The best trick any spy can pull is to remain invisible, but that’s not the best move at the box office. “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” might appear to be a quiet attempt by an actor on his final leg, while “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” seems a shoe-in for enjoyment, but deception — or boredom — sometimes lies in plain sight…and it might have “Shadow” in its title. New rule: when in doubt, go with spies over detectives.

“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”

Just when you think Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has pulled off his last great mission, he does something impossible: he saves the best for fourth. The franchise is still recovering from director John Woo’s loud and asinine second installment — though part three was a step in the right direction — but let’s be honest, Cruise might seem ruined to most people. While Robert Downey, Jr. became lovable after rehab, Cruise proved to be his own greatest foe. That’s part of the unexpected aura around “MI4” –– Cruise is spectacular as a leading star and producer in a flick chock full of jaw-dropping stunts and just enough laughs.

Tom Cruise, as Ethan Hunt, hangs around the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. (photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

The plotline is pretty stock: a spy team is framed for a terrorist bombing, and in the process of seeking out the unknown villains, they uncover a plot to nuke the West. Add sexy spy Jane (Paula Patton), nerdy tech dude Benji (Simon Pegg) and reluctant rookie Brandt (Jeremy Renner), and Ethan has everything he needs to complete his mission (if he chooses to accept it).

Let’s give it to producer and all-around phenomenal upcoming filmmaker J.J. Abrams. He saved this franchise in part three by redirecting ideas from his small-screen espionage contribution — “Alias” — to the big screen with wondrous results. For “MI4”, he takes a chance on first-time, live-action director Brad Bird (known for directing the animated films “Ratatouille” and “The Incredibles”), and what do we get? A satisfying blend of humor, spectacle, action and nostalgia. Get ready to light the fuse, because this one’s a time bomb ready to take down your pessimism about Cruise.

The real magic here is how stunning everything feels. You’ll wince when Cruise climbs up the side of the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. If you’re afraid of heights (guilty), this sequence — filmed on sight — will almost be too much. Of course, the rest of the film is just as over the top, but that’s the charm of contemporary popcorn flicks: “believable” only comes to those who can truly suspend logic and just enjoy the ride.

“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”

In the first installment, director Guy Ritchie successfully (with a handful of rough edges) turned Britain’s greatest detective into an action hero with the ability to use his powers of deduction to properly predict every potential attack in a fight. Oddly, rather than replicate the first film’s formula, “Shadows” mutates much of its predecessor’s action into (sort of) witty bromance banter between Sherlock (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law).

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" features Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law as Dr. James Watson and Noomi Rapace as Madam Simza Heron. (photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

The greatest disappointment here is Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris). The first film took such pains to disguise this villain’s identity, and “Shadows” leaks it in the first few minutes of the film. Harris is a capable actor, but the character on screen is far from a mental match for Sherly, as Holmes’ brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), calls him. Before Batman and Joker tore Gotham City apart, Holmes and Moriarty conducted multiple “games” in the literary world, but nothing feels consequential in this disjointed cinematic adaptation. Harris is no Heath Ledger — he’s not even as enjoyable as Lord Blackwood.

Ritchie peaked early with “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch”, while his other efforts have been less memorable. “Sherlock” proved a fun space for this stylized director to implement new tricks into the blockbuster model. “Shadows” contains much of that style, but in the midst of some fantastic visuals is a story so underwhelming that the end doesn’t match the time that went into editing. In short, “that’s it?”

Noomi Rapace made a name for herself with the Swedish “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” film series, but the oddity and intrigue of her renowned performance is lost in “Shadow”, as she’s little more than a fill in for the lack of time given to Rachel McAdams, who briefly reprises her role as Irene. Playing Madam Simza Heron, a Gypsy fortune teller/knife thrower/ex-anarchist, Rapace must settle for a background performance that offers no depth.

There’s a certain level of watchability here, but “Shadows” remains in the shade of far more illuminating films. I wonder if there will even be enough interest for a third installment. At this point, the series has moved from “OK” to “who cares,” thus I’d suggest committing to more lasting fair like the BBC’s contemporary remake of Holmes that’s simply titled “Sherlock”, which properly combines action with mystery (far heavier on the mystery).