Mabuse

By "over 200 million" you mean exactly 200 million. And it was the lowest total box office of any film he'd stared in in ten years (since the comparitivly high brow EWS). It's still a lot of money, but most analysts took it as a bad sign.

NoirFan

Is it all over for Tom Cruise? God, I hope so.

Josh-da-man

He could play Randall Flagg in "The Stand."

Bluelitespecial

After he did the cameo as Les Grossman at the MTV movie Awards last year. I read online he was developing a movie out of the character

redrum

still don't understand the Tommy C hate

JumpCutz

I just came to post this. I don't understand how this guy became such a huge star. He's a mediocre actor and has made a lot of bad movies.
He generally has an incredibly bland screen presence.

Sure he's worked with some of the best directors in the business, but he's never elevated the material...i.e. his good movies would have still been good with another actor in the lead.

That said, I will make an exception for Born on The 4th of July. He was excellent as Ron Kovacs.

MrSmearkase

Not even Rain Man? I think he is fantastic in that one (among others), but I can't see any other actor pulling off that role 20 years ago.

inri222

I will give him :

Rain Man
Born on the 4th of July
Magnolia
Eyes Wide Shut

In those films he was working with some good directors and he was able to shine. He might have been able to do something great again if he would not have blown his chance to work with David Cronenberg. Like someone said earlier, he has become a control freak and has decided to work with directors that he can have the upper hand with.

Sonic

Collateral was awesome I don't give a f**k!

bluetoast

One thing I've wondered about Collateral. Why did they randomly give his character salt and pepper hair?

brainee

"Knight and Day" made over $258 million worldwide. How on earth is that a dud?

He still seems to be doing plenty well as a bankable star to me. "Lions for Lambs" is the only one that didn't do well. But I'd chalk that up more to the nature of the movie - not Cruise's declining box office appeal. I'm sure the next MI movie will do alright. Though I don't know about his next listed project - him in the musical "Rock of Ages". That could very well be his first big budget bomb. It's also the first time in ages he hasn't worked with an A-list director (Adam Shankman).

I don't hate him, but I easily understand it. The Scientology crap alone is enough to make many hate him. Not to mention for anyone on top (or near the top) for so long ... people are going to hate.

I think Cruise has a solid filmography. He's been awfully smart about picking his projects. He clearly realizes having a good director is key to a good movie, and also usually has a strong supporting cast. I'm sure he's had the opportunity to take a giant paycheck for an outright crappy movie, but he's stayed away from that pitfall. Looking over all his movies ... I at least "like" most of them. Though I'd be hard-pressed to say Cruise was the best element in those movies (with the exception of "Born of the 4th of July").

majorjoe23

That's just a rumor. Travolta totally loves women.

AnonomusBob15

Tom Cruise is a great actor and has an eye for great projects. As long as he continues to make movies, I will continue to see them.

People keep saying how bad K&D was but really Cruise was the only reason that flick was even remotely watchable.

OutRun2

Am I the only one that entered this thread mistakenly thinking it was about Terry Crews?

Solid Snake

Yes, most of us can read.

matome

This. I've never been a huge fan of his outside of Collateral, but I've actually enjoyed his more recent films like Valkyrie & Knight and Day.

inri222

Buttmunker

Steven Speilberg is considered a "good director," but I thought War of the Worlds was horrible. Even good directors take a mistep, sometimes.

Xander

The interviews with him talking about how he "knows psychology" and things like that make me dislike him as a person, but I like a lot of movies he's been in. He did do a great job in Tropic Thunder.

d2cheer

I was very critical of Knight and Day until I saw it and loved it. He will be OK, unless MI really bombs but there is really no way for that to happen and it has a pretty good cast to back him up. I still have not seen Valkyrie I may have to check it out. I think eveyone thinking that he is "all" over is very premature. Nic Cage is still headlining movies, Cruise will as well.

Buttmunker

don't even get me started on what a waste Nic Cage turned out to be.

Getting back to Mr. Mapother IV, his eighties work was stellar. A lot of people say the films themselves were gems, but not because it starred Tom, but I think those films got the attention they deserved because of Tom. The cat was cool, we must admit we liked Tom in the eighties, we must!

Between Taps (in a supporting role with a fine cast including Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton), All The Right Moves, Risky Business, Top Gun, The Color of Money, Cocktail (yes, even "Cocktail"), Rain Man (snubbed for a much deserved supporting actor Oscar), and Born on the Fourth of July (which did nab him his first Oscar-nomination). There were a few films of his in the 80s that I don't much care for, like Legend and Losin' It, but that's just my opinion - some people like those pictures.

Charlie Goose

Even if he hadn't gone barking mad, his career likely would've still dipped as it has. There aren't many stars that can be solid, can't-miss, box office draws for such a long time. It's just a natural progression. With the right project, he can easily be on top again.

Artman

After MI2 he started doing more serious, less audience friendly films, which I think played a part in the declines (almost all his 90's movies would've made over 200m adjusted). So, it's been happening for some time. MI3 and K&D were wake up calls as they were the kind of fun, Cruise type films that showcased himself more than anything. As he approaches 50, hopefully he'll do more serious and supporting roles.

superdeluxe

True on Lions for Lambs..But his in Valykyre had pretty positive support.

superdeluxe

He has done that..and he was excellent in Collateral