I like him a lot, his movies rarely disappoint. Between doing most of his own stunts and doing roles like Tropic Thunder and Magnolia he’s become a pretty versatile actor.
I like him a lot, his movies rarely disappoint. Between doing most of his own stunts and doing roles like Tropic Thunder and Magnolia he’s become a pretty versatile actor.
a great actor. Never disappoints as someone else said. I don't think he should have been cast as Jack Reacher but that's not his fault... lol. He seems nuttier than Grammas fruitcake though.
even though I don't care for the Miss. Imp. movies (I know - what else does he do nowadays?) I remember seeing that otherwise kinda bad time travel movie w/ Emily Blunt in it. He had to be a cowardly officer type in the beginning -- NOT the thing you might expect of him -- and he did really well. Actually acted -- well -- and did more w/ it than he "needed" to. I decided then I officially like Tom Cruise.
Ditto other poster re Magnolia -- that's a great movie and he was great in it. Seem to recall he was good in War of the Worlds. The recent one where he was a cocaine plane pilot? Same -- better than he needed to be.
I think some people project their dislike of his personal beliefs and behavior on his acting skills or movies he's in.
Like any great actor, he has had his share of crappy movies but majority of what he does are good to great films.
Just look at his overall body of film work...
Early 80's you had Taps, The Outsiders, Risky Business and All the Right Moves.
Then Top Gun came out and most likely was his primary breakout role to mainstream audiences.
Which allowed him to do some drama roles which I think he really excelled in with Rain Man, A Few Good Men, The Firm, The Last Samurai and Jerry Maguire.
All this is without talking about the action films that were mostly really good with the Mission Impossible franchise, Jack Reacher franchise, Minority Report, Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow.
Plus the few times he was in a comedic role, I think he did really well like Tropic Thunder.
can't argue with his success. I've enjoyed many of his movies.
That said, in terms of acting technique and range, I don't think he's a great actor. To some extent he plays himself (or his movie persona) over and over.
But it's a good look in most of the movies, and like I said I've enjoyed plenty of them.
NYG27 is right. Cruise is the kind of actor who is going to have a 60 year career, never win an Oscar and then gets awarded one for Lifetime Achievement. He shows up when he is supposed to, puts in a consistent effort, his movies make loads of money and he or his management have a talent for choosing projects that suit him and are successful. The "Tom Cruise formula." He's the John Wayne of our time.
Loved Top Gun and the Mission Impossible movies as well as Valkyrie but one of his best was Born on the Fourth of July. Tough movie to watch at times but he did a great job with it.
The whole Scientology thing? Yeah - wack job who is basically the head of the church now. Listen to Leah Reminy she knows what’s up.
His career and classic movies? Incredible!
What do you mean?
"What about him?"
I thought I made it clear in the OP when I inserted: Thoughts on him as an actor?
Speaking of Leah Remini and inserting... You get the point. Well, I'd just rather not listen to her and call it a day. That's always a headache and a half.
I think he's consistent and good at the action movies
Calling him great though is a bit of a stretch to me. If he's great what are guys like Daniel Day Lewis, DeNiro, Freeman, Nicholson, Hopkins, etc?
He's not in their or several others class IMO.
I think he’s great. He’s had a pretty unique and unprecedented career, IMO. He’s one of the top action movie starts ever and he’s got some serious acting chops (doesn’t do those roles as much now but who knows what he will get into in his 60s).
It's not a coincidence that people have won awards playing opposite him. He's a generous scene partner. As someone said above, gives 100% effort, never phones it in. Has amassed a wide range of work. Takes big risks, but not ANY risk; there are roles I doubt he'd take.
Fantastic in Risky Business, very very good in Born on the Fourth of July, terrific as Ethan Hunt, surprisingly good as Lestat (not really physically right for the role; nailed it). VERY good in Rain Man. Pretty darn good in Minority Report and A Few Good Men. Elevated the material in Edge of Tomorrow. Fantastic in Collateral.
That's a helluva list right there, and there are a lot more. ]
We could argue about whether he's a "great" actor, but he's a great action star who doesn't only do the same thing over and over again, has done films like Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, Tropic Thunder. He's done about anything you could ask a movie star to do, and despite those creative risks, he hasn't got a massive faceplant like Steve McQueen's "An Enemy of the People" or Jerry Lewis's "The Day the Clown Cried" or George Clooney's Batman movie or Travolta's "Battlefield Earth."
His weirdness and his involvement with Scientology have sometimes overshadowed his stardom, which is too bad, in some ways. I think those marriages were business deals, but he's not the first to do that, won't be the last.
I think some people project their dislike of his personal beliefs and behavior on his acting skills or movies he's in.
Like any great actor, he has had his share of crappy movies but majority of what he does are good to great films.
Just look at his overall body of film work...
Early 80's you had Taps, The Outsiders, Risky Business and All the Right Moves.
Then Top Gun came out and most likely was his primary breakout role to mainstream audiences.
Which allowed him to do some drama roles which I think he really excelled in with Rain Man, A Few Good Men, The Firm, The Last Samurai and Jerry Maguire.
All this is without talking about the action films that were mostly really good with the Mission Impossible franchise, Jack Reacher franchise, Minority Report, Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow.
Plus the few times he was in a comedic role, I think he did really well like Tropic Thunder.
Agreed, don’t forget about Born on the Fourth of July. He could have won an Oscar for that movie. Too bad he was matched up with Daniel Day Lewis that year.
my favorite is the Japanese wife in the Last Samurai
believe anyone thought putting Tom Cruise in Valkyrie was a good idea. He looked like Stauffenberg but that was about it. A wonderfully cast movie except for him.
Crazy as a shit house rat, but, as a lawyer, any lawyer who tells you they don't wish they had one courtroom performance like his in A Few Good Men just once in their career is full of crap.
An early film where he and Nicole Kidman leave Ireland and team up as a couple to homestead in the american West. A really good film among the many excellent movies he made.
Must be doing something right he’s taken home quite a bit of money from many. I’m a fan A few Good Men, Top Gun are always worth another watch he’s must be very good at what he does the world says so what can a small few matter.
believe anyone thought putting Tom Cruise in Valkyrie was a good idea. He looked like Stauffenberg but that was about it. A wonderfully cast movie except for him.
When I was in grade school (and the only Jewish kid in the class) there was this kid named Michael Stauffenberg. I thought, hmmm, maybe he's Jewish. So I asked him. His reply, "Actually my last name is Von Stauffenberg."
at least when it comes to action movies and intelligent scripts.
His willingness and dedication to learning and performing his own stunts is #1 all time for all actors. He literally learned to fly helicopters for his most recent mission impossible movie and pulled off moves within the mountainous terrain that made stunt pilots and master helicopter pilots drop their jaws to the ground. Then hanging off of jets (with a tether obviously), sky diving, running and breaking bones and not wasting the cut, stunt driving, stunt motorcycle driving, ability to hold his breath for minutes while acting, It's all just insane.
He's even driven test laps in an older Red Bull Formula 1 car, the legit kind that raced for real, on a professional road course track (it was Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, if I recall correctly, but not used by F1), and the engineers said his times were remarkable for just getting in the car and going. I think they said he was within a second or so of F1 driver simulated laps and his consistent times showed it wasn't just a one off lap or anything, putting down lap times within tenths/a second of each other over the course of around a 95 second lap time.
And I bet you $100 he could fly in some countries air force in the F-18 given his preparation for the new Top Gun movie, but the US Navy wouldn't let him do that for obvious reasons.
Everything is amazing, and then you get to his story with Scientology where's he essentially viewed as a demigod and it makes people wonder how just insane is he. Good guy, from everything I've heard, but crazy as hell when it comes to a pyramid scheme "religion."
but he's also a pretty good actor. But really he's more of a charismatic personality, like Harrison Ford or Nicholson or Pacino, but not as good an actor as them (except Harrison Ford--he's more like him). But there's nothing wrong with being a movie star. I love most of his movies. He's got pretty good taste in what he chooses. A Few Good Men? Love it. Jerry McGuire? Love it. Decent actor, but no Meryl Streep
Oh ok. Won't delete if German.
Ditto other poster re Magnolia -- that's a great movie and he was great in it. Seem to recall he was good in War of the Worlds. The recent one where he was a cocaine plane pilot? Same -- better than he needed to be.
Like any great actor, he has had his share of crappy movies but majority of what he does are good to great films.
Just look at his overall body of film work...
Early 80's you had Taps, The Outsiders, Risky Business and All the Right Moves.
Then Top Gun came out and most likely was his primary breakout role to mainstream audiences.
Which allowed him to do some drama roles which I think he really excelled in with Rain Man, A Few Good Men, The Firm, The Last Samurai and Jerry Maguire.
All this is without talking about the action films that were mostly really good with the Mission Impossible franchise, Jack Reacher franchise, Minority Report, Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow.
Plus the few times he was in a comedic role, I think he did really well like Tropic Thunder.
All the Right Moves is probably my favorite Tom Cruise movie if I had to pick.
That said, in terms of acting technique and range, I don't think he's a great actor. To some extent he plays himself (or his movie persona) over and over.
But it's a good look in most of the movies, and like I said I've enjoyed plenty of them.
Tech support!!
Quote:
I know alot of people might not have liked it, but Vanilla Sky is one of my favorite movies. Such a good movie.
Tech support!!
I CAN'T WAKE UP!!!
Les Grossman - ( New Window )
I liked Eyes Wide Shut because of Nicole Kidman.
The rest of Tom's work was just OK.
His career and classic movies? Incredible!
My favorites: Tropic Thunder, Eyes Wide Shut, Dances with Samurais, Top Gun, and Minority Report.
Last Samurai
Valkyrie
His career and classic movies? Incredible!
What do you mean?
"What about him?"
I thought I made it clear in the OP when I inserted: Thoughts on him as an actor?
Speaking of Leah Remini and inserting... You get the point. Well, I'd just rather not listen to her and call it a day. That's always a headache and a half.
He's not in their or several others class IMO.
He's not in their or several others class IMO.
I think he’s great. He’s had a pretty unique and unprecedented career, IMO. He’s one of the top action movie starts ever and he’s got some serious acting chops (doesn’t do those roles as much now but who knows what he will get into in his 60s).
Fantastic in Risky Business, very very good in Born on the Fourth of July, terrific as Ethan Hunt, surprisingly good as Lestat (not really physically right for the role; nailed it). VERY good in Rain Man. Pretty darn good in Minority Report and A Few Good Men. Elevated the material in Edge of Tomorrow. Fantastic in Collateral.
That's a helluva list right there, and there are a lot more. ]
We could argue about whether he's a "great" actor, but he's a great action star who doesn't only do the same thing over and over again, has done films like Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, Tropic Thunder. He's done about anything you could ask a movie star to do, and despite those creative risks, he hasn't got a massive faceplant like Steve McQueen's "An Enemy of the People" or Jerry Lewis's "The Day the Clown Cried" or George Clooney's Batman movie or Travolta's "Battlefield Earth."
His weirdness and his involvement with Scientology have sometimes overshadowed his stardom, which is too bad, in some ways. I think those marriages were business deals, but he's not the first to do that, won't be the last.
Like any great actor, he has had his share of crappy movies but majority of what he does are good to great films.
Just look at his overall body of film work...
Early 80's you had Taps, The Outsiders, Risky Business and All the Right Moves.
Then Top Gun came out and most likely was his primary breakout role to mainstream audiences.
Which allowed him to do some drama roles which I think he really excelled in with Rain Man, A Few Good Men, The Firm, The Last Samurai and Jerry Maguire.
All this is without talking about the action films that were mostly really good with the Mission Impossible franchise, Jack Reacher franchise, Minority Report, Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow.
Plus the few times he was in a comedic role, I think he did really well like Tropic Thunder.
Agreed, don’t forget about Born on the Fourth of July. He could have won an Oscar for that movie. Too bad he was matched up with Daniel Day Lewis that year.
I’m with you - really liked Vanilla Sky
My favorites: Tropic Thunder, Eyes Wide Shut, Dances with Samurais, Top Gun, and Minority Report.
Dances with Samurais? Lol, sounds like a funny title for a parody movie.
if he was more likable off-screen I think he would be looked at differently.
Personal Life F
One of or maybe the only time Cruise played the antagonist role
Great movie with some nice twists, Cruise kinda flip flopped throughout the movie.
"He got three million dollars but he didn't get the rose bushes, I got the rose bushes!" - ( New Window )
Agreed. Really liked him in Collateral.
His willingness and dedication to learning and performing his own stunts is #1 all time for all actors. He literally learned to fly helicopters for his most recent mission impossible movie and pulled off moves within the mountainous terrain that made stunt pilots and master helicopter pilots drop their jaws to the ground. Then hanging off of jets (with a tether obviously), sky diving, running and breaking bones and not wasting the cut, stunt driving, stunt motorcycle driving, ability to hold his breath for minutes while acting, It's all just insane.
He's even driven test laps in an older Red Bull Formula 1 car, the legit kind that raced for real, on a professional road course track (it was Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, if I recall correctly, but not used by F1), and the engineers said his times were remarkable for just getting in the car and going. I think they said he was within a second or so of F1 driver simulated laps and his consistent times showed it wasn't just a one off lap or anything, putting down lap times within tenths/a second of each other over the course of around a 95 second lap time.
And I bet you $100 he could fly in some countries air force in the F-18 given his preparation for the new Top Gun movie, but the US Navy wouldn't let him do that for obvious reasons.
Everything is amazing, and then you get to his story with Scientology where's he essentially viewed as a demigod and it makes people wonder how just insane is he. Good guy, from everything I've heard, but crazy as hell when it comes to a pyramid scheme "religion."