Mission: Impossible or Bourne?

So, here’s the deal—the question is as straightforward as the poll itself, but finding an answer can be surprisingly difficult. For instance, take 🙂. Which franchise do you actually prefer between these two? We're talking pure action here; both series have been massive successes and they both possess what I’d call a certain "soul" or signature style. Even though they share some DNA in terms of plot beats, they each maintain a distinct identity and atmosphere.

It’s a tough call, but I’m going to reluctantly side with Mission: Impossible. It’s a hard choice because two of the Bourne films sit firmly in my personal top 5 greatest action movies of all time, so the math should be obvious.

I absolutely love the Bourne films—specifically the ones starring Matt Damon—though even the fourth installment isn't bad, it just doesn't quite hit that same high note.



Why did I ultimately pick Mission: Impossible? Because Mission: Impossible (1996) stands as the best action film I've ever seen, right alongside the Bourne ultimatum. But beyond the technical stuff, there’s a deeper connection there—whenever I watch that first film, I’m instantly transported back to New York City 😁 I was actually there at the time as a kid, and ended up visiting a few more times later on. Of course, it's not purely out of nostalgia, but... there's just that "something extra" about it. 🙂

To lay it all out, here is my personal top 5 greatest action movies of all time, along with my ratings:

1. Mission: Impossible (1996) - 9/10
2. The Bourne Ultimatum - 9/10
3. Die Hard - 8.5/10
4. Lethal Weapon II - 8.5/10
5. The Bourne Identity - 8/10

I should also mention that Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol lived up to every expectation; it’s easily the best of the sequels for me and lands in my top 10, but again, nothing touches the 1996 original. 🙂 I'd give M.I. – Ghost Protocol an 8/10.

Even after all this time, I haven't seen an action sequence that tops this one (especially when that iconic score kicks in during the climax at the 04:20 mark—man, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8LGzbU3PtI ).

Identity isn't enough for me. I’ll take the Mission: Impossible franchise any day.
But looking at the ones you listed, here is my ranking based on the overall vibe of the whole series:
1. Lethal Weapon
2. Die Hard
3. Mission: Impossible
4. Bourne

And honestly, that one scene from Mission: Impossible almost rivals those over-the-top Bollywood action flicks. 😁

So, I’ve watched my fair share of action flicks and I absolutely love them, but honestly? I haven't even touched a single Bourne movie yet. As for Mission: Impossible, I only ever sat through the first one, and that was like, what, ten years ago? I’ve pretty much forgotten everything about it by now.

I just can't seem to pull the trigger on binge-watching the whole Bourne series, even though I've been planning to do it for ages; for some reason, they just never really grabbed me before.

And with the Mission: Impossible movies, I've always kind of stayed away because of Tom, but hey, I'm actually hoping to dive into that franchise sometime in the near future.

Jerry Martinez50 said:That one scene from Mission: Impossible almost—and I mean *almost*—touched the level of those over-the-top Bollywood action flicks. 😁

🤣 Honestly, it didn't quite make the cut, though it barely managed to pull through. 😁

cosmiclynx57 said:I've watched plenty of action movies and I enjoy them, but I haven't sat through a single Bourne film. As for M. I., I only saw the first one—and that was a decade ago, just once—so it's mostly slipped my mind.

I've been planning to dive into the whole Bourne franchise for a while now, but for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

The M. I. films always put me off because of Tom, but I still intend to catch up on that series sometime in the near future.

Jacob, just watch the Bourne films and you won't regret it, trust me... whatever it was that held you back, you were definitely looking at it the wrong way. 😁

Mission: Impossible 2 all the way, baby div>

casualraven said:Mission: Impossible 2

The poll is a complete dead heat 😁 But, since you brought up Duja—I actually voted for M.I. too, and I laid out my reasoning at the start—but honestly, his take feels totally alien compared to the rest of the series 🙂 though, hey, I guess there's no accounting for taste.

Go ahead and vote for Bourne in this poll—I honestly don't care... one of my all-time favorite trilogies, and two of the Bourne films (the first and third) sit comfortably in my personal top 50 greatest movies ever made, so you can think what you want 🙂

If I had voted for Mission: Impossible, I’ve already laid out my reasoning in an old intro post, but after rewatching the Bourne series, I found myself thinking about this poll again... There are nuances that separate these two sagas; for me, just being a kid back when the first Mission: Impossible came out in '96 made the difference by a hair... 🙂 But Bourne? That's a pure MASTERPIECE... (well, except for the fourth one)

The Bourne film is great, though I have to say the Mission: Impossible movies are a total blast too...

I don't think this poll really makes much sense. Comparing the quality of the Bourne films to Mission: Impossible is just... off. It’s kind of like trying to compare a serious, well-thought-out action flick to some loud, mindless Michael Bay production. The first ones are actually intelligent movies meant for an audience that wants substance. The others? They're just instant gratification with zero artistic value. Aside from the massive box office numbers, which I guess just reflects the general state of consciousness of the masses.

Kenneth Taylor80 said:The quality of those Bourne films is miles away from Mission: Impossible.

Based on what? That shaky cam stuff? That doesn't make them better—it just makes them almost unwatchable... And honestly, Brian De Palma is a master when it comes to both Liman and Greengrass. Even if John Woo didn't always hit the mark, he’s still a pro when it comes to directing action sequences. The third installment was such an unexpected shift toward a more serious tone, which actually worked out great. As for the fourth one, it's just pure fun.

It's kind of like comparing a deep, thoughtful action flick to some mindless Michael Bay explosion fest.

How is an action movie supposed to be "serious and thoughtful"? I'm genuinely curious about that one... And hey, even Bay directed one of the absolute best action movies of the 90s—Quote: The Rock. From what I can tell, both the fans and the critics seem to love it.

Bourne, hands down.

Bryan Mills. 🤣

briskhound2 said:How can an action movie actually be serious and thoughtful? I'm genuinely curious about this one.

Goodfellas, Scarface, Heat, Where Eagles Dare, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill, The Matrix, Alien, The Fugitive, Hero, Taken, Bullitt... man, what a question. Those are basically the ones where you're actually supposed to use your brain, I guess.

briskhound2 said:And Bay directed one of the best action movies of the 90s. Quote: The Rock. From what I can tell, both audiences and critics seem to love it.

😂

Quote: The Rock is just high-budget, mindless, sensationalist, overblown garbage.

There’s just no contest here. Bourne is miles ahead. Honestly, even the first Mission: Impossible felt pretty mediocre to me, like the plot didn't really pull any surprises out of its hat ☕
I mean, if I'm being totally honest, I only caught the Bourne movies as they were coming out, so I haven't quite wrapped my head around the full story yet. I'll probably have to sit down and binge them all at once. Obviously, I'm skipping the fourth one because I have zero intention of ever watching it. Anything that goes that far over the top is just ☕

Personally, I think I would have preferred someone other than Matt Damon for the Bourne role. As for Mission: Impossible, that first one is an absolute classic...

Kenneth Taylor80 said:Goodfellas, Scarface, Heat, Where Eagles Dare, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill, The Matrix, Alien, The Fugitive, Hero, Taken, Bullitt... Honestly, what kind of question is that? These are the films where you actually have to use your brain—you know?

Everything being said here is spot on—the truth is that these films aren't just narrow action flicks; they really hit harder when you consider how they blend seamlessly with other genres.

Pure action flicks are basically just like *Die Hard* or *Lethal Weapon*—you don't exactly need to use your brain to follow them, right? Or, heaven forbid, let me even bring up *Schwarzenegger's Commando*.

Look, let’s be real—watching the Bourne series actually requires you to use your brain. It isn't just mindless noise. The pacing is relentless, sure, but the plot is intelligent and follows a coherent logic—layers upon layers of secrets buried within secrets from start to finish.

You can't seriously be sitting there telling me that Mission: Impossible (1996) is just some mindless action flick. Honestly, have some dignity. 😁 Look, you have to give credit where credit is due—you actually need to use your brain to follow this one.

Mission: Impossible 2 is, quite frankly, the absolute rock bottom of the entire franchise—I won't even waste too much breath dwelling on it.

In Mission: Impossible 3, things finally started to find their footing again—they regained some semblance of direction—but by the time we hit Mission: Impossible 4, everything clicked perfectly into place. You honestly can't dismiss Mission: Impossible 4 as just another mindless action flick, even if that’s what some critics might claim. However, you definitely can't say the same for the first installment.

Drew Allen77 said:Personally, I think the Bourne series would have been much stronger if it hadn't starred Matt Damon. As for Mission: Impossible—the first one is an absolute standout.

If it weren't for Matt Damon, I honestly don't think anyone would even bother sitting through these movies. He's really the glue that holds the whole thing together—without his presence, most of this stuff wouldn't even be worth the price of admission. 🙂 In other words—that just wouldn't cut it.

I’ve always had a massive amount of respect for Matt Damon as an actor—he just nails it every single time. His performance in the Bourne series was absolutely flawless; he really found that perfect rhythm for the role. Honestly, it’s getting to the point where it’s hard to find a single film in his filmography that doesn't land for me. Matt Damon rules.

Look, I think we need to clear something up here. Personally, I live for the Bourne films—specifically that first trilogy. To me, they are absolute masterpieces. There’s just something about them that hits differently, something deeper than just "objective quality" that I can't quite put my finger on. Now, I don't want to play defense attorney for Mission: Impossible—really, I don't—but I feel compelled to step in because people keep trying to compare the two franchises as if they're even playing the same game. They act like Mission: Impossible is nothing more than hollow, ego-driven spectacle, which simply isn't true—well, except for maybe M.I. 2.

Kenneth Taylor80 said:Goodfellas,

Crime

Scarface,

Crime

Heat,

Crime

Where Eagles Dare,

War-adventure

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,

Historical-martial

Kill Bill

Historical-martial Quote: Kill Bill nonsense

The Matrix,

Sci-Fi

Alien,

Horror-Sci-Fi

The Fugitive,

Thriller

Hero,

Historical-martial

Taken,

Do we really need to use our brains for this? Seriously... and 🙄Quote: The Rock
is garbage.

Bullitt...

Crime Quote: Where Eagles Dare

Man, what a question to drop... These are those kinds of topics where you actually have to switch your brain on, you know?

I mean, honestly, looking at the way things are going, I can see why you asked that question—you clearly have no idea what actually makes a solid action movie. If you had just mentioned stuff like Speed, Face / OFF, or Air Force One... then maybe I would’ve even taken you seriously...

Quote: The Rock is just high-budget, mindless, sensationalist garbage... honestly.

And once again... the critics absolutely hate it while the audience eats it up. Go figure...

They're all action flicks. I mean, fair enough.

briskhound2 said:Then again, critics and audiences both love it...

But I guess that's the whole point: what does the average action movie watcher actually care about? Just mindless stuff, things flying everywhere, being overloaded with special effects... while there's basically zero intelligence to be found.

I wasn't trying to call M. I. 1. Quote trash, nor was I saying BI 4 was good (not that I've seen it or even want to).

That scene where Tom Cruise sits in a diner and slowly realizes that Jon Voight playing the villain carries more weight than the entire Bourne franchise.🙂

Kenneth Taylor80 said:They all fit the action category. I mean, fair enough...

If we’re going by that logic, then a Pokémon movie is an action flick too. We all know how this goes... Trying to compare genre structures just to nitpick their flaws is honestly kind of a silly way to look at it.