While in his engagement party with doctor Julia, the IMF agent Ethan Hunt is invited to a rescue mission of his former protégée, agent Lindsey Farris that was trained by him and has been kidnapped in Berlin by the evil dealer Owen Davian. Ethan accepts the assignment, rescues Lindsey with his team but she is killed by a bomb inserted in her head. Ethan finds that Owen will be in the Vatican and he joins his group to abduct him. They are well succeeded in their mission, but back in USA they are betrayed, Owen is released by his team and he abducts Julia, bringing her to Shanghai. Owen contacts Ethan and forces him to steal a powerful weapon in Shanghai to save the life of Julia.