Tom Cruise - Great Actor - Thoughts on his Career?

[Shadowferal]

Guy is a nutjob. We should not be supporting his movies.

A description that fits much of Hollywood.

[Tuor]

Great professional, and he is actually is own stunt. One of my favorite actors.

On the private side, a guy that stops speaking with is own daughter because of religion doesn't deserve my respect.

[Ivanstone]

Cage hasn't been at his best for decades now...

So what you’re saying is that a man who owes a lot of money and takes a lot of shitty paycheque movies could be a lot better than he is.

To be fair, with Cruise it’s safe to assume with anything he does it’s some form of propaganda for the Church of Scientology but somehow I don’t think he’s under the same pressure to get money like Cage is. Cruise is also some mutant who manages to be a great action movie star even at his age.

[Egomaniac]

So what you’re saying is that a man who owes a lot of money and takes a lot of shitty paycheque movies could be a lot better than he is.

Yes, he could be better than he is. That's the point. However good he may have been at one point...he's just a punchline now.

I mean look at it this way...even if you reduce them both to actors that make "paycheck movies"...one of them makes consistently better paycheck movies (and as such receives a bigger paycheck) and also manages to consistently deliver better performances in those movies than the other.

[Dellis0991]

Most of his moives are good, he picks his roles very well with the exception of the Mummy and the last Samurai.

[Ivanstone]

Yes, he could be better than he is. That's the point. However good he may have been at one point...he's just a punchline now.

I mean look at it this way...even if you reduce them both to actors that make "paycheck movies"...one of them makes consistently better paycheck movies (and as such receives a bigger paycheck) and also manages to consistently deliver better performances in those movies than the other.

Delivering high quality actions flicks doesn’t make one a great actor. Neither does doing drivel. Doing the former is better but I don’t consider that greatness.

Doing something like Adaptation or Leaving Las Vegas might make one a great actor. Hopefully Cage could eventually get back to doing this kind of work again. That’s why I ignore the lame punch lines.

Someday Cruise may turn his back on Ethan Peck and we will see if he can do something truly great.

[Doffen]

One of my favorite actors. Versatile, even though last years he has been set as a action guy, but he does that great too. Not all movies are great, but who manages that? Not many :P

Hard worker who made an amazing career.

[Shadowferal]

Nic Cage's last good movie was "Kickass."

[Bodakane]

He's not that versatile. He's had a couple of good performances, like IwaV and Magnolia, but honestly he doesn't bring a whole lot to his roles that other actors can't. There are actors, that you want for certain roles, not because they could act the shit of the roles, but because their personality fits the role. Samuel L Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum for example are guys like that. You picture them playing the role like they play every role. They aren't chameleons. Tom Cruise fits that category. He's really good at being Tom Cruise as a spy. Or Tom Cruise as a hitman. Or a fighter pilot. etc. Guys like Daniel Day Lewis, Ed Norton, Leo, Pitt, Tom Hardy, earlier DeNiro, can straight up play literally any part and merge with the character.

Nic Cage on the other hand, can exist and thrive in both categories, TBH. He's become a meme, but when he embraces his chops, he can be great, like Adaptation. Val Kilmer, was like that too. Honestly, if Kilmer had been Maverick in Top Gun, instead of Iceman, the movie wouldn't have missed a beat at all.

[Berndorf]

Have you seen Collateral, Minority Report, or Magnolia?

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Honest thread/post/question.

I really like Cruise, and the more I rewatch his stuff and see his new movies, the more I realize just how good he is and always has been. And if you haven't seen Magnolia, queue it up - fantastic role for him.

I wish he'd gotten more non-action roles (ironically timed question - have you seen Knight & Day?). But he's so good, and so good in action films (because of his acting ability), that they keep giving him those marque action hits.

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Agreed. I just saw him in Rock of Ages and he was terrific - he can really sing, too.

I think he stopped 'taking what he is given' a long time ago. Like 20-30 years ago. He was making good dramatic films all the way back in the 80's and 90's(Rain Man, the Color of Money, Born on the Fourth of July, Vanilla Sky, etc) and he did fine with those. Imo it's been completely his own choice to mostly make action/sci fi movies for the last 20 years because he likes being in control of the MI franchise and because they usually do better at the box office.

[Atrea]

I wouldn't say he's a great actor, but he's good. Better than people give him credit for, anyway.

His best work is when he's not playing some idealized version of himself; his small (but hilarious!) part in Tropic Thunder, for instance.

Anyway, he hasn't earned himself much goodwill by being a fucking weirdo.

[Shadowferal]

Reminded of this for reasons;

[Queen of Hamsters]

Didn't really start to like him as an actor until Minority Report. I like just one or two of his older movies, Rain Man and Interview with a Vampire, but overall I've enjoyed him as an actor and most of all action star since Minority Report and onward. He also ages like fine wine and makes for nice eye candy, probably will do until he kills himself doing some insane stunt...

He's not the method-style actor that merges with his character like some, but if all of them were it'd get pretty damned tiresome... We need the tongue-in-cheek, super-running actors too!

And I can't care less about his religious views. I'm an Atheist, but I'm not the Vegan-style Atheist...

[Shadowferal]

Won a surprisingly bit of goodwill after someone leaked a recording of him swearing at his crew while filming the latest MI movie for not social distancing and wearing masks.

[NightZero88]

Most of his moives are good, he picks his roles very well with the exception of the Mummy and the last Samurai.

I'm sorry, what? The last Samurai was amazing.

[Nerph-]

I think Tom Cruise is a great actor. I thoroughly enjoy most of his movies. A certain family member of mine refuses to watch anything with him in because of his RL stuff, which I find kinda sad tbh. While I myself am not a fan of what he does in his real life, it is also none of my business and what does it have to do with his acting in movies? To me they are 2 separate things entirely.

[Egomaniac]

Delivering high quality actions flicks doesn’t make one a great actor. Neither does doing drivel. Doing the former is better but I don’t consider that greatness.

Doing something like Adaptation or Leaving Las Vegas might make one a great actor. Hopefully Cage could eventually get back to doing this kind of work again. That’s why I ignore the lame punch lines.

Someday Cruise may turn his back on Ethan Peck and we will see if he can do something truly great.

it's "Ethan Hunt"...and it's not like the MI movies are the only thing Tom Cruise has ever done. Although they are better than anything Nic Cage has done in the last decade. A Few Good Men, Magnolia, Born on the Fourth of July...all incredible performances by Cruise.

[NightZero88]

I think Tom Cruise is a great actor. I thoroughly enjoy most of his movies. A certain family member of mine refuses to watch anything with him in because of his RL stuff, which I find kinda sad tbh. While I myself am not a fan of what he does in his real life, it is also none of my business and what does it have to do with his acting in movies? To me they are 2 separate things entirely.

I've got a friend like this as well. Always thought it was weird.

[Dellis0991]

I'm sorry, what? The last Samurai was amazing.

I just didn't like it, I don't know why it just wasn't for me.

[Aleksej89]

Fun actor and as far as i have heard a very good human being.
Surprisingly humble and even generous with his time and effort in helping others.
Though the religion aspect is always bad so not gonna put any gold coins there.