The movie trailers always show him running, and he’s seemingly unwilling to slow down: Tom Cruise is continually at the top of his game. With a career spanning over four decades, this action icon goes all in for every role and production. Oscar-nominated for leading dramatic roles in Jerry Maguire and Born on the Fourth of July, famous for his quotable exchange with Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men—”I want the truth!” “You can’t handle the truth!”—, and recognized for his blockbuster franchise epics, Cruise is by definition a true movie star.
As one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, Cruise’s action credits include some of the top-grossing movies of all time, long-standing franchises, and page-to-screen adaptations. With stunt work that leaves audiences gasping and skillful acting range that elevates a scene to more, Cruise’s filmography includes some of the best in the entire action genre.
10 ‘Jack Reacher’ (2012)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Translating the famous action novel series to the big screen was a challenge fit for a star like Cruise and seasoned collaborating director Christopher McQuarrie. The titular character, Jack (Cruise), is a former military investigator who is called to a murder case involving an ex-sniper. There, he works closely with the suspect’s defense attorney, Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), and the case takes a twist as Reacher dives deeper into the evidence.
This page-to-screen adaptation landed well with viewers and critics; however, Cruise’s second outing as Jack Reacher in a sequel was unanimously rotten to the point where he did not reprise the role again in future movies or the current Amazon series.Jack Reacher is an action film that’s better than you thought it’d be, but still remains seemingly lackluster compared to other entries in Cruise’s illustrious career.
9 ‘American Made’ (2017)
Directed by Doug Liman
Certainly, a morally gray character in his character canon, Cruise is charismatic as Barry Seal. The action comedy is based on a true story about an American pilot who becomes in charge of a covert CIA operation where he becomes a drug runner in the 1980s. The feature would not be the first time Cruise and director Doug Liman have teamed up, but American Made is the polar opposite of their previous action work together.
American Made focuses more on complex character development versus the usual explosions, running, and sweaty-palm stunts Cruise fans are used to; however, accidents on the set loomed over the production. It’s more comedy than action, but with Cruise’s star power and all the complete ingredients, it’s a suitable non-franchise feature.
8 ‘War of the Worlds’ (2005)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
This would be the second time in which Steven Spielberg and Cruise would work together to bring a sci-fi adaptation to the screen. Based on the classic H.G. Wells novel, War of the Worlds finds humanity under alien attack. The fight for survival is told through the perspective of blue-collar father Ray Ferrier (Cruise) and his children (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin).
When audiences think of action stars, they think: Cruise. When they think of blockbuster directors, they think: Spielberg. The pair presented a sci-fi action installment that both terrified and thrilled audiences while respecting the notoriety of the original acclaimed feature and source material. War of the Worlds remains one of their best entries because not only did it deliver its action promise, it provoked a deeper inner dialogue with viewers about the traumas and experiences post-9/11.
War of The Worlds (2005)
In a gripping adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel, Earth faces an unprecedented threat when extraterrestrial tripods descend to wreak havoc, leading to humanity’s desperate fight for survival. The story follows a divorced father striving to protect his children amidst the chaos.
- Release Date
- June 29, 2005
7 ‘The Last Samurai’ (2003)
Directed by Edward Zwick
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The 90s and 2000s were home to a genre of period action dramas led by powerhouse actors like Mel Gibson in Braveheart and The Patriot, Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans, Kevin Coster in Dances with Wolves, and Russell Crowe in Gladiator. The Last Samurai is Tom Cruise’s entry in that genre of action as Captain Nathan Algren, an officer in the post-Civil War American military, sent to Japan at the request of the Emperor (Shichinosuke Nakamura) to train their army in modern warfare tactics.
Despite some initial controversy (i.e. the title paired with Cruise’s image), The Last Samurai holds its own, especially when it comes to production value. Edward Zwick and the writers crafted an epic narrative focused on tradition and redemption against the backdrop of grand battle scenes and world-building. The film earned four Oscar nominations, two of which were for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.
The Last Samurai
An American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle.
- Release Date
- December 5, 2003
- Director
- Edward Zwick
6 ‘Minority Report’ (2002)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Two legendary cinematic icons collaborated to bring to the big screen an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s famous sci-fi novella “Minority Report.” Cruise stars as Chief John Anderton of the Pre-crime Division, a police unit that uses the psychic abilities of the PreCogs to arrest and convict criminals before they commit their crimes. John’s world and purpose change drastically when he is predicted to murder a man he’s never met.
A dark feature for both industry titans, Spielberg’s Minority Report is an action thriller that remains relevant and an excellent repeat watch today. From Cruise’s complex performance to Spielberg’s masterful world-building, the questions of surveillance and privacy in an advancing age of technology elevate the film some twenty years later.
5 ‘Collateral’ (2004)
Directed by Michael Mann
Michael Mann flips the action script for Cruise, this time the action legend starring as the villain. Opposite Jamie Foxx, Collateral features Cruise as Vincent, a contract killer, who uses Max (Foxx), a cab driver, to deliver him to each of his hits throughout one night in Los Angeles. Foxx’s performance earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The film’s second Oscar nomination was for Best Film Editing.
The signature styling of Michael Mann paired well with a one-off villainous performance by Cruise. Instead of relying on high-stakes sequences and jaw-dropping stunts, Collateral brings out the acting in Cruise instead of forcing audiences to rely on the usual action suspects.
Collateral
- Release Date
- August 4, 2004
- Director
- Michael Mann
- Main Genre
- Crime
4 ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
The highly-anticipated sequel demolished any potential of falling victim to the drawn-out sequel/remake curse. With 30 years of Naval service to his name, Maverick returns to the Top Gun Academy to train a new group of recruits for a highly specialized mission with maneuvers that have never been successfully executed before. To complicate matters, one of the top graduates is Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s deceased best friend Goose.
Top Gun: Maverick roared into theaters, becoming the highest-grossing feature for Cruise and breaking multiple records along the way with its $1.4 billion run. The action feat took all the successful elements of the original and capitalized on the potential of modern resources, including star power.
3 ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014)
Directed by Doug Liman
Originally titled “Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow,” what ultimately became the feature’s tagline sums up the premise. As aliens wreak havoc on the world, Major William Cage (Cruise) is sent into combat on a suicide mission. Having never seen combat, Cage is killed almost instantly; however, he’s thrust into a time loop of the same battle that leads to his death. As he lives through and dies in the loop over and over again, his combat experience improves, teaming up with comrade, Rita (Emily Blunt), in their attempts to kill the aliens.
This is an action film that drew audiences in with all the right elements—Cruise, Blunt, sci-fi action, and a corny, but accurate tagline—and produced a blockbuster hit. Edge of Tomorrow steers clear of the action genre’s pitfalls of poor storylines and writing for the sake of action. Co-written by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, the script and Cage’s character set Cruise up for success to carry yet another one-off action hit.
2 ‘Top Gun’ (1986)
Directed by Tony Scott
A blockbuster turned cult classic, Top Gun is the second franchise that is synonymous with the name Tom Cruise. He stars as the iconic Maverick, a hot-shot pilot competing for the bragging rights of best in the class at the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons school. He’s enrolled alongside his close friend and co-pilot Goose (Anthony Edwards), the pair antagonizing their top competitor, Iceman (Val Kilmer).
The film is formulaic action with its cocky, but talented leading role, a quick tragedy to humble him, a kick-ass theme song, that beach volleyball scene, and heart-dropping action sequences. Top Gun is a foundational 80s action film that, despite a lackluster outing with critics, earned four technical Oscar nominations, winning for Best Original Song.
top gun
- Release Date
- May 16, 1986
1 ‘Mission: Impossible’ Franchise (1996-)
Directed by Brian De Palma, John Woo, J.J. Abrams, Brad Bird, and Christopher McQuarrie
In this iconic franchise, every installment truly gets better and better as they consistently up the action ante. A career-defining character, Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, an Impossible Missions Force agent. The first installment, Mission: Impossible, finds Ethan at the beginning of his IMF career. The series follows Ethan’s adventurous career, each chapter an individual instance in the larger scheme of IMF and the forces working against it.
As each Mission Impossible increases in size and action magnitude, Cruise is at the forefront of pushing the limits. He’s known for never shying away from a death-defying stunt, allowing the franchise to pack in the authenticity of the great action film for audiences. Cruise’s investment in this franchise, from production to stunts and the acting performances in between, make it truly his best action work.
