Tom Cruise = Deal Breaker

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Jack Reacher and Rock of Ages were both good movies (that nobody saw).

Supreme Ruler Of The Universe on April 4, 2013 at 4:48 PM

That's definitely how I feel - I love love LOVE apocalyptic movies, even bad ones, and yet I cannot, will not, see Oblivion, except maybe on TNT some Saturday afternoon when I'm not feeling well.

Tom Cruise, I just can't with you.

MLM on April 4, 2013 at 4:54 PM

It's not even the Scientology thing, he's just so overwhelmingly Tom Cruisey, and only a passable actor. When you see him in a film, you think "oh look, there's Tom Cruise being that guy" and "oh look at all this stuff happening to Tom Cruise." Never do you forget who the actor is in favor of the character. He's a living 555 number.

There's a dozen or so celebrity brands that both suffer from and exist because of this exact deal.

Dougsf on April 4, 2013 at 4:58 PM

Hey! Not all old people like him. I went to go see The Hobbit with my father, and when the Oblivion trailer came on he turned to me and said "that looks like it would've been really cool if they had gotten someone else for the lead."

And I think it's because he's such a crappy actor that you can only see him as Tom Cruise. He never actually becomes any of his characters, and he's not an appealing person at all, Scientology or no Scientology.

redemma on April 4, 2013 at 5:01 PM

He's a super bland generic intense kinda handsome leading man guy. Theoretically he should be easy to replace in any role. I wish filmmakers would exercise the option more often.

Zebes on April 4, 2013 at 5:04 PM

Sometimes he's good, sometimes he's awful.

I can never tell which he'll be, so his being in a film is no predictor for how good it will be.

Will in Seattle on April 4, 2013 at 5:12 PM

I like how you put it, Grant : the man simply seethes insecurity. Yes, yes he does. He makes my damn skin crawl. I've avoided seeing many, many of his movies just because he's so damned creepy.

Having said that, I did enjoy "Risky Business", "Vanilla Sky" (I know, I know), and "Minority Report". But I have exactly ZERO interest in this newest effort of his.

merry on April 4, 2013 at 5:14 PM

I agree, his Scientology crap and the fact that he's always Tom Cruise, no matter what the role. His personal life is one gorgeous actress after another. I wouldn't want to live with him.

RWC43 on April 4, 2013 at 5:19 PM

Casting is the bane of modern film. Anything with Cruise, Sandler, Keanu, Franco, Costner, ... will be lesser for it; and not just in terms of net profit.

Please-oh-please film-makers, go to an acting school or some-such venue and buy some "farm fresh".

theophrastus on April 4, 2013 at 5:25 PM

I wish tom cruise had died instead of Ebert. There I said it.

I can still watch some new films that he is in but I don't get excited because of him. And that is kind of what I think the movie people do is say "Look here's Tom Cruise in a new movie." I just don't care anymore.

Simone on April 4, 2013 at 5:42 PM

I liked him in Collateral, Tropic Thunder, and Magnolia. The rest...meh.

bleedingheartlibertarian on April 4, 2013 at 5:46 PM

I feel the same way about Nicolas Cage.

pfffter on April 4, 2013 at 5:51 PM

I might see Oblivion, but this song will be going through my head the whole time.

http://www.jonathancoulton.com/wiki/Tom_…

McJulie on April 4, 2013 at 5:52 PM

I mean, I'd probably go do anything with Goldy though. He's like, blog famous.

dangerousgift on April 4, 2013 at 5:52 PM

Gaa! I laughed out loud when I saw "The Last Samurai" as a choice on your poll, just like I laughed out loud in the theater when I saw that movie & TOMFUCKINGCRUISE as THE LAST SAMURAI! HA!! Too funny..

gunmmoontree on April 4, 2013 at 6:03 PM

Tom Cruise is kinda gross and Scientology brainwashed, but this movie looks rad.

Chester Copperpot on April 4, 2013 at 6:15 PM

I prefer to remember him as that cute kid in his underwear dancing across the hardwoods and have steadfastly refused to see him in any movie since. Have things gone downhill for him?

sperifera on April 4, 2013 at 6:22 PM

And it's all so formulistic. I like what @3 said:

Never do you forget who the actor is in favor of the character.

raindrop on April 4, 2013 at 6:24 PM

I'm surprised that my votes in officially binding Slog polls are usually (~70% of the time, I'd say) in step with the majority. But for this one, in which I said Tom Cruise is great, I knew where I stood. He'll always be Pete Mitchell -- better known of course by his call sign, "Maverick" -- to me.

mikethehammer on April 4, 2013 at 6:26 PM

I guess maybe because I've grown older with a longstanding kinda-crush on Tom Cruise since his early days in the 1980s, that I'm looking forward to this movie. I find it pretty easy to set aside his scientology because it never seems to intrude into his roles in any noticeable way, and he never proselytizes in public about it. He's sometimes a bit of an idiot (like his weird thing on Oprah, etc), but I've always liked him well enough as an actor, and he seems to generally stick to rolls that suit his limited acting talents.

So I guess it's just me and Goldy then.

Despite the Slog Poll, I bet this makes $100m on its opening weekend.

Reverse Polarity on April 4, 2013 at 7:46 PM

He's actually acted a couple of times, I think. He was good in Collateral and... um... Hmm. Interview With The Vampire? Well, I'm sure there was something.

this guy I know in Spokane on April 4, 2013 at 7:57 PM

I actually like Tom Cruise. Sigh.

Part of it was probably seeing the movies in the theater. Definitely had a crush on him in Top Gun. Risky Business of course. And then the next half dozen I had to watch just to see if his tighty whities would make another appearance. Cocktail. Days of Thunder. Color of Money.

fletc3her on April 4, 2013 at 8:24 PM

@16 Not to be a super nerd, but did you see The Last Samurai? Tom Cruise wasn't the last samurai at all. He was some kind of U.S. infantryman. I don't remember exactly, but he wasn't supposed to be Japanese or anything.

fletc3her on April 4, 2013 at 8:27 PM

I miss the Tom Cruise from Risky Business, the Nicholas Cage from Valley Girls, and Arnold Schwarzenegger from The Terminator.

Yes, I'm an old fart.

Dr. Z on April 4, 2013 at 8:32 PM

This old person thinks he's just awful, in every possible way.

sarah70 on April 4, 2013 at 8:37 PM

Tom Cruise is an excellent actor. I submit Born On the Fourth of July as my evidence. However, it looks really silly and funny when old men seriously think they can convince others that they are still young and handsome.

floater on April 4, 2013 at 9:47 PM

Whatever.

You try playing non-offensive and not forgettable in every movie you're in. He's never made a movie worse than it already was, and if you get people talking about Tom Cruise, eventually you can recreate his entire filmography by collecting all the "I liked him in X" posts.

Dustin Hoffman is recognizable as himself in every movie he plays, but you don't call him a bad actor.

six shooter on April 4, 2013 at 9:49 PM

Tropic Thunder FTW

JonnoN on April 4, 2013 at 10:48 PM

I find present-day Tom Cruise creepy, but I disagree with those calling him a bad actor. I think he's a totally capable actor whose skill has been eclipsed by his weird Scientology persona and various public breakdowns. Watch Magnolia though -- dude can act. Not much interest in seeing him in anything current, however. Plus this looks bad anyway.

And yes, Nicholas Cage is awful too, except in Adaptation, which is awesome.

Amanda on April 5, 2013 at 1:01 AM

Some of his movies have been very good, such as Born on the Fourth of July. Others, like Top Gun, are amazingly bad.

He's cute. In real life, he's unbearable. His work is hit-or-miss. I don't go to movies specifically because he's in them, and I don't avoid them for that reason either.

I'm agnostic on TC.

Tacoma Traveler on April 5, 2013 at 4:26 AM

When you see, "Tom Cruise" on the marquee, you know exactly what you're getting.

Tom Cruise plays the one and only character he knows how to, "Tom Cruise." He plays that character each and every day.

a russell on April 5, 2013 at 5:55 AM

None of you guys have mentioned Eyes Wide Shut Yet. Tom Cruise is horrible and I have a hard time stomaching him in anything these days, but he is just creepily great in that movie, and what's more, I get the feeling he doesn't realize he's being creepily great. It's like Tom Cruise cast as himself when he thinks he's playing someone else. Pretty brilliant. It's a fascinating and underrated movie, and worth watching if you haven't, or worth re-watching if it didn't connect with you the first time.

Actionsquid on April 5, 2013 at 8:36 AM

@10 Jesus Christ! Modern film? Aside from Franco (who is great) you list of "big names" looks like you haven't seen a movie since 1998.

McGee on April 5, 2013 at 1:54 PM

My favorite movie with him in it is "Magnolia" (which I liked quite a lot, but I get why people didn't).

He's playing such an asshole in that movie...and hey it's completely believable. But he went for it, and the performance is good. It's not even a big part, but he's good in it.

That said, I despise pretty much everything else about him. He's massively creepy and I really hope that the gay rumors aren't true. I don't want him on my team.

Mike Friedman on April 5, 2013 at 6:11 PM

I don't understand how he keeps getting leading roles and big bucks from blockbusters that inevitably flop because no one wants to sit and stare at him for two hours. It'd be like watching a coworker poop on all our desks and then getting a raise for it. Bewildering.

KingofQueenAnne on April 5, 2013 at 11:12 PM

I'm 13 I think he is an amazing actor I've watched 18 of his film's an I have to cocktail was my favourite every 1 disses him over the whole Scientology thing but at the end of the day we all have our beliefs.... Besides which 1 of you can say you've climbed the tallest building in the world!!!!! The man's 50 years old still doing his own stunt's and still incredibly fit and still is great looking!!!!! Non of you have met him all you no is what you read online or in magazines sooooo !!!!

Tom cruisebiggest fan !! on April 30, 2013 at 3:51 PM

Tom cruise is an excellent actor looks more handsome than half the yiunger actors... He was great in all his movies adorable in risky business and equally amazing in oblivion rick of ages jerry mcguire he gives 100 percent of himself ..the only actor of his generation one of the only that didn't wind up in rehab..

mmmey on May 7, 2013 at 3:51 AM

Tom Cruise = Deal Breaker

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