The long tradition of Tom Cruise action movies dates back decades and has given us some of the best thrill rides in movie history, especially when Cruise does his stunts like running in a harness on the exterior of the tallest building in the world or being strapped to the outside of an airplane as it takes off. Let’s take a look at this vaunted history of thrills and excitement.
Top Gun (1986)
You can’t have a list of Cruise’s action films without Top Gun, which also happens to be at the top of the list. With aerial acrobatics and catchphrases like “I feel the need, the need for speed,” it’s no wonder this film turned both Cruise and Val Kilmer into household names. Directed by the late Tony Scott, it had moviegoers on the edge of their seats. It even spawned the 2022 smash Top Gun: Maverick, which is the perfect example of the protracted string of hit action films Cruise has made.
Days of Thunder (1990)
Days of Thunder was the second film that Cruise and Tony Scott would collaborate on. Cruse plays the young upstart race care driver Cole Trickle, who proves he has what it takes to make it in NASCAR. The movie boasted a cast that included Robert Duval, Cruises’ future wife Nicole Kidman, and NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Rusty Wallace. It was like Top Gun with race cars and was a box office hit.
The Firm (1993)
While The Firm was not strictly an action movie, it did have considerable action. Based on the John Grisham novel, the film centers around a young attorney, Mitch McDeere. When McDeer realizes the firm he is working for is not only corrupt but also killing people, he confronts his mentor, Avary Tolar, played by the legendary Gene Hackman. Tolar warns him to stand down, but McDeere doesn’t. The rest of the film is filled with intrigue, and Cruise’s character tries to avoid being killed by hitmen. It was another box office winner for Cruise.
Hear T.J. and Jay review “The Firm” as part of this “Summer of ’93” edition of our “We’ve Seen That!” podcast series. Listen by clicking play below,
Mission Impossible (1996)
Mission Impossible was based on the TV series of the same name. In the film, Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, a protege to John Voight’s Jim Phelps, the only character from the original show. In the film, Hunt is the only surviving member of an ambush and the prime candidate for being a mole inside the Impossible Mission Force. Hunt is forced to recruit his own team to prove his innocence and find the actual mole, who turns out to be Phelps. The movie included a memorable fight scene on top of a speeding Chunnel train. The film was so successful it spawned eight sequels and counting.
To Sum Up
Cruise continued his action film string with movies such as Minority Report, the Last Samurai, War of the Worlds, Knight and Day, Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow, and more. Even as Cruise has passed into senior citizen territory, he shows no sign of slowing down or reflecting his age.
