EatSleepLiveFilm.com Cruise Control: The Tom Cruise Conundrum

Cruise Control: The Tom Cruise Conundrum

June 5, 2012 By Garry McConnachie In Features

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, an actor by the name of Tom Cruise was seen as an A-lister with the star power to sell a film on his name alone.

Think about Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire – movies that certainly benefited from his name being on the billboard. His monicker may be synonymous with Top Gun but he was still making a name for himself when the role of Maverick came along – a role that rocketed him into the stratosphere.

Since the turn of the 21st century, however, it’s my opinion that, while he still has some pulling power, Cruise is no longer a name that provides excitement whenever it’s linked with a future project.

Of the films he has been in since 2000, I’ve only watched three because he was involved – MI:2, Vanilla Sky and Minority Report. However, you won’t find me exclaiming: “Oh my god, I must see that movie…” if Cruise is part of it.

Nope, for me the actors nowadays who draw me to the cinema include Ryan Gosling – I’ve been a fan of his since The Believer in 2001, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, among others. These are guys who choose interesting and challenging roles.

Cruise, on the other hand, is at a stage in his career where his choices are predictable and his performances vanilla. In fact, the one time where he went against type – playing Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder – he was brilliant. Throwing caution to the wind, he was a standout in a film that was very funny, only matched by Robert Downey Jnr.

Don’t think for a second I’m implying that Cruise is a bad actor. I think he’s perfectly good at doing what he does – but for me, there are better ‘stars’ out there who provide both powerhouse performances and entertainment in the roles they choose.

Since 2002 I haven’t watched a film because Cruise was among the credits.

Collateral? It was director Michael Mann who interested me in the tale of a hitman in LA although it did transpire that I was impressed by TC.

War of the Worlds? A perfectly passable remake of a classic sci-fi B-movie, but again, it was the director – this time Steven Spielberg – who swayed my decision to see it.

An image of Tom Cruise running in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Tom runs from a bootlegger selling Knight & Day

More recently, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was great fun (spoiled by a forgettable and unthreatening villain) but it was the fact Pixar’s Brad Bird was helming his first live-action feature that excited me.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Cruise in those films, but he wasn’t among any of the reasons I wanted to see them.

I actively avoided Valkyrie purely because it seems Hollywood is so bewitched by the diminutive star that he doesn’t even need to put on an accent when he’s playing a historical German figure. Christ, Ewan McGregor and Gerard Butler are forced to adopt (bad) US accents for their films, yet Cruise gets a pass for a film based on a real character!

Lions for Lambs never piqued my interest and Knight and Day was fucking awful!

Now we have him playing a rock star in Rock of Ages but there is nothing about it that makes me want to endure it. And don’t even start me on the Top Gun sequel… which could be released some 18 years after the first if it ever gets a release date. It’s baffling that tinseltown has greenlit this. But will it be Cruise’s involvement that will get paying customers to flock to the cinema or will it be a morbid curiosity to see how it stands up to Tony Scott’s 1986 homo-erotic action film?

I’m going for the latter.

Confusion also reigns regarding the fact he’s been chosen to play Jack Reacher, the former US Army guy who travels the country solving crimes.

Now, those who haven’t read the Lee Child novels may not have an issue with his involvement, but I’ll give you a handful or reasons why his casting is laughable.

Reacher’s character is 6ft 5in in height. Cruise could be a stunt double for Vern Troyer.

Reacher has a 50inch chest and weighs around 250lbs. Cruise doesn’t.

Reacher has blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Cruise doesn’t, but these features will be the easiest to replicate.

Of his other future projects, he’s lined up for two sci-fi films – Oblivion and All You Need is Kill – of which the synopsis of the former excites me more than him being part of proceedings while the latter sounds intriguing. A sort of Independence Day meets Groundhog Day.

He’s also reportedly set to top the billing for a remake of 2004 car-wreck Van Helsing. It’s as if studios believe him playing a part in it will make it better than it’s predecessor. In fact, scratch that, my involvement would make it better than the Hugh Jackman disaster.

I’m not disputing the fact ol’ mentalist Tom can entertain when on screen, I’m just saying, in my opinion, he no longer has the star power or attraction to be the main reason I’d want to see a film.

One thing you can be guaranteed, though – he’ll run like a kid running to the ice-cream van in his movies.

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Gonnyfuckoffachie

This stuff is why I don’t bother with blogs: the writing is messy, the logic flawed, the background knowledge woeful

Such an easy topic, yet such a mixed up nonassessment.
For a start there’s a basic confusion here between whether the writer likes Cruise, and whether he’s a box-office draw. Those are two different arguments. You may not like Cruise, but the name can still sell an action picture globally.
Then there’s all the movies the writer an’t be bothered seeing, or instinctively senses that won’t be worth seeing.
And if you think being physically unlike the original Jack Reacher is a problem, then consider Moragan Freeman as Red in Shawshanke Redemption. Or rather, you don’t. You just make a valueless point.

Finally, there’s a weird diss for Valkyrie on the grounds that Cruise doesn’t do a Churman Akzent. Maybe the writing is straining to be amusing, but also seems ignorant that this certainly doesn’t set a precedent for historical Nazi dramas. Exhibit one: The Eagle Has Landed.

Go back to flipping burgers. This is not the job you are looking for
- Garry McConnachie
  
  Kudos on the hilarious name (sic!)
  
  Giving an opinion on an actor is purely that. An opinion. If you have to resort to attempts at belittling, then you’ve lost already. Either agree or disagree (with some humility) or say nothing. You’d have been better doing the latter.
  
  Here we go:
  
  Your comparison between Reacher & Red is laughable in the extreme – Red’s character change had no bearing on the overall story. Reacher is an imposing character – physically and mentally – and that must be portrayed on the screen. I’m not the only person baffled by Cruise being cast.
  
  You then pick out the fact I choose not to see some of his films on the basis they don’t appeal to me – shock horror! Imagine that eh? Not wanting to see a movie because nothing about it interests me. I imagine you go and see films you think look shit?
  
  PS I would go back to flipping the burgers but you’re taking up the position I want.
- http://twitter.com/littlestpicshow Mike P Williams
  
  I see your point regarding the Morgan Freeman thing, and yes, it worked well. However, there are always bad examples too, which you fail to mention. The most recent one being Will Smith in I AM LEGEND. Completely the opposite from the middle-aged, white, burly down-and-out Robert Neville depicted in the book, but was presumably altered purely to attract audiences. The same can surely be said for Cruise portraying Reacher.
  
  Personally, I believe an actor should be chosen based on their ability to portray an existing character (and especially one not only the author, but fan of the books will already have constructed), and not purely on being a recognisable face/name to sell globally.
  
  Unfortunately though, Hollywood is all about the money over integrity.
http://profile.yahoo.com/BC4V7FK5T27GQHC6SQ7CDOKLFU chong

If you just discredit the man’s everything by saying “oh I watch his movie because of the director”, well, there is nothing to say really.
So in the author’s mind, how in Hollywood still have star power than Cruise? How can open a movie by him/her self without attaching to established franchise (comic, sequel, etc) or a big name director?
http://www.themoviewaffler.co.nr/ The Movie Waffler

None of the actors in Valkyrie did German accents, it was obviously a choice of the director, so why blame Cruise? He is one of the few actors that draw my attention to a film as he’s worked with more great directors than anyone else, Scorsese, DePalma, Kubrick, Spielberg, both Scotts, Coppola etc and has helped the careers of fledgling directors like Brad Bird and Paul Thomas Anderson.
- Garry McConnachie
  
  Waffler, I appreciate the fact he has worked with some great directors. I’m not disputing that. Clearly they see something in him – even now. However, for me, if Cruise is starring in a film it doesn’t get me excited.
  
  I’m more keen to discover who’s directing it.
  
  As I stated, it was the fact Bird was directing his first live-action film that drew me to MI4. Although it’s a bit naive to think Cruise has helped Bird’s career. Bird was already established as a great director, albeit in the world of animation.
  - http://www.themoviewaffler.co.nr/ The Movie Waffler
    
    My point is if I hear of a new Cruise film I’m interested more than if it was say Mel Gibson because he picks more interesting projects and works with more interesting people. For instance I had no idea who Brad Bird was as I don’t watch animation. Thanks to Cruise I now do and look forward to Birds next work.
    - Garry McConnachie
      
      A very fair point Waffler and one I can certainly understand. I know many people who still get excited at the prospect of another Cruise movie – I’m just no longer one of them (and I love Jerry Maguire He’s great in it – and Collateral)
http://twitter.com/MondoDan Dan Auty

On the Valkyrie point – it’s not that Cruise doesn’t bother doing a German accent. If you remember, the film does begin in German, then Singer fades out the German dialogue, and brings English in – implying that what we’re hearing is a English ‘translation’. I thought that was a clever trick that avoids having to hear British and American actors putting on distracting foreign accents, which I HATE in films. Obviously the best option would be to have the whole film in German, but obviously that was never going to happen – I think Singer’s choice was the next best thing.
- Garry McConnachie
  
  That I wasn’t aware of, Dan. As I said, I avoided the film. It never really grabbed my interest when it was being promoted ahead of release. And I’m never inclined to watch it if it’s on Sky. But I’ll happily (and humbly) stand corrected on that point.
  - J C
    
    Typically gullible and just be easily manipulated by media smear campaign at 7 the time. Ever try independent thinking?
    
    btw, ticket sale equal of cost is a big loss as studios only receive less than half of the prank proceed
    - Garry McConnachie
      
      JC – I did use independent thinking. I though – all by myself – that it looked shit.
      
      Hardly a big loss on a budget of $25m when it doesn’t take DVD/Blu sales into the equation.
Carmen

This post is all over the place. What exactly are you trying to say? Do you wanna discuss box office power? TC is a global box office draw. Mi4 was the biggest hit of his career (almost $700 million global box office-HUGE) and it got good reviews, so the quality was there too. Nobody, outside movie geeks knows who Brad Bird is. People went to see it because of TC and his amazing stunts. He SOLD the movie on his name. ! As a matter of fact i bet you didn’t even watch MI4. Just a hunch…

Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy make good movies, but their films are not hits. Warrior flopped big time. ($25 million world wide). Check the stats. Fair enough, you prefer them, but what is this post really about? You are incoherent and misinformed. TC’s next projects may not be to your liking, but that’s a matter of taste.

Really dude, try harder next time!!!
- Garry McConnachie
  
  Unfortunately, Carmen, your assumption regarding MI4 is wrong. I watched it. I gave it four stars – but that was down to the spectacle created by Bird and the massive action sequences re: the Burj Hotel and the sandstorm car chase. They looked astonishing on the IMAX screen.
  
  As for Warrior flopping big-time? With a budget of $25m, I’d say it broke even, but hey, I don’t like being pedantic.
  - Garry McConnachie
    
    However, one point re: MI I’d like to make is that fans of the franchise will turn up to see it regardless.
    
    My overall point (and opinion) is that, personally, I don’t think Cruise is a BO draw. You do, and I respect your opinion.
  - Carmen
    
    TC is very involved in his movies. He’s producing the MI series. He chose BRAD BIRD as a director. And those cool action scenes and the Tower sequence happened because he wanted to do it. They are a testament to his passion for movies.
    
    A film needs to double its budget to start making a profit. Theatres don’t play movies for free you know, so yes Warrior was a FLOP. Get informed before spewing shit.
    
    DUDE, again just stop typing. You have no idea what you’re talking about!! At this point i’m starting to feel embarrassed for you. As i said, TRY HARDER next time and GET INFORMED!
    - Garry McConnachie
      
      Maybe if it had a budget like John Carter, but with a modest budget of £25m – and not factoring in DVD/Blu sales – it’s still my opinion that it didn’t flop.
      
      If you can’t accept an opinion or see past your arrogance then I’ll leave you to be embarrassed for me.
      - Carmen
        
        “We are not entitled to our opinions; we are entitled to our informed opinions.”
        
        Harlan Ellison
  - http://www.themoviewaffler.co.nr/ The Movie Waffler
    
    The Burj Hotel sequence was great because Cruise was willing to actually hang off the thing, I can’t think of any other Hollywood actor who would do so. Imagine the scene with Cruise climbing a greenscreen, not so impressive.
http://twitter.com/Poochface Lynn R

Just one question Garry. You state that his career choices are predictable. Do you really think that his role as Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages is an obvious one? I certainly don’t. His name was a complete surprise when I saw the list of actors involved.
http://twitter.com/mrbonturcode Bradley Porter

Since when was 5″7 a “double for Verne Troyer”? I can’t remember the last time I was asked to stand in for a dwarf.
- Garry McConnachie
  
  LoL Sarcasm Brad – even you realise that!
http://twitter.com/littlestpicshow Mike P Williams

At one time Cruise could pull in audiences being the biggest and most powerful actor working in Hollywood. I’m not sure that’s the case now. Personally, I enjoy him in movies, but dislike the man in the real world. One reason being his attitudes towards Scientology and whilst I can look past certain things, maybe a lot of audiences cannot? Plus, I’ll always remember the red carpet water pistol incident where he acted like a bit of a jerk.

He strikes me as a man who takes himself far too seriously, but agree, I loved him in TROPIC THUNDER! It is the rare time you’ll see self mockery as I get the impression he isn’t into practical jokes or the like (see above paragraph regarding the water pistol).

Also, there’s a lot of opposition to Garry’s comments, but early on states “it’s in my opinion that”, so there must be a lot fo Cruise loyalists out there =P