I need a disclaimer here: Tom Cruise isn’t a terrible actor. He’s shown range with Collateral and Born on the Fourth of July. He’s also been in some excellent action movies, as evidenced by Minority Report and Edge of Tomorrow. And while this comes with a caveat, I appreciate that he does his own stunt work. It makes his work more exciting.
Now then, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
Warner Bros. Discovery recently signed a contract with Cruise to star in original films. This comes both after Universal’s talks to merge with them and the recent financial losses the studio has incurred. Cruise’s departure from Paramount, which is a subsidiary of Universal, is inevitable, and with that comes losing their greatest cash cow. After all, this is one of the few remaining “movie stars”! Him leaving shouldn’t be taken lightly!
While this might come as a shock, I’m not all that upset. Ignoring how I think Universal, like every studio in Hollywood, has too much disposable income, the loss of a big star doesn’t mean much nowadays. This isn’t The Golden Age of Hollywood, where actors were brands that studios milked to their fullest potential. That model died over 50 years ago, and stars now have free reign on projects. Cruise leaving Universal for Warner Bros. Discovery’s sudden, but, to quote Mobius from Season 2 of Loki, “That’s show biz!”.
Outside of that, the enormous, and frankly obnoxious, hype around Cruise being “one of the last movie stars” always rubbed me the wrong way. Firstly, so what? Movie stardom often leads to the “Cult of Celebrity”, and that in itself is a toxic rabbit hole. And secondly, again, so what? Dwayne Johnson’s also been one of the last movie stars for over a decade, but you don’t see people rushing to see Black Adam. Being a movie star doesn’t automatically grab my interest, sorry.
This pertains specifically to Tom Cruise. Remember how I said I like some of his movies? That has less to do with him and more with everyone else. Minority Report is one of my favourite action movies, but I credit that to Steven Spielberg’s directing. Edge of Tomorrow was one of my favourite movies of 2014, scratching an itch when I was in a bad place, but I thought Emily Blunt had greater screen presence. Tom Cruise is a fine actor, but he’s not in my Top 50 favourites.
Additionally, Tom Cruise is weird. I don’t mean that in a, “Hollywood attracts eccentric talent” way, either. I mean that in a, “Have you heard his ideological stances?” way, which is me calling out his attachment to The Church of Scientology. I won’t get into too much detail there, but there’s a reason Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes both felt better after divorcing him. That alone speaks volumes.
This pertains specifically to Tom Cruise. Remember how I said I like some of his movies? That has less to do with him and more with everyone else. Minority Report is one of my favourite action movies, but I credit that to Steven Spielberg’s directing. Edge of Tomorrow was one of my favourite movies of 2014, scratching an itch when I was in a bad place, but I thought Emily Blunt had greater screen presence. Tom Cruise is a fine actor, but he’s not in my Top 50 favourites.
Additionally, Tom Cruise is weird. I don’t mean that in a, “Hollywood attracts eccentric talent” way, either. I mean that in a, “Have you heard his ideological stances?” way, which is me calling out his attachment to The Church of Scientology. I won’t get into too much detail there, but there’s a reason Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes both felt better after divorcing him. That alone speaks volumes.
It feels like low-hanging fruit criticizing Cruise’s Scientology, but he hasn’t been subtle about it. It’s made discussing it a nightmare, such that his close friends steer clear. Cruise, by all accounts, also acts and behaves normally until it’s brought up, and then poof! Suddenly he changes. I get that it might seem hypocritical given my own upbringing, but I question what I practice regularly. I don’t take anything at face value, and I’m encouraged to do so.
Then there’s people claiming that Tom Cruise is “saving cinema”. That’s one of the most-arrogant statements I’ve ever heard, especially when juxtaposed to The MCU, which people claim is “killing cinema”. Hollywood has many issues unrelated to Marvel, and no one person can fix them. And besides, how is he saving cinemas? Not only has he become solely-associated with the Mission: Impossible movies, a franchise I only cared for when Brad Bird directed an entry, those movies aren’t the only ones out there. I sometimes wonder if MCU detractors are guilty of the nonsense they accuse MCU fans of, except with Tom Cruise.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about why Cruise gets people into seats: he does his own stunts. I appreciate that, but Jackie Chan also does his own stunts. That doesn’t automatically make a movie good. And even then, stunt performers exist because not everyone can. It’s hard!
Then there’s people claiming that Tom Cruise is “saving cinema”. That’s one of the most-arrogant statements I’ve ever heard, especially when juxtaposed to The MCU, which people claim is “killing cinema”. Hollywood has many issues unrelated to Marvel, and no one person can fix them. And besides, how is he saving cinemas? Not only has he become solely-associated with the Mission: Impossible movies, a franchise I only cared for when Brad Bird directed an entry, those movies aren’t the only ones out there. I sometimes wonder if MCU detractors are guilty of the nonsense they accuse MCU fans of, except with Tom Cruise.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about why Cruise gets people into seats: he does his own stunts. I appreciate that, but Jackie Chan also does his own stunts. That doesn’t automatically make a movie good. And even then, stunt performers exist because not everyone can. It’s hard!
I also want to defend CGI work from Cruise fans. Yes, practical effects are rare and exciting nowadays, but they’re often incredibly dangerous. CGI isn’t only less-expensive, it’s safer for the actors. I know people complain about the overuse of CGI, but I’m willing to accept that if it means fewer injuries on-set. I wish Cruise fans understood this…
If it sounds like I’m being overly-negative, I haven’t even criticized Top Gun: Maverick for being the same “military propaganda” people accuse The MCU of! Though in seriousness, people ignore Tom Cruise’s real-life persona in favour of his movie persona. I know movies are escapism, and that you have to forgive some baggage to enjoy them, but Cruise’s larger-than-life personality on-screen gives me a headache. I also don’t like his fans evangelizing him, because it’s not healthy. If that makes me a party-pooper, so be it!
Oh, and about his contract with Warner Bros. Discovery? It’s probably the first step to the studio’s merger with Universal, assuming it happens…
If it sounds like I’m being overly-negative, I haven’t even criticized Top Gun: Maverick for being the same “military propaganda” people accuse The MCU of! Though in seriousness, people ignore Tom Cruise’s real-life persona in favour of his movie persona. I know movies are escapism, and that you have to forgive some baggage to enjoy them, but Cruise’s larger-than-life personality on-screen gives me a headache. I also don’t like his fans evangelizing him, because it’s not healthy. If that makes me a party-pooper, so be it!
Oh, and about his contract with Warner Bros. Discovery? It’s probably the first step to the studio’s merger with Universal, assuming it happens…
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