Support NeoGAF

[AgentOtaku]

Much like I dont care if Michael Jackson sleeps with boys, I dont care if Tom Cruise is a baby eating, batshit insane cultist. I enjoy watching the man act in films, and feel he is actually quite underrated as an actor.

I think he is...but his fault is with his fucking ego

I mean, look at Denzel Washington. The guy only fucking appears to promote a movie (or a charity here or there)...."not himself" as he has said....

I'll still dig Tom Cruise movies that are good (hell he IS the shit in Magnolia) but the guy deserves the shit he gets in real life for behaving the way he does.

 

[Solo]

Thats exactly my point though. Cruise deserves to get his name dragged through the mud for the shit he pulls. But I can separate the actor from the man, and I really enjoy the actor.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Thats exactly my point though. Cruise deserves to get his name dragged through the mud for the shit he pulls. But I can separate the actor from the man, and I really enjoy the actor.

+1


....well minus Vanilla Sky

 

[Solo]

Magnolia, Minority Report, Collateral, etc more than make up for his shitty roles though

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Magnolia, Minority Report, Collateral, etc more than make up for his shitty roles though

You forgot his best performance, being A Few Good Men.

 

[Solo]

Im sorry but the only correct answer for best Cruise performance is a toss up between Born On The Fourth Of July and Magnolia. And he was better in Collateral too than the one you mentioned.

I think Magnolia was his best, but Collateral is my personal favorite. Who knew you could make Mr All American Tom Cruise into a believably ruthless, cold blooded killer? The gray hair was badass too.

 

[tahrikmili]

I thought Vanilla Sky was all kinds of awesome as a movie. Cruise did great in it IMO. Even his shittiest performances are above average compared to most actors. Some people in this thread seem to be confusing him with Ben Affleck or something. :lol

 

[AgentOtaku]

I thought Vanilla Sky was all kinds of awesome as a movie. Cruise did great in it IMO. Even his shittiest performances are above average compared to most actors. Some people in this thread seem to be confusing him with Ben Affleck or something. :lol

you mean

...the greatest actor to hath ever lived?

 

[hiryu]

Well you guys may not be interested in Harry Knowles opinion but he did love the film.

Full AICN Review

In fact, the wonderful thing about this film is… You remember GOLDFINGER? Specifically – remember Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe)? Remember how he was always several steps ahead of Sean Connery’s Bond. Remember how he knew he had Bond’s number? How Bond was an annoyance, not a problem? Well Auric was a pussy galore compared to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Owen Davian. It’s a classic good guy / bad guy match-up. Philip isn’t laughing maniacally. He isn’t making empty threats. He doesn’t give Ethan a goddamn inch the entire fucking film. Ethan is beaten at every fucking turn, every corner, every twist. The fucker thinks he’s good, but Philip is just much much smarter.

In fact, the brief flash of time in this film where Ethan has the upper hand… is only punctuated by exactly how fucking badly Owen fucks him up… almost at a blink. And this fucking Owen Davian… he’s not one of these cats that takes his time in unleashing revenge. He’s all about not just getting free, but instantly making his enemy his bitch.

Seriously. Contrary to the typical post-Oscar fuck-up, Hoffman stands at home plate like the Babe that he is, and points to above the big green wall and knocks his performance clear over that and beyond. No stutter step here. He’s everything he’s supposed to be and more. He’s just sort of a marvel in this film.

 

[psycho_snake]

I've enjoyed all his movies for as long as i can remember. MI:2 wasnt good but I cant think of any others which were as bad. My favoutie Tom cruise movie has to be either minority report or Colleteral. Minority report had a really interesting story and a fantastic world to go with it. It was in anteresting to too far away futuristic world. Collateral was probably better though. He acted superbly in that, but a lot of credit should be given to the people who decicded to give him an older appearance. as solo added it made him look like a badass and it really helped add to his character to make him look like a veteran killer.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Well you guys may not be interested in Harry Knowles opinion but he did love the film.

Full AICN Review

Actually thanks


I was trying to find it but couldn't on AICN earlier

 

[Grifter]

Is it true that MI2 had to be written around John Woo's planned action sequences?

Regardless, I think that movie's a blast just to watch but I was a Woo fan. Some people feel the same about Armageddon...

 

[PolyGone]

IMDb is pretty well known for having opening weekend viral marketers.

 

[Prospero]

I think the experience of making Eyes Wide Shut greatly improved Cruise's acting. Whether or not you hate that movie, post-Eyes-Wide-Shut Cruise >>> pre-Eyes-Wide-Shut Cruise. (The same goes for Nicole Kidman.)

 

[AgentOtaku]

Is it true that MI2 had to be written around John Woo's planned action sequences?

Thats the rumor I've heard way more than once. I tried to find something on IMDB about...but alas no luck

I wouldn't say they were his action scenes....but I've just heard that the stunts kinda came first

 

[Ichirou]

I Know me too (also dig the action set pieces in Hard-Target)

Sorry I meant recent movie

Like WindTalkers and Paycheck

....I skeptical about how Spyhunter will turn out

Yeah, Windtalkers was pretty bad (I wonder if the director's cut redeems it, though - I haven't seen it). Didn't even bother to see Paycheck because it sounded so bad.

What happened to John Woo? Such an awesome director, but he's been on a bad streak lately...

They need to do special edition DVDs of Face/Off and Broken Arrow - I dug those two movies a lot.

 

[Solo]

Is it true that MI2 had to be written around John Woo's planned action sequences?

That wouldnt surpise me in the least. Hell, it would explain some of the movie's shittiness. LOL its almost like that hack Michael Bay. "Just write 'action' on the script and Ill take care of it".

Woo really needs to go back to Hong Kong, in the worst way. Its sad to see the guy who did The Killer and Hard-Boiled reduced to M:I2.

post-Eyes-Wide-Shut Cruise >>> pre-Eyes-Wide-Shut Cruise

Without a doubt. I would agree with this 100%. My favorite Cruise performances (Magnolia, Minority Report, hell was pretty good in Last Samurai, and Collateral) all came after Eyes Wide Shut.

 

[Prospero]

Is it true that MI2 had to be written around John Woo's planned action sequences?

Yes.

link to audio interview

A few years back, Tom Cruise brought him in after seven or eight writers had failed to produce an acceptable script for "Mission Impossible 2." It had already taken so long that director John Woo had developed all the action sequences for the film.

Towne was given the task, if he chose to accept it, of writing a script knitting it all together. It was just six weeks before shooting was scheduled to begin. Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr asked Towne what it took to get the job done.

 

[AgentOtaku]

That wouldnt surpise me in the least. Hell, it would explain some of the movie's shittiness. LOL its almost like that hack Michael Bay. "Just write 'action' on the script and Ill take care of it".

According to IMDB

John Woo's final cut of the film clocked in at 3 1/2 hours. The studio balked at this length and told him that the final length could not exceed 120 min. This could explain why there are so many plot holes and continuity errors in the theatrical cut.

so who knows....Also, the film was originally rated R

 

[Solo]

I think the only things I took out of M:I2 that I liked were Dougray Scott, who really chewed up the scenery, and Hans Zimmer's score (Im a minor Zimmer whore, sue me).

 

[Lakitu]

I think the only things I took out of M:I2 that I liked were Dougray Scott, who really chewed up the scenery, and Hans Zimmer's score (Im a minor Zimmer whore, sue me).

Yeah tell me about it, Hans Zimmer's score was a great redeeming factor, the song Injection is amazing

 

[Solo]

Yeah, I love that song too.

 

[Grifter]

Yes.

link to audio interview

Thanks. Your blurb makes it sound like Woo wasn't just insanely demanding that the film revolve his sequences, at least.

The world needs to see the 3.5 hr cut of MI2.

 

[Solo]

The world needs that like I need kick to the nuts
I really think that all the tinkering in the world couldnt make M:I2 into a good, coherent movie.

 

[AgentOtaku]

The world needs that like I need kick to the nuts
I really think that all the tinkering in the world couldnt make M:I2 into a good, coherent movie.

To me, the worst part of the film was the fact they spelled out the plot to the audiences on numerous occassions. Obviously because there were reservations against plot of the first one

 

[Solo]

Yeah, there was a fair bit of chunky exposition in M:I2. The part that instantly comes to mind is where Hunt describes how the virus gets transferred, right in the midst of a shootout :X

 

[Grifter]

To me, the worst part of the film was the fact they spelled out the plot to the audiences on numerous occassions. Obviously because there were reservations against plot of the first one

WTF was with that scene where Scott describes exactly how Cruise is gonna get into the building? Besides making the hero look like an idiot.

 

[Solo]

LOL, yeah, that too was another piece of completely unnecessary exposition.

"First he will wipe his ass with the toilet paper. Then flush the toilet. He will then do up his pants and wash his hands. Then he will go in through the roof."

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

The first two M:I films are average at best. Way over hyped and way over-rated. I have no interest in the third, except for the fact the Phillip Seymore Hoffman is in it.

 

[ronito]

Somewhere there's a couch being jumped on.

 

[drohne]

i like the trailer for some reason...though it's the same sort of HELICOPTER SHOOTS MISSILE AT VAN MALE LEAD MAKES "INTENSE" FACE CROCODILE EATS GORILLA stuff as every other action movie trailer. probably i just like the mission impossible theme. first movie was good, wasn't it?

 

[jett]

Oh my fucking god I can't believe there are people that actually LIKE MI:2. Gold? Damn good action movie? Do yourselves a favor and watch more movies. MI:2 is a piece of shit.