For more than two decades in the film industry, the Mission: Impossible and Fast & Furious franchises have ruled the roost. Both series have tasted enormous success and have been lauded for the way they’ve delivered intense thrills and awe-inspiring action sequences.
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However, there are a few things each does better than the other, with the Tom Cruise-starring Mission: Impossible movies one-upping the Vin Diesel-led franchise and vice versa. With F9 and Mission: Impossible 7 releasing this year, the two big-budget movies will be entertaining fans within months of each other, and it’s worth looking into the strongest aspects of either series.
F&F: The Scale Of The Movie’s Atmosphere
![Fast and Furious 9 Han Car Dom Charger](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Fast-and-Furious-9-Han-Car-Dom-Charger.jpg)
Both Mission: Impossible and Fast & Furious feature globe-trotting adventures where the protagonists have to face incredibly huge odds that present themselves in tasks that require scaling massive defenses and taking down enemies in big-time scenarios.
However, Fast & Furious completely embraces this aspect by being more creative, with nothing off the table for this franchise. The protagonists have been shown going to the ends of the world and beyond in their adventures where the franchise comes up with ways for the battles to make sense while stressing about the stakes involved.
MI: Authenticity Of Stunts
The Mission: Impossible series is famous for featuring Tom Cruise pulling off a number of stunts. These have actually become the main appeal of the movies, with the stunts working so well due to the fact that they are authentically put together.
Fast & Furious stunts are definitely entertaining, but the nature of the things happening onscreen is so over-the-top that it’s clear that CGI is heavily involved. Mission: Impossible movies truly place viewers in the protagonist’s point of view, with sequences like scaling the Burj Khalifa and falling from the sky being something to marvel at.
F&F: Memorable One-Liners & Quotes
There isn’t any lack of smart-mouth characters in the Fast & Furious franchise, with the movies doling out one-liners galore. The main protagonist Dominic Toretto is a man of few words, but the times he does speak highlights his characterization.
Hobbs & Shaw made the one-liners one of its most appealing factors, as both protagonists threw hilarious insults each other’s way as part of their dynamic. While Mission: Impossible dialogues have more depth in them, Fast & Furious quotes last longer in memory.
MI: Fight Scenes
Fast & Furious movies didn’t feature great fight choreography in the first half of the series since the action wasn’t a focal point. While they’ve gotten much better in this regard since then, it’s still hard to beat the Mission: Impossible series.
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Tom Cruise has gone a long way in ensuring that Ethan Hunt’s fight scenes are adrenaline-pumping sequences that show off the character’s martial arts skills. In addition, Mission: Impossible villains are shown to be just as proficient in fight skills as the protagonist, avoiding predictability and really keeping viewers hooked.
F&F: Sense Of Style
If there’s one word to describe the Fast & Furious series, it will have to be “cool.” The series started out by bringing in the best cars there are, making them a feast for the eyes. The main characters all have that level of attitude and edge that sets them a class apart as well.
The wardrobe, locales, and the way the characters carry themselves are all a way to highlight their sense of style, and the movies have never overstayed this aspect. Mission: Impossible did dabble with this in Ghost Protocol, but the series hasn’t fully made style its central focus.
MI: Better Storylines
In all fairness, the Fast & Furious movies carry the same template, in that Dom and his crew are called in to fight off a rival who’s similar to them. Mission: Impossible entries are more diverse in storylines, with each movie presenting a new challenge.
For a story that featured the hunt for a virus with global consequences, there was a more grounded story of Ethan protecting his wife. The more recent installments have made the scale larger, but have featured enough plot twists to keep viewers guessing.
F&F: Soundtrack That Fits The Series Theme
The ending of Furious 7 will always be special to fans due to the tribute to Paul Walker that was accompanied by the song “See You Again.” The soundtrack usually does point toward the theme of a particular movie in the Fast & Furious series, making it one of its strong points.
The earlier entries that focused on racing carried soundtracks that made note of the fast-paced style of the respective movie, while later entries have songs tied to the theme of family. Mission: Impossible’s main theme song will always be iconic, but there aren’t any other soundtracks that are as memorable.
MI: More Room For Surprises & Plot Twists
The Mission: Impossible series thrives on curveballs and plot twists that change the way viewers have seen the movie up until that point. It began from the first movie itself when Ethan’s boss and close friend turned out to be the main antagonist, following which every entry has had some kind of similar twist.
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To the benefit of the franchise, the spy theme ties in with the many grand reveals, as characters are expected to be duplicitous by nature. This also keeps things interesting as an additional layer is delivered to the plot that sets up the conclusion where Ethan has to save the day.
F&F: Carving Out The Series Universe
Both Mission: Impossible and Fast & Furious have been around for two decades and have fleshed out their respective universes. However, Fast & Furious has had far more potential for spin-offs, owing to how the movies have set up scenarios for different characters to pursue.
The Mission: Impossible franchise has been a one-man show for Ethan, with the other characters not having enough appeal to warrant spin-offs. Meanwhile, Fast & Furious has had the likes of Sean Boswell, along with Hobbs and Shaw, at the helm of their own movies to carve out the film’s universe to greater lengths.
MI: Quality Of The Protagonist
It’s remarkable that Ethan Hunt first debuted 25 years ago and is still a draw for audiences to follow. While Dominic Toretto has been around long as well, he wasn’t seen for a good decade between 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift.
On the other hand, Ethan has been a more immersive character, with Mission: Impossible giving him a sympathetic background and tragic tales of romance. He’s also been placed as an everyman who puts his life on the line to save the world without ever asking for anything in return. This has allowed Ethan to retain fan interest and their loyalties for over two decades.
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