Real Tom Cruise Fans Will Score Higher Than 75% On This Mission: Impossible Quiz
- by Ben Sherlock
- – on
- in Movies and TV
This is the movie franchise that seems to keep going from strength to strength. Instead of declining in quality, like most film franchises do after they've been around for more than two decades, it just seems to keep getting better and better. The latest movie, the sixth in the franchise, which has just been released into theaters, has set a new box office record for the series in its opening weekend and has also been hailed by many critics as one of the best action movies ever made. How many sixth movies of franchises can that be said for? The franchise hit its stride around the fourth movie when the producers realized that the key to its success would be having their lead actor doing outrageous stunts like scaling the tallest building in the world or hanging off the side of a plane as it takes off, and it's only gotten stronger from there. Even the biggest fan of the movies might struggle with this quiz, as their wits and their knowledge will be tested. Ethan Hunt's toughest mission, should he choose to accept it, would be to complete this Mission: Impossible quiz with flying colors. Give it a go!
What spy agency do Ethan Hunt and his team work for?
Fictional spy agencies are everywhere in action movies and TV shows. Okay, some fictional spies work for real agencies. James Bond works for MI5 on Her Majesty's Secret Service and a lot of spy movies revolve around the CIA. But Jack Bauer in the TV series 24 works for the fictional agency CTU, which stands for Counter Terrorist Unit, and Ethan Hunt and his team also work for a fictional agency. What spy agency do Ethan Hunt and his team work for?
What international landmark gets blown up in Ghost Protocol?
Ghost Protocol was the Mission: Impossible movie that turned it all around as the producers brought in visionary director Brad Bird, who had until then only done animated movies like Ratatouille and The Incredibles for Pixar (and has of course since returned to Pixar to give the fans a sequel to the latter), and punched up the script with all kinds of absurd set pieces, like this one, set in Russia. What international landmark gets blown up in Ghost Protocol?
Which world leader do the team kidnap in Rogue Nation?
The plot development of each Mission: Impossible movie can be summed up as having Ethan Hunt come up with ideas that are so darn crazy that they just might work. One of those ideas involves kidnapping a world leader in order to save the lives of millions of people. That's what kicks off the big climactic sequence towards the end of the fifth movie in the franchise, 2015's Rogue Nation. What world leader do the team kidnap in Rogue Nation?
Who plays Ethan Hunt?
This actor is genuinely one of the most popular and successful movie stars of all time and a lot of that is down simply to how hard he works. He is famous for doing his own stunts and giving every movie 110% when he is on set. He is basically the face of the Mission: Impossible franchise, and if he wasn't in these movies, it is pretty safe to say that no one would be watching them. Who is he?
Which elusive criminal is Ethan Hunt chasing in the first movie?
In the first Mission: Impossible movie, the story opens with a mission going horribly wrong a lot of Ethan's team getting dispatched in Prague. He then finds out that he is being framed for it and he is also being accused of illegally selling classified documents to an elusive and mysterious international criminal who is only known by one name. It's not much to go off, really. Which elusive criminal is Ethan Hunt chasing in the first Mission: Impossible movie?
The Mission: Impossible movies are based on a TV show: true or false?
It's entirely possible that the basis for the Mission: Impossible movie franchise was a TV show starring an ensemble cast, all of whom were annoyed when the movies ditched the ensemble element and focused solely on the Ethan Hunt character, because they had the big A list movie star Tom Cruise in the role and took advantage of that fact. But then again, that might be false. The Mission: Impossible movies are based on a TV show: true or false?
What object does the bad guy have in Mission: Impossible III?
An object or prop or plot element that is used to advance a story is called a MacGuffin. A perfect example is this thing from the third Mission: Impossible movie that Ethan Hunt is chasing throughout the whole story. The villain has it and he intends to sell it and Ethan needs to stop that from happening. And that's where the stakes and conflict in the plot come from. What object does the bad guy have in Mission: Impossible III?
Who plays Benji Dunn?
JJ Abrams must have been a pretty big fan of this actor's breakout movie, the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, because he not only cast him in a major role in the Mission: Impossible team after that movie came out, but he also gave him the large role of Scotty in his reboot of the Star Trek franchise. Benji has a bigger and bigger role in each Mission: Impossible movie, it seems. Who plays Benji Dunn in the M:I movies?
What organization does Ethan chase in Rogue Nation?
The whole plot of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, the fifth movie in the M:I franchise, revolves around Ethan Hunt chasing a shady organization that is basically a myth because it's so shady, while the CIA are chasing him because they think he's gone mad and he's just made them up to keep going out and doing crazy things like hanging off the sides of planes as they take off. What shady organization does Ethan Hunt chase in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation?
Which legendary action movie director helmed Mission: Impossible 2?
The first movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise was directed by a legendary filmmaker who has made a wide range of films, from Carrie to Scarface. The second was directed by someone equally legendary who had more of a background in the world of action cinema, having directed such classics of the genre as Hard Boiled and Face/Off. All of his trademarks and motifs are on show in Mission: Impossible 2. Which legendary action movie director helmed Mission: Impossible 2?
What is Ethan's wife's name?
One of the most interesting character developments for Ethan Hunt in the third Mission: Impossible movie was that he had retired from being an IMF field agent and had instead settled down to train new recruits and live a normal life with his fiancée. The movie ends with Ethan enjoying his honeymoon with his now wife. She hasn't had a big role in the franchise since then, unfortunately, but she was a good character. What is Ethan Hunt's wife's name?
Who plays Brandt?
The actor who played the role of William Brandt isn't back in the new movie, Fallout, sadly, due to his Marvel Cinematic Universe commitments. He also played the lead role in The Bourne Legacy, so he was not only chosen to take over the Bourne franchise, he was also tipped to take over the Mission: Impossible franchise, although Tom Cruise will likely never slow down enough to have to give it up. Who plays Brandt in the Mission: Impossible movie franchise?
What skyscraper did Ethan scale?
The big change that Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol made for the franchise was deciding that in each movie, Tom Cruise would do a ridiculous stunt. In the latest movie, he rides a motorcycle the wrong way around the Arc de Triomphe. In Ghost Protocol, he scaled the tallest building in the world and it was shot in glorious IMAX to capture the sheer intensity of the scene. What skyscraper did Ethan Hunt scale in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol?
What is the villain's code name in Ghost Protocol?
In the first Mission: Impossible movie, the villain is only given the name Max. But the villain in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol isn't even given a real human name. His name is a code name that literally refers to the chemical element of atomic number 27. He was played by Michael Nyqvist, who is known for playing the villain in a ton of movies like M:I and John Wick that require an Eastern European baddie. What is his name?
Which band made an electronic dance version of the theme song for the movies?
The original theme music for Mission: Impossible is one of the most memorable and iconic and catchy theme tunes that has ever been composed. But it was composed in the '60s. For the '90s movie, it needed an update and that's why a popular band (specifically its members Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton) came up with an electronic dance version that went on to top the charts and be nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Which band was it?
Who plays August Walker?
August Walker is the CIA assassin who is sent to keep an eye on Ethan Hunt and his team in the latest Mission: Impossible movie, Fallout. It's fitting that the actor who plays him has been cast in a spy movie, since he was very almost cast as James Bond before Daniel Craig got the part. He bounced back, fortunately, since he now plays Superman in the DC Extended Universe and got this Mission: Impossible gig. Who is this actor?
As of 2018, how many Mission: Impossible movies are there?
Most movie franchises begin to decline in quality about they're about three films in. It's an unwritten rule. But if the critical consensus is anything to go by, the Mission: Impossible movies are getting better as they go along if anything. With the recent release of the latest movie in the franchise, Fallout, the grand total number of movies in the Mission: Impossible franchise is high enough to rival most film franchises. As of 2018, how many Mission: Impossible movies are there?
What agency does Hunley work for before IMF?
In Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, we are introduced to a new character named Alan Hunley who sees Ethan Hunt and his IMF team as a menace to the intelligence community as they go around the world favoring dangerous old fashioned espionage over using computers to do everything and staying in the office where it's safe. He moves over to IMF at the end of Rogue Nation, but he didn't always work there. What agency does Hunley work for before IMF?
Which movie opens with this breathtaking stunt?
The studio behind the Mission: Impossible movie franchise, Paramount Pictures, was terrified about this scene, because Tom Cruise was going to do it himself, and if something had happened to him, they wouldn't have had a movie and they'd be facing a lot of lawsuits. They must have found a good insurance company back then, because they pretty much let him do whatever he wants these days. Which movie in the Mission: Impossible film series opens with this breathtaking stunt?
Who plays Luther Stickell?
The actor who plays Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible movies has been in a ton of stuff. He's been in everything from the critically acclaimed Quentin Tarantino crime flick Pulp Fiction to the shlocky, self aware B movie Piranha 3DD and everything in between. He's been with the Mission: Impossible franchise since the very beginning and he's as essential to the team as Tom Cruise is, really. He was also in I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Who is he?
Which IMF agent is the villain in M:I 2?
At the beginning of Mission: Impossible 2, Ethan Hunt is needed for a mission, but he is off on vacation, so the IMF send in a different agent in his place with an Ethan Hunt mask on. This agent goes rogue and takes out some bad guys and makes off with the loot while disguised as Ethan, so as far as anyone knows, Ethan is the one they're after. Which rogue IMF agent is the villain in Mission: Impossible 2?
Which religious site does Ethan travel to in Mission: Impossible III?
Ethan Hunt is known for traveling all over the globe in the Mission: Impossible movies to exotic locations and international landmarks. Mission: Impossible III is no different. In that movie, he travels to a bunch of different places, but one of the main ones was this religious site that he visits in his pursuit of the elusive "Rabbit's Foot." There's the one scene on the wall where he disables the cameras. Which religious site does Ethan Hunt travel to in Mission: Impossible III?
What kind of show has an iconic fight scene in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation?
In the fifth Mission: Impossible movie, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt has to go on the run and leave his team behind. But then he brings his old pal Benji Dunn back into the fold by sending him a ticket to this theatrical production in Vienna. So, he travels there and Ethan hands him a dossier of files when he arrives. A fight breaks out above the stage there. What kind of production is going on during this fight?
Who plays Owen Davian?
This actor was a renowned character actor before he sadly passed away at a relatively young age. He was in all kinds of movies, like the mystery comedy The Big Lebowski and the epic drama Boogie Nights and the romantic comedy film Along Came Polly, in which he played a former child star in a fresh take on the "romcom best friend" trope. He also directed the feature film Jack Goes Boating. What is the name of this revered actor?
What virus does the bad guy in Mission: Impossible 2 threaten to release?
A common plot point in the action movie genre is a dangerous biological weapon that the bad guys are threatening to release. Once a virus has been released into the air, it is impossible to contain, and that is what makes it such an exciting plot for an action movie. The stakes are high. That is the plot that was used for the second Mission: Impossible movie. What virus does the bad guy in Mission: Impossible 2 threaten to release?
Who is in charge of the Syndicate?
The Syndicate is the shady criminal organization at the center of the last couple of Mission: Impossible movies, starting with Rogue Nation. The guy who is in charge of this organization was the main villain in that fifth movie and he also returned for a role in Fallout. He is one of those villains who acts as a puppet master behind the scenes who gets other to do his dirty work. Who is the head honcho in charge of the Syndicate?
Which movie opens with this breathtaking stunt?
The producers of the Mission: Impossible movie franchise realized about half way through the making of them that they could be selling the movies based on the stunts that Tom Cruise was doing. So, it became sort of a pattern to have a ludicrous stunt at some point in the movie that could be plastered all over the posters and the trailers for the film. Which of the movies in the Mission: Impossible film franchise opens with this breathtaking stunt?
Who plays Nyah Nordoff-Hall?
Nyah Nordoff-Hall, the love interest character in the second movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise, is played by a pretty big star. She currently appears in the HBO science fiction drama series Westworld as one of the "hosts." We also saw her earlier this year in the Star Wars young Han Solo spinoff movie Solo: A Star Wars Story as the wife of Woody Harrelson's character and she starred in the Oscar winning drama movie Crash. Who plays Nyah Nordoff-Hall?
Complete the quote: "Mission..."
This quote is what Ethan Hunt says right at the end of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol as he averts a nuclear crisis at the very last moment. Later, when he tells Benji Dunn that said it when he saved the day, Benji's response is something like, "Wait, you actually said that?" It's a beautifully meta moment that tackles Hollywood action cinema tropes. Complete this hilariously self aware quote from the end of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol: "Mission..." what?
What Chinese city does Ethan Hunt visit in Mission: Impossible III?
This city is not only the most populous city in the whole of China, but it has also got the second biggest population of any city in the entire world. So, point is, it's a pretty big city. It's a wonder that Ethan Hunt even manages to find the bad guy from Mission: Impossible III there, after which he quickly dispatches him. It's the climax of the movie. What Chinese city does Ethan Hunt visit during the third Mission: Impossible movie?
Which famous geek directed Mission: Impossible III?
The director who helmed the third Mission: Impossible movie had to make the tough decision of abandoning his burgeoning science fiction drama TV show Lost in order to take the job of directing M:I III. He has gone on to have a crazily successful career directing movies, as he directed two Star Trek movies and Star Wars: The Force Awakens and he's currently in the middle of production on Star Wars: Episode IX. Which famous geek directed Mission: Impossible III?
Who plays Lindsey Farris?
The actress who starred as the female lead role in Lindsey Farris became famous for her starring role in the college drama series Felicity on TV. She is currently working on Star Wars Episode IX, which she has time for now that her espionage drama series on the FX network has come to an end. Lindsey in M:I III is the one who brings Ethan Hunt back into action by being kidnapped. Who plays Lindsey Farris in Mission: Impossible III?
When was the first Mission: Impossible movie released?
It is often incorrectly thought that since it is his big action movie franchise, Mission: Impossible is the movie that made Tom Cruise a huge movie star. However, movies like Risky Business and Top Gun and Days of Thunder and The Color of Money and Rain Man made him a big star in the '80s before Mission: Impossible threw some fuel onto that fire in the '90s. In which year in the '90s was the first Mission: Impossible movie released?
Who is the only director to have helmed two Mission: Impossible movies?
Until Mission: Impossible - Fallout, a movie director had never come back for a second round with Tom Cruise and his IMF team. A lot of them are probably put off by Cruise's exhausting work ethic, but this guy seems to gel with it. He did Rogue Nation and then immediately signed on to do the following installment, Fallout. He also wrote the scripts for each of the two movies. Who is the only director to have helmed two Mission: Impossible movies?
Who plays Ilsa Faust?
Much like the Bond girls in the James Bond 007 franchise of spy movies, the lead female roles of the Mission: Impossible movies never tend to make a second appearance. They are either the love interest or the villain of one of them and then they are replaced by yet another by the time that the next movie rolls around. However, the role of Ilsa Faust proved to be so popular in Rogue Nation that she was brought back for Fallout. Who plays her?