After nearly-twenty years, the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Tom Cruise has become synonymous with the character Ethan Hunt, while the franchise has evovled over mutliple directors and guest stars. Here's a look back at the series and what our writers thought about each entry:
'Mission: Impossible' -- 2.0 Stars
'M:i 2' -- 3.0 Stars
'M:i:III' -- 3.5 Stars
'Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol' -- 4.0 Stars
'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation' -- 4.0 Stars
The Blu-rays: Vital Disc Stats
'Mission: Impossible The 5 Movie Collection' combines the entire franchise into one Blu-ray + Digital HD packaging. The five BDs are housed in a fold-out case, with each disc getting its own hub -- and appear to be duplications (or reprints) of previous standalone 'Mission: Impossible' series releases. I do not see any Region coding or locking information on any of the discs or the packaging. Instructions for redeeming the five Digital HD copies are included, and will work with Ultraviolet or iTunes. The expiration date for these is 12/15/2017.
'Mission: Impossible The 5 Movie Collection' arrives on Blu-ray with a variety of different quality1080p transferes. The first three films are encoded in MPEG-2, improving as time goes by, while the more recent productions elected AVC MPEG-4 and are virutally identical. Here's how the scores break down:
'Mission: Impossible' -- 3.5 Stars
'M:i 2' -- 4.0 Stars
'M:i:III' -- 5.0 Stars
'Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol' -- 4.5 Stars
'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation' -- 4.5 Stars
The 'Mission: Impossible' franchise has been a little hit or miss in the Blu-ray era of home entertainment. The first three films were encoded in Dolby Digital 5.1 and that has not changed here. 'Ghost Protocol' was one of the first productions to feature a 7.1 theatrical sound mix as well as a 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Blu-ray. Carrying that torch even further, 'Rogue Nation' is the first film in the series to boast a Dolby Atmos mix (that is also 7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible should you not have Atmos gear).
'Mission: Impossible' -- 3.0 Stars
'M:i 2' -- 3.5 Stars
'M:i:III' -- 4.5 Stars
'Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol' -- 5.0 Stars
'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation' -- 4.0 Stars (Atmos); 5.0 Stars (7.1)
Please note, other than 'Ghost Protocol', I do not have Blu-rays on hand to check that every single Special Feature for the first three films has remained for this 5 Movie Collection. However, given the detailed descriptions by the original reviewer, it appears as though films one, two, and five carry over every special feature from their standalone releases, while films three and four are missing bonus materials.
'Mission: Impossible' -- 3.0 Stars
It appears also though the first 'Mission: Impossible' includes all the bonus materials from its previous Blu-ray releases.
'M:i 2' -- 3.5 Stars
It appears as thought 'M:i 2' includes all of the bonus materials from its previous Blu-ray releases.
'M:i:III' -- 1.0 Star
The original 'M:i:III' debuted on Blu-ray as a two-Blu-ray release with the second BD housing most of the special features. That disc is not included here leaving only the audio commentary with JJ Abrahams. The score has been changed to reflect this loss.
'Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol' -- 2.5 Stars
'Ghost Protocol' also debuted with separate discs for the feature film and for the special features. However, aside from the theatrical trailers, most of the special features have been ported over to this release. The score has been adjusted accordingly.
'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation' -- 0 Stars
We were not given a standalone release for 'Rogue Nation', this Blu-ray appears to be exactly the same as the standalone release and presents all of the same bonus materials. However, these special features are all HD Exclusives with a link below.
The 'Mission: Impossible The 5 Movie Collection' is the all-in-one edition for the person who doesn't own (m)any of the previous films, or is looking for save a little shelf space. It costs about $20-25 more than the stand alone release of 'Rogue Nation', which puts the price of the previous four films (all with Digital HD copies) at ~$5-7 each. If that's worth it to you, then by all means pick up this fun set. However, given that the first three films remain untouched, and there are some special features missing from 'M:i:III' and 'Ghost Protocol', it's hard to recommend this edition for everyone.
Recommended for first-time buyers or as a gift. Skip It for die hard franchise fans.
Average those out to Worth A Look.
Portions of this review also appear in our coverage of Dunkirk on Blu-ray. This post features unique Vital Disc Stats, Video, and Final Thoughts sections.
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