On paper, Bond and Mission Impossible have a lot in common. Both are about maverick spies who do dangerous things to keep the world safe from megalomaniacs and do-wells intent on causing the sky to fall or other such catastrophic events.

However, and this is for your eyes only, I think Mission Impossible is the best series. Why? Well, because Bond is an international icon and in many ways bigger than the films he appears in. As a result, the tabloid buzz around Bond often hovers over the film like a malignant specter, overshadowing the excitement of a new 007 film.

That’s why when I first saw the last Daniel Craig movie, I wasn’t particularly moved by his death. I knew in the back of my mind that he hadn’t been killed and this wouldn’t even be the last time I’d see 007.

I was basically convinced he was going to die another day because he’s too big of a character for his story to ever end. It seemed to me that as soon as the credits rolled, the press turned their (golden) eyes. who would be the next actor to serve on His Majesty’s secret service.

… James Bond

Universal Pictures

Honestly, it’s tiresome and takes me out of the movie, robbing the movie of any stakes or emotional impact. The Mission Impossible films are different though – they’re not a cultural monolith like the Bond films are. It doesn’t have to go on forever. They have the freedom to stop, and that is a more powerful weapon than anything Dr. No has.

It gives this new film real stakes, a sense that anything can happen. Maybe Ethan will survive, maybe we’ll see a kill and die? I don’t know, but the fact that I’m not reading columns about who’s going to be the next Ethan Hunt 12 months out from the next movie means I don’t even have to think about it until the Mission Impossible 8 credits roll. rolling.

That’s the difference between these movies. With Mission Impossible, I can see the safe end and it’s exciting, whereas with Bond, well, you know that character is going to be fighting Goldfinger and the Man with the Golden Gun from now until the end of the movie.

Now, there’s a chance this is just clever marketing and the Mission Impossible movies will continue, but I hope Tom Cruise realizes the special opportunity he has here. Maybe I’m naive, but I never say never…again.

If you’re after something new to watch, check it out movies that will be broadcast this month and the new movies to watch in cinemas.