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is there an argument that Tom Cruise is the greatest action star of all time?

Mister Apoc

Demigod of Troll Threads
in the sense of what a movie star means, not saying he is the best actor ever in terms of acting ability

terms of screen presence, marketing etc. those attributes

there is an argument that he is the greatest action star alongside Jackie...

man gets a helicopter license and starts doing stunt shyt between a cliff while also managing a camera to film


not including his Burj Khalifa climb, Halo jump etc. etc. people are going to say Sly and Arnold, but there is an element of doing your own stunts that puts people like Tom and Jackie Chan on another level then those guys who had the aesthetics but didn't do the practical stuff
 
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Mister Apoc

Demigod of Troll Threads
I love me some Tom Cruise action movies but he doesn't have a single movie that can top the Trifecta of Action Perfection that is: Conan, Predator, and Terminator 1.
i would argue that Fallout might be the greatest practical shot action film of all time, i think it's definitely up there with the greats

dude did a barrel roll in a helicopter in between a cliff while filming, one of the craziest stunts if not the craziest
 
I concur

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Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
I associate Tom Cruise with drama more than action. His action catalog is good but falls behind the likes of Schwarzenegger and Stallone. He is more B-tier in action, alongside the likes of Keanu and Snipes (ok maybe Snipes is C-tier).

in the sense of what a movie star means, not saying he is the best actor ever in terms of acting ability

Schwarzenegger especially fits this criteria.
 

Jaybe

Member
Tom Cruise impresses me more and more with time especially with MI:Fallout. So it’s fair to consider him. I keep meaning to watch Edge of Tomorrow.

Arnold is still the standout. Watched Total Recall recently, so damn good still.

Keanu is notable with the Matrix and John Wick series.

If Harrison Ford stuck to action, he’d be up there to.

Seeing some of Tom Holland’s stunts with Spiderman, he’d be one to watch for the future, depending where his career goes and the roles he takes.

Obvi Jackie Chan os arguably the best, as you mention. There are likely quite a few other Asian actors whose work I’m just not familiar with that are excellent too.
 

belmarduk

Member
No. Cruise is a weird cultist who looks like an elderly lesbian stereotype and hasn't been relevant for years.
Schwarzenegger is obviously the GOAT.
 

Jaybe

Member
No. Cruise is a weird cultist who looks like an elderly lesbian stereotype and hasn't been relevant for years.
Schwarzenegger is obviously the GOAT.
The rest accurate but he is in the what will likely be in the Top 3 box office movies of 2022 releasing in just a few weeks…

t5HScn1.jpg
 
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Chittagong

Gold Member
He is the greatest action star for sure. Only really discovered his greatness with the recent Mission Impossibles, I didn’t realise the lengths he goes for his stunts
 

Aggelos

Member
Tom Cruise is a force of nature. He and Jackie Chan are at the top of their game. Jackie Chan, together with his JC stunt team, they've done some truly crazy and insane stunts, I mean mind-blowingly crazy shit.
From the side of Hollywood, Tom Cruise has shown that he can do some hardcore action and stunts too. He's a force of nature (when judged by Hollywood standards where there's too many safety precautions going on). After Tom Cruise, I'd say Keanu Reeves is doing some good stuff too.

And then comes the rest... All the others who posture (and have been posturing over the decades) as action stars, they're using too many doubles and stand-ins. They rely heavily on doubles and stand-ins to showcase their badassery on screen, but they can't pull off hardcore action and stunts.
 
He's certainly committed, and I've enjoyed plenty of his movies. I'm not sure I'd want to know the dark side of the psyche behind that drive.
 

Kev Kev

Member
I think this is hyperbolic. He has done some classic work
i mean he gets the job done so yeah maybe terrible is a bit harsh. but fr hes the same person in every movie. i also just dont like him lol he comes off as douchey

i loved vanilla sky though. he was perfect for that role. theres maybe a few others, but i just dont think hes great
 

Gp1

Member
Arnold made "the" action movies (T2, especially), but his career after the prime 80's was garbage compared to Cruise.

And Cruise has a truckload of good movies in other genres too like Vampire, Risky business, American Made, Rain man, Few good man etc.
 
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Kev Kev

Member
what about daniel craig? he killed it as bond in those movies. im not sure how much actin he got into with stunt and all but id say even he is better than tom cruise, no? notas many movies/years under his belt tho, so that kind of brings him down a couple pegs. but still fucking great at what he did, and im not really a bond fan.

daniel-craig-skyfall.gif
 

dr_octagon

Banned
Tom Cruise has chosen an action lead path, he isn't built like a 80s hero but is a capable actor with a decent range. Mission Impossible fits his style. He is a nazi, samurai, hitman, officer, pilot, film executive, spy etc. and it is all solid. It's about playing to your strengths.

Predator, Terminator, Rocky etc. set the bar for action movies. Arnie and Stallone won't be beat, you can't compare films equally. They're built around those guys. Arnie fitting in an air vent for a spy film or as a vampire? C'mon don't fuck with me.

Nic Cage is the best, everyone knows this.
 

BigBooper

Member
He's very good, and I appreciate his dedication. Most of his movies are just not as good as Arnie's though. Not because of his acting, but more the script and directing I think. Could be I just like 80s-90s style more.
 

Hari Seldon

Member
But... Top gun is awesome.

Can fit in this list as classic.
Top Gun is indeed awesome and I can't wait for the one coming out soon. I'd say it is definitely up in contention of best date night action movies. Lord knows way fewer chicks are going to want to watch Predator lmfao.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
Saying he's an action star is far too limiting. He's also done Born on the Fourth of July, Interview with a Vampire, Jerry McGuire, Vanilla Sky, Tropic Thunder and on and on.

He's one of the biggest movie stars of all time, in multiple genres of movie.

Action for him came secondary to acting. Its incredible that he's done as well as he has, and does so many stunts.
 
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Rival

Gold Member
That some people put him at the top of that genre is telling to just how good he is. Strictly action I think Arnold is the best but I will accept Cruise or Stallone as well.
 

Sp3eD

0G M3mbeR
While I don’t think Arnold will ever be beat, cruise is one of my favorites. The MI series, minority report, top gun, days of thunder, war of the worlds. Hell Collateral he was pretty much the perfect bad guy.

Damn now I want to go watch collateral again…
 

SpearFist

Member
That title goes to Jackie chan. He is the GOAT. The amount of risks he took to entertain us, his dedication to skills and giving breathtaking stunts to cinema. Nothing comes close. Love tom cruise, arnold, stallone, jet li, etc too amazing action stars.

3Tkm.gif


 

Mattyp

Gold Member
I don’t consider Arnold & Tom in real same genre tbh.

Arnold made 80s and early 90s films what they where, but it was a combination of the settings writing, his style of acting. Is he a brilliant actor? No. Not in the slightest, rock emulates this style now. Is it entertaining as fuck? Yes.

Tom Cruise has been on the top and stayed at the top longer than any other actor I can think of.

I still remember Risky Business to this date and watch it, what other actor has been at the top of A listers for 40+ years and not fallen off to mediocre shit for the cash?

No one besides him. And the shit he goes through to make the movies that much more believable for the audience puts him that much higher. He still gives a shit 40 years later when he by far doesn’t need to, in giving a shit or even filming for money. He’s one of the only ones I think out there that does it because he honestly fucking loves what he does.
 

BossLackey

Gold Member
I love me some Tom Cruise action movies but he doesn't have a single movie that can top the Trifecta of Action Perfection that is: Conan, Predator, and Terminator 1.

Yeah, this is incredibly hard to beat. Tom Cruise is in more consistently good movies, but the highs of Arnold's career in the 80's is exactly what people think of when hearing "action movie".

You throw T2 in there? It's not even a contest.

Though it's impossible to argue that Tom Cruise isn't the hardest working action star by far.
 

teezzy

Banned
Yeah, this is incredibly hard to beat. Tom Cruise is in more consistently good movies, but the highs of Arnold's career in the 80's is exactly what people think of when hearing "action movie".

You throw T2 in there? It's not even a contest.

Though it's impossible to argue that Tom Cruise isn't the hardest working action star by far.

Idk man, Minority Report and Edge of Tomorrow are nearly on Terminator levels. That's not even counting all the crazy Mission Impossible movies.
 
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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
He does his own stunts, he puts a ton of work into his craft, like learning martial arts and stuff in the movie Collateral(which isn't an action movie) but just an example. His movies are incredibly thrilling and entertaining.

Tommy C is the GOAT.

Arnold and Stallone have been in a lot of great movies, but they don't put nearly the dedication or mastery of stunts and combat like Cruise does. The reason I put Tom Cruise as the GOAT is because I think Arnold and Stallone are the product of the production teams and Tom Cruise genuinely makes the movies he's in great.
 
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