Quick, without consulting the internet, what kind of a personality does Ethan Hunt have? *crickets* Maybe you’re wondering, “Who, exactly, is that?” That’s the name of Tom Cruise’s character in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Though…”character” is perhaps not quite the right word, as the running joke for many years has been that Tom Cruise is playing Impossible Mission Force Agent Tom Cruise. Is the problem that the character of Ethan Hunt isn’t sharply defined? Consider that Indiana Jones is a guy who’s always in over his head and getting out of situations through more than... Read More

The first time I saw Top Gun, I hated it. As a wee lad, I remember seeing it in a packed theater in 1986. I remember the whooshing of the jets, the omnipresent soundtrack, and the unnerving intensity of Tom Cruise. I remember the buzz of the audience walking out. People adored it, and I remember looking around and thinking, “What movie did you guys just see because that sucked.” Is it still that bad, though?* Of course not, and it’s yet another example where the movie isn’t the problem; I’m the problem. I should like it. Consider that, despite what you might think of his personal life,... Read More

You have an opinion on Tom Cruise. You might be an obsessive cineaste like me, or you might be a casual filmgoer. But I guarantee you that, when I bring up the man formerly known as Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, a person who’s coming up on 40 years in the movie business, you likely aren’t responding with a hearty “Meh.” For a while, a long while there, he was the biggest movie star in the world.* The 80’s and 90’s were his time. Go take a gander at his IMDB page, and I’m willing to bet that anyone can find a movie he’s in that they like. He racked up some well-deserved Academy Award... Read More

There’s a strong possibility that, up to the end of my days, I’ll be into monster movies. I thoroughly enjoy watching supernatural beasties fold, spindle, rend and mutilate a group of hapless nincompoops. Is it a sign of emotional immaturity on my part? Yeah, probably, but it still doesn’t change the fact that I’ll willingly duel anyone who speaks ill of An American Werewolf in London. The cool thing is, monster movies don’t necessarily have to be scary. They can be comedic, like the beloved Tremors. They can be tragic, like King Kong. They can be action-oriented,... Read More

In order to explain to you why I disliked Jack Reacher: Never Go Back so much, I must first explain why I loved 2012’s Jack Reacher. The original film is based on Lee Child’s series of hardboiled novels about the adventures of an ex-military policeman.* It was adapted for the screen and directed by the great Christopher McQuarrie, and it’s a no-nonsense, meat and potatoes action flick. Fight scenes and car chases are well-shot, as the title character Cruise gives a hilariously surly performance as a guy who is basically an invincible hobo, and the villain of the piece is German... Read More

There’s this theory I’ve had for a while now. I’ve shared it with friends, but now it’s time to share it with all of you. I believe that international superstar Tom Cruise is either a fiendishly clever performance artist, or a deeply depressed man. When he makes other films, he’s a talented and driven performer. But the Mission: Impossible movies are different. The entire point of the Mission: Impossible series is for Cruise to try to kill himself in the most wildly elaborate way possible. Consider this. When Cruise starred in the first Mission: Impossible in... Read More