Why Ethan Hunt Is (And Has Always Been) Better Than James Bond
Good morning, evening, and afternoon. I am Reveream, critical commentator of pop culture content
I love action movies. Perhaps the first film I ever remember seeing was Terminator 2: Judgement Day. I remember being mesmerized by the action scenes, horrified at the seeming invincibility of the T-1000, and heartbroken by the Terminator's climatic final sacrifice. The second action film I remember seeing was Mission Impossible 2. I loved the films sleek aesthetic, techno score, and badass fight scenes. Ever since then, I have seen the theatrical release of every Mission Impossible film, from 2007's Mission impossible 3, up to the most recent Mission Impossible: Fallout, and I have never been disappointed.
Because of my nostalgic love for Ethan Hunt, combined with my enjoyment of every film in the franchise, I have always viewed the Mission Impossible series as the gold standard of the Superspy genre. However, others disagree, claiming that cinema's greatest superspy is the man who arguably invented the superspy genre, Secret Agent 007 James Bond. Bond has been a staple of pop culture since the sixties, with 7 different incarnations of the character spanning across 26 films. The James Bond series established many of the superspy genre's most iconic tropes, including debonair men and beautiful women, exotic locations, insane stunts, and world-ending stakes. However, while Bond's status as the originator of the genre is without question, I am here to argue that Ethan Hunt has outclassed Bond in all of his most famous categories, and has elevated the superspy genre to a level that Bond has not matched. Today, we are going to discuss why Ethan Hunt is a better superspy than James Bond.
Better Hero
While James Bond and Ethan Hunt are both debonair superspies, they possess completely opposite character traits. Bond is portrayed as a sociopathic hedonist, whose years of fieldwork have emotionally deadened him, forcing him to find joy only through the physical pleasures of intoxication, copulation, and reckless violence. Ethan Hunt on the other hand is portrayed as a selfless hero, who will do whatever he can to save every life possible, even putting his missions at stake to do so
Better At Gender Equality
James Bond has been consistently portrayed as a promiscuous womanizer who often engages in brief sexual flings with his potential assets, until they end up being killed or he ends up leaving them out of boredom. Ethan Hunt on the other hand has shown that he is a loyal partner. He risked his life to save in Mission impossible II. then in Mission Impossible 3, we see him in a committed relationship with his wife. However, after the events of that film in which she is kidnapped, Ethan is forced to abandon his marriage for her safety. While he does clearly have a close friendship with fellow spy Ilsa Faust, and is clearly lusted after by the beautiful White Widow, Ethan has apparently chosen to remain celibate since his divorce, and it is clear that Julia is the only love of his life.
Better Suits
While Bond may be famous for his tuxedos, Ethan just happens to look better in them. Sorry, but you know it's true.
Better Cars
James Bond is famous for driving luxury cars like Aston Martins and Porches. However, none of his cars are as beautiful as Ethan's self driving BMW in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
Better Gadgets
While Bond may have little fancy trinkets like laser watches supplied by his partner Q, the technology of the Impossible Missions Force is way cooler and way more practical. From the famous latex masks, to projection screens, IMF's technology blows anything James Bond has out of the water
Better Fights
While Bond has shown the ability to kick ass, Ethan has shown that he can do it better and in a variety of ways. Whether you want to see Ethan's martial arts skill in Mission Impossible 2, his efficient strikes in Mission Impossible 3, or his brutal dragout brawls in Mission impossible 5, Ethan Hunt has kicked ass in every way and circumstance that you could imagine.
Better Stunts
Tom Cruise has done practically every Mission Impossible stunt by himself. That fact alone should qualify Ethan Hunt as more badass than Bond could ever be. The amount of Ethan's insane stunts, from infiltrating CIA Headquarters, to dueling motorcycles, to scaling the Burj Khalifa, to running marathons across entire cities, to hanging outside of airplanes, and most recently HALO jumping from 35,000 feet and dueling with helicopters, put anything Bond has ever done to shame.
Better Threats
While Bond may have saved the world in the past, the recent Daniel Craig version hasn't had to save the world yet. Meanwhile, Ethan saved the world 3 times, and has done it in far more exciting fashion. Whether he is jumping off of car platforms to stop a nuclear attack on the US, or hanging off a cliff preventing a nuclear attack on Kashmir, Ethan's ability to stop the end of the world at the last possible second makes for a cinematic thrill ride that audiences haven't seen from Bond in decades.
Better Espionage
James Bond seems to want everybody to know who he is. He tell everybody his name, regardless of if they are a potential ally or enemy. This is horrible tradecraft, and guaranteed to compromise him, his loved ones, his mission, and his government. Ethan on the other hand is always in disguise and a master of stealth and secrecy, whether using a latex mask or just blending into the environment.
Better Sidekicks
While Bond's loyal tech guy Q is always able to supply him with some helpful gadget, besides that Bond doesn't really have a good support system. He just has M, who gives him his missions, and Moneypenny, who seems like a good sidekick, but we only see her briefly. Meanwhile, Ethan has had the constant help of his hacker friend Luther Stickell, and starting from MI:3, the tech genius Benji, both of whom are far more enjoyable than Q and who, unlike Q, are willing to go into the field rather than just sit back in Headquarters. Recently, Ethan has also been allied with Ilsa Faust, the deadly but mysterious MI6 agent whose questionable allegiance have constantly made for great tension
Better Movies
One of the most notable things about the Mission Impossible franchise is how each installment gets progressively better. This is contrasted with the Bond films, which have gone through somewhat of a slump in recent years.
After Mission Impossible 2, which critics found disappointing, the franchise was rebooted by J.J. Abrams, director of the espionage based television series Alias, who crafted the 3rd film to be a tense spy thriller. This film was well received, and followed up by the more light-hearted and stunt-oriented Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, which critics lauded as the best of the franchise yet. The sequel to Ghost Protocol were the even more well received Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, and most recently Mission Impossible Fallout, which some are saying is both the best film of the franchise and one of the best action films ever made.
Meanwhile, Bond has been through somewhat of a rough patch in the 90's. While the Pierce Brosnan films The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Goldeneye were well received, the last entry, Die Another Day, was widely lambasted by critics for it's ridiculous plot, being called the worst of the series. After Die Another Day, the Bond franchise went into hibernation. During this period, the Jason Bourne films became popular with audiences, with their rough gritty tone rewriting the spy genre. When the Bond franchise was rebooted in 2006 with Casino Royale, it was clear that the franchise was attempting to replicate the tone of the Bourne films. While Casino Royale was well received, it's sequel, Quantum of Solace received criticism for it's extremely dark plot centered around a rapist dictator. However, the Bond franchise seemed to be looking good with the next entry in the franchise, Skyfall, which was well received by audiences, and it seemed as though the bond franchise would finally find it's footing. This was proven false however, by the disappointing Spectre, which many audiences found underwhelming. Perhaps even worse was the similarity of Spectre to far more well-received Mission impossible Rogue Nation, which like Spectre was also centered around a shadowy international crime ring.
It is unclear what the future of both franchises will be, but I do know which franchise I will be looking forward to more. Like Star Wars and the Simpsons, I feel that James Bond, while the innovator of his genre, is obsolete now in the age of better and more spectacular franchises. While Bond should be forever treasured for his contributions to the secret agent genre, I feel like it's time to give Ethan Hunt his proper due as the best superspy in the business.
What do you think? Is Ethan the best? Or Bond? Or do you think Jason Bourne could kick both of their asses? You judge, you decide, like, comment, and subscribe
I love action movies. Perhaps the first film I ever remember seeing was Terminator 2: Judgement Day. I remember being mesmerized by the action scenes, horrified at the seeming invincibility of the T-1000, and heartbroken by the Terminator's climatic final sacrifice. The second action film I remember seeing was Mission Impossible 2. I loved the films sleek aesthetic, techno score, and badass fight scenes. Ever since then, I have seen the theatrical release of every Mission Impossible film, from 2007's Mission impossible 3, up to the most recent Mission Impossible: Fallout, and I have never been disappointed.
Because of my nostalgic love for Ethan Hunt, combined with my enjoyment of every film in the franchise, I have always viewed the Mission Impossible series as the gold standard of the Superspy genre. However, others disagree, claiming that cinema's greatest superspy is the man who arguably invented the superspy genre, Secret Agent 007 James Bond. Bond has been a staple of pop culture since the sixties, with 7 different incarnations of the character spanning across 26 films. The James Bond series established many of the superspy genre's most iconic tropes, including debonair men and beautiful women, exotic locations, insane stunts, and world-ending stakes. However, while Bond's status as the originator of the genre is without question, I am here to argue that Ethan Hunt has outclassed Bond in all of his most famous categories, and has elevated the superspy genre to a level that Bond has not matched. Today, we are going to discuss why Ethan Hunt is a better superspy than James Bond.
Better Hero
While James Bond and Ethan Hunt are both debonair superspies, they possess completely opposite character traits. Bond is portrayed as a sociopathic hedonist, whose years of fieldwork have emotionally deadened him, forcing him to find joy only through the physical pleasures of intoxication, copulation, and reckless violence. Ethan Hunt on the other hand is portrayed as a selfless hero, who will do whatever he can to save every life possible, even putting his missions at stake to do so
Better At Gender Equality
James Bond has been consistently portrayed as a promiscuous womanizer who often engages in brief sexual flings with his potential assets, until they end up being killed or he ends up leaving them out of boredom. Ethan Hunt on the other hand has shown that he is a loyal partner. He risked his life to save in Mission impossible II. then in Mission Impossible 3, we see him in a committed relationship with his wife. However, after the events of that film in which she is kidnapped, Ethan is forced to abandon his marriage for her safety. While he does clearly have a close friendship with fellow spy Ilsa Faust, and is clearly lusted after by the beautiful White Widow, Ethan has apparently chosen to remain celibate since his divorce, and it is clear that Julia is the only love of his life.
Better Suits
While Bond may be famous for his tuxedos, Ethan just happens to look better in them. Sorry, but you know it's true.
Better Cars
James Bond is famous for driving luxury cars like Aston Martins and Porches. However, none of his cars are as beautiful as Ethan's self driving BMW in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
Better Gadgets
While Bond may have little fancy trinkets like laser watches supplied by his partner Q, the technology of the Impossible Missions Force is way cooler and way more practical. From the famous latex masks, to projection screens, IMF's technology blows anything James Bond has out of the water
Better Fights
While Bond has shown the ability to kick ass, Ethan has shown that he can do it better and in a variety of ways. Whether you want to see Ethan's martial arts skill in Mission Impossible 2, his efficient strikes in Mission Impossible 3, or his brutal dragout brawls in Mission impossible 5, Ethan Hunt has kicked ass in every way and circumstance that you could imagine.
Better Stunts
Tom Cruise has done practically every Mission Impossible stunt by himself. That fact alone should qualify Ethan Hunt as more badass than Bond could ever be. The amount of Ethan's insane stunts, from infiltrating CIA Headquarters, to dueling motorcycles, to scaling the Burj Khalifa, to running marathons across entire cities, to hanging outside of airplanes, and most recently HALO jumping from 35,000 feet and dueling with helicopters, put anything Bond has ever done to shame.
Better Threats
While Bond may have saved the world in the past, the recent Daniel Craig version hasn't had to save the world yet. Meanwhile, Ethan saved the world 3 times, and has done it in far more exciting fashion. Whether he is jumping off of car platforms to stop a nuclear attack on the US, or hanging off a cliff preventing a nuclear attack on Kashmir, Ethan's ability to stop the end of the world at the last possible second makes for a cinematic thrill ride that audiences haven't seen from Bond in decades.
Better Espionage
James Bond seems to want everybody to know who he is. He tell everybody his name, regardless of if they are a potential ally or enemy. This is horrible tradecraft, and guaranteed to compromise him, his loved ones, his mission, and his government. Ethan on the other hand is always in disguise and a master of stealth and secrecy, whether using a latex mask or just blending into the environment.
Better Sidekicks
While Bond's loyal tech guy Q is always able to supply him with some helpful gadget, besides that Bond doesn't really have a good support system. He just has M, who gives him his missions, and Moneypenny, who seems like a good sidekick, but we only see her briefly. Meanwhile, Ethan has had the constant help of his hacker friend Luther Stickell, and starting from MI:3, the tech genius Benji, both of whom are far more enjoyable than Q and who, unlike Q, are willing to go into the field rather than just sit back in Headquarters. Recently, Ethan has also been allied with Ilsa Faust, the deadly but mysterious MI6 agent whose questionable allegiance have constantly made for great tension
Better Movies
One of the most notable things about the Mission Impossible franchise is how each installment gets progressively better. This is contrasted with the Bond films, which have gone through somewhat of a slump in recent years.
After Mission Impossible 2, which critics found disappointing, the franchise was rebooted by J.J. Abrams, director of the espionage based television series Alias, who crafted the 3rd film to be a tense spy thriller. This film was well received, and followed up by the more light-hearted and stunt-oriented Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, which critics lauded as the best of the franchise yet. The sequel to Ghost Protocol were the even more well received Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, and most recently Mission Impossible Fallout, which some are saying is both the best film of the franchise and one of the best action films ever made.
Meanwhile, Bond has been through somewhat of a rough patch in the 90's. While the Pierce Brosnan films The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Goldeneye were well received, the last entry, Die Another Day, was widely lambasted by critics for it's ridiculous plot, being called the worst of the series. After Die Another Day, the Bond franchise went into hibernation. During this period, the Jason Bourne films became popular with audiences, with their rough gritty tone rewriting the spy genre. When the Bond franchise was rebooted in 2006 with Casino Royale, it was clear that the franchise was attempting to replicate the tone of the Bourne films. While Casino Royale was well received, it's sequel, Quantum of Solace received criticism for it's extremely dark plot centered around a rapist dictator. However, the Bond franchise seemed to be looking good with the next entry in the franchise, Skyfall, which was well received by audiences, and it seemed as though the bond franchise would finally find it's footing. This was proven false however, by the disappointing Spectre, which many audiences found underwhelming. Perhaps even worse was the similarity of Spectre to far more well-received Mission impossible Rogue Nation, which like Spectre was also centered around a shadowy international crime ring.
It is unclear what the future of both franchises will be, but I do know which franchise I will be looking forward to more. Like Star Wars and the Simpsons, I feel that James Bond, while the innovator of his genre, is obsolete now in the age of better and more spectacular franchises. While Bond should be forever treasured for his contributions to the secret agent genre, I feel like it's time to give Ethan Hunt his proper due as the best superspy in the business.
What do you think? Is Ethan the best? Or Bond? Or do you think Jason Bourne could kick both of their asses? You judge, you decide, like, comment, and subscribe
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