Asking us if we like Mission: Impossible is a bit like asking if Die Hard is a Christmas movie. The answer is the same in both instances: Hell yeah! Say what you want about Tom Cruise (and, let’s face it, he’s given us plenty to say about him), but he’s the perfect Ethan Hunt. Even Keanu Reeves couldn’t play the role better, and you know how much we love Keanu. Nearly everything about the franchise, from the plots to the stunts, is absurd, but c’mon, that’s what makes it fun. And that’s what makes Mission: Impossible quotes so hilarious to drop in everyday scenarios. Kid asking to get up from the dinner table when there are still peas on the plate? “What’s done is done when we say it’s done!” Using duct tape on the leaky shower head for the hundredth time? “Desperate times, desperate measures.”
Add in the fact that most of the films don’t contain anything too far from wholesome, and you’re left with a wild, action-packed movie you can watch with your kids. The worst thing that can happen is they’ll want to play spies after the film. Or they might try some of their own daring stunts off the couch, which, OK, isn’t ideal — but let’s call it character-building.
To get you in the Ethan Hunt mindset, we pulled together some of the best Mission: Impossible quotes from the franchise. Use them how you see fit. (But, just saying, “I am the storm” works for a multitude of dad moments.)
Mission Impossible Quotes From Ethan Hunt
- Ethan Hunt: “How does it feel to be a solid citizen again?”
Luther: “Man, I don’t know. I’m gonna miss bein’ disreputable.”
Ethan Hunt: “Well, Luther, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll always think of you that way.” - Luther: “You really think we can do this?”
Ethan Hunt: “We’re going to do it.” - “Kittridge, you’ve never seen me very upset!”
- “Everest, man. You ready to plant the flag?”
- “Relax, Luther; it’s much worse than you think.”
- “Well, my mom was a little confused how the DEA could mistake her and Uncle Donald for a couple of dope smugglers in the Florida Keys.”
- (Realizing Jim is the mole) “Why, Jim? Why?”
- “If you’re dealing with a man who has crushed, shot, stabbed, and detonated five members of his own IMF team, how devastated do you think you’re gonna make him by hauling Mom and Uncle Donald down to the county courthouse?”
- “I am the storm.”
- “What’s done is done when we say it’s done!”
- “If I let you know where I’m going, I won’t be on holiday.”
- Lindsey Farris: “How many rounds do you got?”
Ethan Hunt: “Enough.” - “We just rolled up a snowball and tossed it into hell. Now let’s see what chance it has.”
- “We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.”
- “I’ve got a charge in my head, and I’m going to die unless you kill me.”
- “The countdown is not helping.”
- “I would have thought the hardest part was serving that pressing need of yours to get your gun off.”
The Best of the Rest From Other Characters
- Ethan Hunt: “Yeah. Could we get a cappuccino machine in here? ‘Cause I don’t know what you call this.”
- Jack Harmon: “I call it cruel and unusual.”
- “Stick of gum, right? No. Red light, green light. You find a lock you can’t pick, you mash them together (imitates an explosion)… Hasta lasagna, don’t get any on ya. You’ll have about five seconds. Just don’t chew it.” — Jack Harmon
- “Try any sleight of hand with my money and I’ll cut your throat.” — Krieger
- “If we’re going to Virginia why don’t we drop by Fort Knox? I could fly a helicopter through the lobby and set it down right inside the vault. And it would be a hell of a lot easier than breaking into the goddamn CIA.” — Krieger
- Ethan Hunt: “I don’t communicate very well through a shroud.”
Matthias: “If Max doesn’t like what you have to say, you will be wearing that shroud indefinitely.” - “Anonymity… is like a warm blanket.” — Max
- “Computers are a bitch.” — Luther
- “All right, Hunt. Enough is enough. You have bribed, cajoled, and killed, and you have done it using loyalties on the inside. You want to shake hands with the devil, that’s fine with me. I just want to make sure that you do it in hell!” — Kittridge
- Kittridge: “You seem hell-bent on blaming yourself, Ethan.”
Ethan Hunt: “Who else is left?”
Kittridge: “Yeah. I see your point.” - “Well, you think about it, Ethan, it was inevitable. No more cold war. No more secrets you keep from yourself. Answer to no one but yourself. Then, you wake up one morning and find out the President is running the country without your permission. The son of a bitch, how dare he. Then you realize, it’s over. You are an obsolete piece of hardware, not worth upgrading, you got a lousy marriage, and 62 grand a year.” — Jim Phelps
- “I want him manning a radar tower in Alaska by the end of the day. Just mail him his clothes.” — Kittridge
- “These guys are trained to be ghosts. We taught them to do it for Christ’s sake.” — Kittridge