of Ethan's IMF crew. We first meet Luther in the original "Mission: Impossible" film when Ethan hires him to help pull off the iconic CIA vault heist. Since then, Luther has been a stalwart ally to Ethan, and his unparalleled hacking skills are an essential element in every mission. Unlike his partner in tech, Benji, Luther always remains collected under pressure, and he's probably the most level-headed player on the team.
Rhames delivers all of his lines with utmost cool, which is why we were so excited to hear Luther get such a juicy line in "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One." In the franchise's seventh film, Ethan is up against his most dangerous enemy to date: an all-powerful artificial intelligence known as The Entity. Luther sums up how impossible it is to fight The Entity with a pithy description: "Ethan, you're playing four-dimensional chess with an algorithm," he warns.
It's a mouthful of a sentence, but Rhames plays it naturally and with absolute seriousness. Every film in the series has at least one line that highlights just what's at stake with each death-defying mission, and Luther's clever appraisal is one of the best. The quote is also a memorable summation of what it's like to go to war with an AI, a situation that's difficult to wrap one's head around.
Your life will always matter more to me than mine (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One)
Ethan Hunt gets a lot of flack from the intelligence community. They all say he's brash, reckless, and terrible at following orders. It's true that he is always going rogue, but for good reason — none of the other agents care about people like Ethan does. We've known this from the very beginning, but "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" reiterates this fact to an extreme. The film introduces us to Grace (Hayley Atwell), an accomplished thief who gets herself tangled in a deadly game. Though Ethan hardly knows Grace, he puts his life on the line to keep her safe.
One of the film's most poignant moments occurs when Ethan offers Grace the chance to join the team. She worries what it will mean for her future, and questions whether Ethan will really be there to protect her. Ethan, with all the sincerity he has left, tells her "Your life will always matter more to me than mine." It's a heartbreaking line — especially given the tragedy that occurred in the previous scene — and Grace's eyes well up at the sentiment.
We don't know much about Grace or her history, but given the transitory nature of her profession, it's unlikely that she has anyone in her life who's in her corner the way Ethan is. The idea that friends are the most important thing to these characters is emphasized several times throughout, and Ethan's promise to Grace proves how profound that devotion really is.