Who Can Ace This Mission: Impossible Quiz?

The Mission: Impossible franchise is currently riding high at the box office, with latest entry Fallout enjoying its second weekend as the number one movie in America. It's cleaning up overseas as well, and has had some of the strongest reviews of any installment so far, with some critics even describing it as one of the best action movies ever made! It's testament to the longevity and enduring quality of the franchise that the sixth movie could be considered the best, and a seventh film is surely already in development at Paramount Pictures.

The franchise began way back in 1996 with Brian De Palma's action thriller, before morphing into a super reliable action series with likeable characters and some of the most eye-popping stunts around. Tom Cruise has been playing Ethan Hunt, the IMF's most dedicated and relentless secret agent, for 22 years at this point and shows no signs of slowing down. The physical and mental effort he goes to in order to entertain his fans is admirable, and Fallout features him at his very best.

This quiz will honour the history of the Mission: Impossible franchise, and test fans on the length and breadth of Ethan's adventures. There are a few Fallout questions at the end, but only relating to well-publicized elements of the production; never fear, there are no spoilers here.

So, this is the mission, should anybody choose to accept it: ace this Mission Impossible quiz!

Question 1

In the franchise, what does IMF stand for?

In 1996, Tom Cruise took a big gamble when he decided to star in a big screen update of a well-remembered 1960's spy television show. Mission: Impossible, created by Bruce Geller, had chronicled the adventures of a team of secret government agents (working for the mysterious IMF) who took on covert missions against ne'er-do-wells. Cruise had formed a production company in the 90's and chose this as his first producing effort. In the end, it was a great decision, as his defining franchise was born!

Question 2

What happens to Ethan Hunt's IMF team on their mission in Prague at the start of Mission: Impossible?

The Mission: Impossible television show was always about a team of agents working together to accomplish a seemingly impossible task. So, even though the first movie was intended as a Tom Cruise star vehicle, the writers and director Brian De Palma knew that the team aspect had to remain. Hence, the movie opened with Cruise's Ethan Hunt as a member of a long-running team headed up by Jon Voight's Jim Phelps, a surrogate father figure for Ethan. But what befell the team on the film's first mission, in Prague?

Question 3

Who is the only character, aside from Ethan Hunt, to appear in all six films?

Tom Cruise is the main constant of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Over the course of 22 years and six films we've seen Ethan Hunt become embroiled in increasingly action-packed adventures, and seen Cruise perform increasingly dangerous stunts in the process of making the films. Seriously, it's incredible what the man has done in service of our entertainment! However, Ethan Hunt is NOT the only constant in the series. There is one other character who has appeared in all six films and is also beloved by fans of the franchise...

Question 4

Jim Phelps is revealed as the villain of Mission: Impossible. Why did this upset fans of the original TV show?

One of the traditions of the Mission: Impossible franchise, and spy stories in general, is virtuous characters being revealed to be villains. If the IMF were a real organization someone would have serious questions to ask about their employment practices, given the amount of their agents that have gone rogue, betrayed or otherwise worked against the agency! The tradition began in the first movie when Jim Phelps was revealed to be the villain behind everything, which destroyed Ethan Hunt as he saw Phelps as a mentor. But it also angered fans (and the cast) of the original TV show. Why?

Question 5

What are Ethan and his team trying to steal at CIA Headquarters in the famous heist scene?

Every Mission: Impossible film features a 'MacGuffin'. Legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock popularised this term when referencing plot devices in a film. Its meaning is fairly simple: the MacGuffin is the goal, object or outcome that the protagonist of the story is pursuing. In the first Mission: Impossible, the IMF are trying to retrieve something that, if it fell into the wrong hands, would expose the identities of all undercover CIA agents the world over. This leads to the most famous scene in the film, in which Ethan Hunt is lowered into a super-secret vault to steal the MacGuffin...

Question 6

What was Luther Stickell's status with the IMF when Ethan recruited him to his team in Mission: Impossible?

In Mission: Impossible, Ethan Hunt finds himself on the outs with the IMF when he is framed as a mole working against them. He has to go on the run to clear his name, and recruits a team of other shamed agents to help him. One of them is Ving Rhames' Luther Stickell, a cool cat and master computer hacker. The audience is initially unsure whether or not Luther can be trusted, but he comes through in the clinch and ends up becoming one of the franchises most enduring characters.

Question 7

Which nu-metal band recorded the hit song 'Take A Look Around' for the M:I-2 soundtrack?

Back in the 1990's and early 2000's, most blockbuster movies had an accompanying soundtrack album. This was separate from the score of the film (which in M:I-2's case was composed by Hans Zimmer) and instead featured songs by popular bands at the time. The M:I:2 soundtrack featured many of the big rock acts of the period, including Metallica, Foo Fighters, Rob Zombie and Chris Cornell. But the biggest hit came from a nu-metal band, fronted by a singer with a backwards baseball cap, who gave us their own version of the famous Mission: Impossible theme song...

Question 8

What is the biological weapon at the heart of M:I-2 called?

Mission: Impossible 2, which came four years after the first movie, was directed by John Woo (Face/Off) and was a huge departure from De Palma's low key thriller. M:I-2 was a big dumb action movie, filled with explosions and motorbikes and people firing two guns at once. Critics weren't impressed, but audiences flocked to see it, making it the biggest movie of the year. The central plot revolved around a biological virus that a former IMF agent was threatening to unleash upon the world...

Question 9

Thandie Newton's Nyah Nordoff-Hall is a professional...?

As well as wonderfully lustrous long hair that flowed gracefully in the wind, Ethan Hunt also had a love interest in Mission: Impossible 2. Casting the character (somewhat awkwardly) as a James Bond clone, Ethan had to get Nyah Nordof-Hall (played by then-newcomer Thandie Newton) and convince her to spy on her former boyfriend Sean Ambrose, who was in possession of the biological weapon the IMF was tracking. Nyah then became a pawn in the battle of wits between Ethan and Ambrose.

Question 10

Who starred in the hilarious MTV Movie Awards spoof of M:I-2, Mission Improbable?

Mission: Improbable was a brilliant six-minute spoof segment that aired during the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. It gave us the story of Tom Crooze, the 'harmless' stunt double for Tom Cruise, who did everything in his power to walk like, talk like and look like the real Tom Cruise. Including legally changing his name to sound like Cruise! The part was played by a comedic actor on the rise at the time, who would go on to become a huge star in his own right.

Question 11

Name Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in M:I-III?

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman starred in Mission: Impossible III as the villain, a terrifying criminal who threatened to personally take away everyone Ethan Hunt loved. In a series that has sometimes struggled for memorable villains, Hoffman's turn is a standout. In every scene he brings a palpable sense of menace, and he plays extremely well off of Tom Cruise, who is panicked, frantic and worried at all times in the movie. An actor not known for taking on many blockbuster roles, we were definitely glad he chose to tackle this one.

Question 12

In M:I-III, where do Ethan's IMF team impersonate and then kidnap Hoffman's villain?

The main set-piece in the second act of Mission: Impossible III is Ethan's (unathorised) mission to abduct Philip Seymour Hoffman's arms dealer. The team recover enough data from a damaged laptop to find out that Hoffman will be in a very public arena, and that it will be their best chance to impersonate and then take him. The whole scene is masterfully put together, action-packed and funny, while also showing us that these missions never go exactly to plan! It also gives Hoffman a chance to play Tom Cruise impersonating him, which is fun!

Question 13

What is the name of the mysterious object sought by both sides in M:I-II?

Mission: Impossible III features one of the most blatant uses of the 'MacGuffin' in movie history. At the start of the film, Ethan Hunt has retired from active field duty for the IMF, preferring to train new recruits instead. However, he is dragged back into the field when he finds out Philip Seymour Hoffman's character is looking for a mysterious object. It is given an odd codename, but the audience (and the characters) are never told exactly what it can do. We're just told it will be very bad if Hoffman gets it!

Question 14

Where does Ethan marry Michelle Monaghan's Julia, before setting off on a dangerous mission?

M:I-III made very major changes to Ethan Hunt's character, after the negative reception to M:I-2. Ethan was now a man in love, who wanted to stop the spy game and live as normal a life as possible. He was living with Julia Meade (MIchelle Monaghan), a nurse who knew nothing of his real job training recruits at the IMF, and at one point in the film he proposed to her before going of on a dangerous mission. In a touching scene they then got hitched in a very spur of the moment fashion. But where?

Question 15

M:I:III features the first appearance of Simon Pegg's popular analyst-turned-field agent...?

Simon Pegg, British star of comedies such as Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Paul, came on board the Mission: Impossible franchise in the third installment. Bringing his customary wit and self-deprecation to his extended cameo as an IMF analyst, he went on to become an important part of Ethan's team in the three subsequent films. A regular collaborator with M:I-III director/producer JJ Abrams, Pegg also starred in two of Abrams' rebooted Star Trek films, as well as writing and starring in the third one.

Question 16

In the opening rescue scene, what happens to Lindsey Farris?

Ethan Hunt is dragged back into field duty in M:I-III when he finds out that one of his prized recruits, who he trained and recommended for field work, has gone missing while investigating Philip Seymour Hoffman's character. He and his team stage a daring rescue in Berlin, and wind up shooting their way out before getting into a helicopter and flying through a windmill field, while being pursued by another chopper. They think they've successfully rescued Lindsey, but then something horrible happens...

Question 17

Where is the pulse-pounding third act of M:I-III set?

Mission: Impossible III is arguably the most straightforward and relentlessly action-packed entry in the franchise. Once it gets going it never lets up, bounding from one frantic set-piece to the next, with Ethan Hunt and his team always playing catch-up to the bad guys. The third act of the movie, which features a thrilling stunt with Ethan parachuting out of a skyscraper before being driven over by a truck, followed by one of the greatest scenes of Tom Cruise running ever committed to film, is set in which exotic locale?

Question 18

Tom Cruise offered JJ Abrams the M:I-III directing gig after binge watching which of his shows?

One of the unique selling points of the Mission: Impossible franchise, over the course of its first five films, was that each entry was directed by someone new. It gave each movie its own distinct flavour, with each director bringing their own personal vision and style to the property. M:I-3 was circled by directors like David Fincher (Gone Girl) and Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces) before JJ Abrams was brought on board. A TV creator at that time, Tom Cruise felt he was the man for the job after binge watching two seasons of one of his shows...

Question 19

Which British actor had a cameo in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol as the IMF Secretary?

This is your mission, should you choose to accept it. As always, should any member of your IMF force be caught or eliminated, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This iconic phrase is spoken in every film whenever Ethan Hunt is receiving his mission instructions. However, the audience never met an IMF Secretary, the head honcho giving all the orders, until midway through Ghost Protocol. A stalwart British character actor turned up playing the Secretary...and was promptly taken out in his only scene!

Question 20

Tom Cruise really performed stunts outside the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which is in...?

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is still the highest grossing movie in the franchise at the box office, and it revitalised both the franchise and Tom Cruise's career upon its release in 2011. The movie was largely sold on Cruise performing legitimately incredible, death-defying stunts outside the tallest building in the world. He climbs, swings and runs outside the 119th floor of the building, wowing and terrifying the audience in equal measure. It's still one of the best sequences in the franchise, and maybe the biggest testament to Cruise's commitment to entertaining his fans.

Question 21

Where do we first meet Ethan Hunt at the beginning of Ghost Protocol?

At the beginning of Ghost Protocol we find Ethan Hunt in a very precarious situation. Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and writers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec purposely throw the audience into very unfamiliar territory with Ethan. We don't know why he is in this situation, and are concerned because he seems to be something of a broken man. But , of course, there was really no need to worry, as it quickly becomes apparent that Ethan was undercover in this place to acquire a source of information on the bad guy, codenamed 'Cobalt'!

Question 22

What is Michael Nyqvist's villain, codenamed Cobalt, pursuing in the film?

The late Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist (John Wick, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) played the villain in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. With the codename 'Cobalt', he was a man who wanted to incite an international incident. He believed this would restore ecological balance to the world. In many ways his motivations were similar to Batman Begins villain Ra's Al Ghul or even Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, believing that many live needed to be lost in order for the world to survive.

Question 23

Jeremy Renner's William Brandt blames himself for someone losing their life. Who was it?

Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) made his debut in the Mission: Impossible franchise in Ghost Protocol, playing the mysterious analyst William Brandt. For much of the movie, Ethan and his team weren't sure whether to trust Brandt as he seemed to have some secrets. In the end, they found that he was actually a good guy at heart, although he did have a big secret: he blamed himself for someone very close to Ethan losing their life on a previous assignment in which he was tasked with protecting them...

Question 24

Which LOST actor cameos in Ghost Protocol?

Paula Patton (2 Guns) plays IMF agent Jane Carter in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. She is part of Ethan's team and has her crowning moment when she fights Sabine Moreau, an assassin possessing stolen information the IMF needs, and kicks her out the open window of the 119th floor of the Burj Khalifa! Jane was extra motivated in the fight because Sabine took out IMF agent Trevor Hanaway in the opening of the film, who we later found out was Jane's lover. He was played by a very well-known LOST actor...

Question 25

What does Ethan say when disabling the device in the finale of Ghost Protocol?

In the competitive world of international globe-trotting spy movies, the Mission: Impossible franchise has always sought to distinguish itself from the likes of James Bond and Jason Bourne. One way they do this is through the use of humour. Even though there is always a huge amount of action in any Mission movie, there are usually a huge amount of laughs as well, in order to cut the tension. One of the best laughs comes at the end of Ghost Protocol, when Ethan says something preposterous after disabling the nuclear device set loose by Cobalt...

Question 26

What is the name of the mysterious organisation menacing the IMF in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation?

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation was released in 2015 to overwhelmingly positive critical and commercial response. It seemed the Mission movies had accomplished something nearly unheard of in Hollywood; produced their best movie in the fifth installment. Written and directed by Chris McQuarrie, who had also directed Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, the movie dealt with Ethan Hunt trying to prove the existence of a shadowy criminal consortium that he believed was made up of supposedly inactive, but in reality rogue, agents from spy agencies all over the world...

Question 27

Who does the mysterious Ilsa Faust truly work for in Rogue Nation?

Easily one of the best aspects of Rogue Nation was Ilsa Faust, the dangerous spy whose motivations were often muddy to Ethan Hunt and the IMF. Played by relative newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, Ilsa was a breath of fresh air for the franchise; a female equal to Ethan in both smarts and skills, and a character who was arguably captivating enough to support her own movie. Over the course of the film we found out who she truly worked for, even while she was undercover within Solomon Lane's villainous organization...

Question 28

Who is Solomon Lane planning to take out at the Opera in Vienna?

In a Mission: Impossible movie, the audience expects a few things. Big action, big stunts, a twisty-turny plot and, of course, a few seemingly impossible missions to accomplish (that Ethan and his team will inevitably prove were just really difficult, rather than impossible). One of the best missions is in Rogue Nation when Ethan and Benji attend the Vienna State Opera, where they are convinced Solomon Lane's assassins are going to strike. It all comes down to Ethan choosing whether to shoot Ilsa or one of two other assassins sent by Lane to do the task!

Question 29

What is Ethan trying to stop falling into the hands of villains in the opening plane scene?

Tom Cruise does nearly all of his own stunts. By this point, pretty much every moviegoer in the world knows that, right? Paramount Pictures will certainly never let audiences forget it, as ever since Ghost Protocol in 2011 the Mission: Impossible franchise has been using Cruise's intense dedication to stunt work as one of their main marketing tools. One of his most famous stunts came at the start of Rogue Nation, and it found Cruise clinging on for dear life to the outside of a passenger plane as it took off!

Question 30

Who saves Ethan from his underwater mission in Rogue Nation?

The centerpiece heist of Rogue Nation comes halfway through the film, and it is a doozy. Ethan and his team need to steal some information that is key to catching Solomon Lane, but Benji needs to get past a complicated security system to steal the relevant thumb drive. In order to do this, Ethan needs to switch a personnel profile in the facility's security vault...which, of course, is underwater. Cruise reportedly learned to hold his breath for up to six minutes for shooting the scene, which sounds just insane enough to actually be true when it comes to him!

Question 31

What is the IMF's trademark means of deceiving people?

Over the course of six Mission: Impossible films we've watched Ethan Hunt get involved in countless crazy action scenes, bare knuckle fights and crazy stunts. But the IMF is not all about action; they also love a bit of deception, and this usually manifests itself in one particular way. In fact, in some of the movies it can get to the point of ridiculousness, as the audience and characters can never be entirely sure if what they are seeing or who they are watching are everything they appear to be!

Question 32

Who plays Alan Hunley, who becomes the IMF's new Secretary at the end of Rogue Nation?

In every Mission: Impossible movie, there is always an authority figure who the audience and characters are never entirely sure whether to trust. In the first movie, it was Henry Czerny's silver-tongued Kittridge (who turned out to be a good guy). In M:I-2 Anthony Hopkins showed up for a couple of scenes, and in M:I-3 it was Laurence Fishburne gleefully chewing the scenery as the perpetually aggravated Theodore Brassel. But perhaps the best is Alan Hunley, who started Rogue Nation as the director of the CIA, but finished it as the new IMF Secretary!

Question 33

Solomon Lane's second-in-command in Rogue Nation has a grisly nickname. What is it?

Sean Harris' Solomon Lane may be the main villain of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, but his second-in-command makes a big impression in his few scenes as well. Played by Swedish actor Jens Hulten, he is an intimidating presence who is first introduced when he is preparing to torture a shirtless Ethan Hunt for information. Ethan has heard stories of him in which he was known by his gruesome nickname. He appears again in the finale of the movie when he has a knife fight with Ilsa Faust.

Question 34

Which part of Henry Cavill's look for Mission: Impossible - Fallout famously caused problems for the Justice League movie?

Henry Cavill (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) stars in Mission: Impossible - Fallout as August Walker, a CIA agent who is tasked with accompanying Ethan Hunt on his worldwide search for three missing plutonium cores. Cavill, of course, also plays Superman in the DC universe of films, and an element of his character's look in Fallout infamously caused a lot of problems for the production of Justice Leaue. For such a seemingly small thing, it resulted in two major movie studios being at loggerheads, neither one wanting to back down! But what was it that caused so much hassle?

Question 35

What injury did Tom Cruise sustain while filming Fallout?

Speaking of production issues, Mission: Impossible - Fallout also experienced another huge one when Tom Cruise sustained a major injury when performing a stunt in London. While filming scenes in which Ethan Hunt races across the rooftops of the city, Cruise attempted to jump from one building to another and slightly misjudged it, leading to a nasty break. The production was shut down for eight weeks in order to give him time to recover. In the end, however, director Christopher McQuarrie said it helped the movie as it gave him time to refine the script.

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