Critics Club II: 09 - Tom Cruise

[Neon Ignition]

"I feel the need! The need... for polling!"

Tom Cruise




It's time to coincide with this weeks big release by looking back over the career of Tom-The Cruise Missile!

Vote for the movie you feel is their best whilst also discussing their other work, your reasons for voting and thoughts on what is their weakest.

Some will have very long lists so some trimming will be required to focus on the key entries but broadly the main selection will be available each time.

Note - Voting on this will remain open until Tuesday 07 August so people have a good window to catch the new release. The tenth thread will launch on Wednesday and will also close on the 07 August with no more until after this date.

[QualityChimp]

This could be interesting! I really like Cruise, but there's definitely an element where he's such a big star that it's Cruise the spy, Crusie the soldier, Cruise the journalist and so on.

[Atticus]

I like Cruise too, and he's definitely a film star in a golden age mould. It's a shame his connection with Scientoloy will probably overshadow is legacy as a film star.

I voted Eyes Wide Shut as his best film (it's nearly Kubrick's best film imo) ... but there are so many worthwhile mentions: one has to be Interview With The Vampire ... silencing all the critics who bemoaned his casting with a top drawer performance as Lestat.

[QualityChimp]

It's a shame his connection with Scientoloy will probably overshadow is legacy as a film star.

Isn't it?

You wonder what he gets out of it because it really does hurt his public image.

[H-Man]

I was torn between Interview and Collateral, but he's got more of a support role in the former and totally kicks ass in latter.

[teddymeow]

Jerry Maguire for me. Exceptional.

[QualityChimp]

I'm glad you said it.
"You complete me" had me in bits.
Some douchebag peeling onions right next to me again.

[MartyG]

Tempting to Respect the Magnolia, but I went for Collateral as Vincent is one of Cruise's best performances, despite Top Gun being the greatest film of all time.

[Blobcat]

Lots of great films, none of his main performances outshine the others though.

We both really like The Last Samurai but even though I like the film I find the main character in general a bit annoying so I can't find that as my best performance from him.

Edge of Tomorrow was another top choice as I laughed alot in that film, I went for Top gun in the end, that picture and his role were perfect.

[Neon Ignition]

Going through in release order I think the first film he made that I actually liked was Mission Impossible
I've said it before, I just can't get along with Top Gun. For me it's a film focused around a really unconvincing romance with little to poor action and an overbearing wave of cheese. Too much a shallow product of its time.

Cruise is one of those actors who despite getting a drubbing I feel is much better in his later years than he was in his earlier years

[Solar]

I'll have to give this one to Edge of Tomorrow, though I do really like most of his movies. Rain Man gets a close second place.
And of course, the best role ever in movie history, was Les Grossman.

[JazzFunk]

Risky Business rocked my world when I was 13, he might make some sucky movies now but what a crazy ledge.

Color Of Money as well. If there was ONE actor born to drive the Out Run Ferrari, it was Tommy Cruise.

[Paddy]

Cruise is one of those actors who despite getting a drubbing I feel is much better in his later years than he was in his earlier years

I very much agree with this. Once he was able to break away from the heartthrob roles he was really able to show his acting chops (he wasn't too bad in Rain Man or A Few Good Men tbh).

You've got to give Cruise some credit for having a high-profile career for the period of time that he has. He's still a box-office draw and although his star will eventually fade its not too shabby for a man approaching his mid-50s.

[Neon Ignition]

I'm still struggling with this one. I like MI4 & 5 the most but he's a little robotic in them at times so from a performance angle it's hard to choose them

[Nu-Eclipse]

Cruise is one of those actors who despite getting a drubbing I feel is much better in his later years than he was in his earlier years

I think that's questionable, tbh.

There's no doubting the power of his Hollywood celebrity today but his early work, especially in films like The Color of Money, All The Right Moves (admittedly more as an interesting snapshot about what was going on in the US Rust Belt during the early 1980s) and Born on the Fourth of July, remains considerably underrated. Barring a few performances like Jerry Maguire, The Last Samurai and Magnolia, I'm not so sure that latter-day Cruise totally betters early Cruise in acting terms.

All that said, the man can clearly act. It's the Scientology stuff that he gets grief for, as has been acknowledged in this thread.

What I would say is that he has had an unfortunate habit of being overshadowed by co-star performances: Paul Newman in The Color Of Money, Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire, Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai...you can find more examples of stuff where he has acted alongside peers who have effectively denied him an Oscar win.