Cruising in style at 60

If there is one person synonymous with running apart from Usain Bolt or our very own Milkha Singh, then it has to be Tom Cruise. The man, not just known for making Hollywood blockbusters but also for performing impossible (yes, pun intended), death-defying stunts, turns 60 on Sunday.

We know him as an actor who just loves to push the boundaries, both in cinema and real life. In the day and age where makers rely heavily on CGI, most of Cruise’s films stay true to the original action film style that was prevalent in the 80s and 90s. But is he the last OG action hero from Hollywood? It looks like.

Sure, we still have Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the midst of things but their movies can’t match the scale of Cruise’s. Probably the only other action star who comes remotely close to Cruise would be Jason Statham.

Jason, just like Tom, is known for performing his own stunts. He has carved a niche for himself in the genre with franchises like ‘The Transporter’, ‘The Expendables’, and the ‘Fast & The Furious’.

First hit

Cruise’s first big action hit came soon after his debut as a lead in ‘Risky Business’ (1983). He then impressed critics and moviegoers alike as Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in ‘Top Gun’ (1986).

Even at almost 60, Cruise was in his element in jaw-dropping aerial-combat scenes as the film’s sequel, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, became a gigantic success this year. Trade analysts have even declared it as the first $ 1 billion Cruise film.

The film, which continues to receive standing ovations in theatres, is a technical masterpiece and was in the making since the 2010s. Yes, we have the MCUs and the DCEUs making huge collections but they aren’t driven singlehandedly by the lead actor.

So are we entering an era where producers have to rely more on an ensemble cast rather than one or two bankable stars?

Successful franchise

Since Brian De Palma’s first espionage thriller ‘Mission: Impossible’ in 1996, Cruise has been the face of the franchise, powering six box office successes that have collected $3.5 billion dollars combined. The franchise, which is still going strong, cemented Cruise as one of the best action stars of Hollywood.

But having a big star does possess some amount of risk. It would be a nightmare for any insurance company to back Paramount Picture’s project. It would easily cost them a small fortune, director Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) often jokes about this in his interviews.

Daredevil stunts

From hanging on top of a cliff to hanging on the side of a plane to a HALO suit dive from 35,000 feet to holding one’s breath underwater for 6 minutes, the actor is astonishingly stunning in life-threatening stunts and this is what separates him from the rest.

He is passionate about his stunts but that doesn’t mean Cruise is ignorant of the safety of his cast and crew. The leaked audio clip about him being angry with one of the crew members for not wearing a mask on sets during the pandemic shows his concern for his colleagues.

His action-hero image shouldn’t overshadow some of his critically-acclaimed performances. His memorable portrayals came as a paralysed war veteran (‘Born on the Fourth of July’, 1989), a sports agent (‘Jerry Maguire’, 1996) and an American army captain (‘Last Samurai’, 2003).

Movies like ‘Magnolia’ (1999) and ‘Tropic Thunder’ (2008) show that he can keep us invested in him even in the smallest of roles.

And despite a diverse filmography, Cruise has never suffered a slump. He showed he is a box office bet and ensured film critics are sometimes just bystanders in his journey when ‘War of the Worlds’, ‘Rock of Ages’, and ‘The Mummy’ minted money at the box-office despite garnering negative reviews.

A workaholic that he is, Cruise, with an age-defying fitness regime, will continue to inspire many with how he perfects the craft. It would be impossible for anyone to stop him from running. Happy Birthday, Tom!

(The author is a Bengaluru-based senior graphic designer and short filmmaker).