TheMission: Impossiblefranchise is celebrated for its production value, fast-paced action scenes, excellent performances, lovable characters, and world-class stunts. It is not praised for its plot structure, writing, or storytelling. The first three films were largely self-contained adventures, but every film since the fourth has built on its ongoing narrative. Most fans barely try to follow that narrative, but there are details worth exploring.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocolwas a new horizon for the franchise in many ways. It was the first entry to feature work by Christopher McQuarrie, who stepped in to provide rewrites before becoming the writer/director for the following four films. Perhaps most impactfully, it was the first to feature a stunt as its primary marketing angle. The implication shifted from “espionage, intrigue, skullduggery and action” to “watch Tom Cruise’s latest absurd feat.”
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Why was the IMF formed?
The Impossible Mission Force or IMF is amultinational espionage organization workingadjacent to but independent of the United States government. Its formation is shrouded in mystery, but the early days of the franchise reveal some elements. There is a governing body above the IMF. It’s called “Division Seven,” and it’s never been depicted or explained in detail. Ostensibly, the only full-time members of the IMF in the 1960s were the directors. The other members were part-time spies with specialist skillsets gathered from their other jobs. The IMF dates back to at least the 1940s. It was probably established around the same time as the CIA, which started working in 1947. The original series depicts the IMF under Dan Briggs, but it’s clear that he and the organization have been around much longer.
What does the IMF do?
The IMF exists to solve problems that can’t be entrusted to any other branch of the US security state. As their name suggests, they take onmissions that are thought to be impossible. They also take on assignments that are seen as bad for public relations. The CIA, FBI, and NSA have all done some heinous things without the knowledge of the public, but they have the expectation of transparency. The IMF exists on the periphery of the government. If anything goes wrong, if any of their agents fail or get captured, the US can immediately disavow the organization. They’re well-funded, and their agents are well-trained. TheIMF doesn’t seem toanswer to laws very frequently. They regularly engage in activities that would get any other agency court-martialed. Their technology is often decades ahead of the equipment afforded to other organizations. Though they operate with maximum deniability, there are some huge problems with the IMF’s general methods.
IMF agents typically address the latest global disaster by engaging in complex confidence schemes. Trickery was once their greatest weapon. Many of the 60s, 70s, and 80s agents weretrained actors and actresses. The more modern agency relies more on violence, running, high-speed vehicles, and absurd stunts. The big problem with the IMF is that they trained most of their greatest enemies. Around half of the agents in the IMF are moles, double agents, or saboteurs. Beyond the rogue agents of the IMF, rogue agents from other security agencies formed the evil Syndicate in the fifth film. Ethan Hunt spends more time fighting folks who used to do his job than he does sleeping. A revelation in the latest entry upended the IMF’s recruiting policy. According toDead Reckoning, Ethan and his team were offered the positions as an alternative to a nasty prison sentence. This suggests that most IMF agents are recruited on thislight Suicide Squad technicality. A cast of criminals who should be incarcerated would be easier to disavow or dispose of, but they would also account for the high percentage of betrayal.
Was the IMF ever compromised?
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocolgets its subtitle from a hidden contingency that allows the President of the United States to immediately disavow the IMF.Ethan Hunt and his teamare tasked with infiltrating the Kremlin, only to see it destroyed by a hidden explosive. The IMF agents are blamed for the destruction, and the President evokes the Ghost Protocol. The former agents are cut off from backup, resources, and their safe houses. Hunt and his team use their newfound freedom from the agency to exercise new tactics. The IMF is re-established under the leadership of the former CIA director.
The IMF is as obscure to the audience as it would be to anyone in the franchise. The films are violently opposed to backstory. Though the fourth film and its sequels have added elements of canon to the franchise, they still may as well be standalone adventures.The plot resembles aninterstate highway. It’s a necessary method of traveling from one interesting place to another, but no one would want to live there. The IMF is a spy organization with a built-in self-destruct button, and that’s all fans need to know.
