ROTTEN TOMATOES: Total Recall: Tom Cruise's Ten Best Films

Total Recall: Tom Cruise's Ten Best Films

Show me the movies!

by Jeff Giles | December 24, 2008

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Over the last 25 years, he's completed three impossible missions, learned about Wapner time, and driven the highway to the danger zone -- but Tom Cruise has never been the subject of a Total Recall, so in honor of the about-to-reach-theaters Valkyrie, we're here to look back at the best-reviewed films of his career.

For a guy with so many movies to his name, Cruise has had remarkable good luck with critics -- his overall Tomatometer rating is 62 percent -- and by limiting ourselves to his 10 most critic-friendly efforts, we had to exclude a number of fan favorites (sorry, War of the Worlds and Last Samurai). Still, we think you'll find plenty of vintage Cruise on this list, culled from the years both before and after he became better known for abusing Oprah's furniture than his acting. Let's stroll down the Tom Cruise block of memory lane, shall we? (And don't forget -- when you're finished, you can take a look at Cruise's entire filmography!)

more info...	10. Tropic Thunder (2008) Tomatometer: 83 percent Take note, future Hollywood stars: When you're trying to come out of a public relations skid that has lasted through several years, the dissolution of a high-profile studio partnership, and the loss of your longtime business partner, there's no cure quite like strapping on a fat suit and letting the profanity fly in an acerbic sendup of the hand that feeds you. Cruise's appearance here as foul-mouthed studio executive Les Grossman just about stole the show, which is quite an accomplishment when you consider that the cast included Robert Downey Jr. in blackface, and netted Cruise a Golden Globe nomination in the bargain. In the words of TV Guide's Ken Fox, "Cruise is downright scary. It's the creepiest -- and most entertaining -- performance since his unforgettable appearance in that Scientology video."

more info...	9. Jerry Maguire (1996) Tomatometer: 83 percent It wasn't just a hit, it was a phenomenon, spinning off a Top 40 hit for Bruce Springsteen, five Academy Awards nominations for the cast and crew, and Renee Zellweger's entire career. By blending sports with romance -- and liberally sprinkling the script with instantly quotable one-liners -- Cameron Crowe unlocked the formula to the perfect date movie (and, not coincidentally, oceans of box-office cash). As the sports agent who loses his high-paying job -- and finds himself in the process, natch -- Cruise brought his million-dollar charisma to its logical conclusion, which is probably why he spent the next decade choosing projects that obscured it. Though some critics were immune to its charms, most critics agreed with Kevin L. Laforest of the Montreal Film Journal, who applauded Jerry Maguire by saying "it has a lot of charm and it's smarter than most Hollywood movies. It's terrific entertainment."

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(1-20 of 72 posts) | Reply

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Dec 24 2008 06:11 PM

This list is wrong.

TOP GUN is what made Cruise from a star to a Superstar.

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Dec 24 2008 06:29 PM

I understand Top Gun has a 0 - 2 fresh to rotten rating. I also recall that I fell asleep during the film.

That said, it was THE film of the summer. Most people liked it a great deal. It had a soundtrack of such that were top listening for over a year.

It isn't right not to mention Top Gun when it comes to Tom Cruise. If you were to ask a panel of people around 35-40 years old what film epitomizes Tom Cruise, odds are TOP GUN would be number one.

(Reply to this)

Egan C. writes:
on Dec 24 2008 06:43 PM

This particular list has nothing to do with Tom Cruise and his start of stardom... this list has all to do with the exact title which is "Tom Cruise's Ten Best Films." Top Gun isn't one of his best films because
#1 You answered my first point with your second post by saying that Top Gun got terrible reviews
#2 Top Gun had terrible acting, an un-original plot and terrible dialogue
#3 All of these films in this list have a rating of � or higher.

(Reply to this)

ledawg writes:
on Dec 24 2008 06:45 PM

Top Gun was terrible. Can't stand Cruise, at least in "Tropic Thunder" he did something new. Otherwise he's always the same unlikable guy.

(Reply to this)

ARTaylor writes:
on Dec 24 2008 06:46 PM

Why exactly do so many people love Cruise in Tropic Thunder? It was a painful part of a good movie. I fast forward through his scenes. Dancing in a fat suit while swearing was not good acting. Alpa Chino and even Sandusky were better than Grossman. Maybe it's funny for those on the inside of the business but I felt that did not translate well to the audience. Could've done with a fourth of his screen time.

And Minority Report at Number 2? I like Spielberg but that could have, and should have, been a lot better. Like they should have kept the original ending where he was just captured and not released. It was ok but not so high.

(Reply to this)

TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Dec 24 2008 06:55 PM

This is a decent list and while I firmly believe you can't really discuss Cruise without discussing Top Gun (which I loved as a kid), It is both self-evident AND has already been explained why it's not on this list.

Quite frankly, I wasn't aware Cruise had THIS many movies that were certified fresh... ...then again, he has bee around a long time, by now (which depresses me because I was there at the beginning--albeit too young to go see 'Risky Business.')

(Reply to this)

Tyler D. writes:
on Dec 24 2008 08:34 PM

I liked Collateral a lot, easily his best for me.

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Dec 24 2008 09:16 PM

. . . I will say another thing, and don't be cruel.

Top Gun came out in '84, and everyone still knows about it. It's lasted forever.

(Reply to this)

Sulaco2k writes:
on Dec 24 2008 09:43 PM

Cruise is such an underrated actor and it's ashame b/c too many people want to blur his personal life with his professional life. Like Brad Pitt he's a pretty boy that really dedicated himself to becoming a very capable actor. I'd also say he's one of the most overlooked actors when it comes to the Oscars, his one nomination for Jerry Maquire was undeserved compared to some of his other roles such as A Few Good Men, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, and Magnolia. He may be a weird dude but I usually enjoy any film he's in and I'm looking forward to seeing Valkyrie.

And where's Legend on this list? I kid, I kid =)

(Reply to this)

Joey T. writes:
on Dec 24 2008 09:53 PM

how the hell is Minority Report up that high? I could understand if it was 10th, but to put it as his 2nd best movie..how is The Firm not up there, or at least Mission Impossible? Either way, it's good that he's getting credit because he is a very good actor..Tropic Thunder was badass.

(Reply to this)

martinhovi writes:
on Dec 24 2008 09:59 PM

In reply to this comment (#2202724)
Uhh...you do realize this is just a ranking of his tomatometer scores right?

(Reply to this)

mightysourdough writes:
on Dec 24 2008 10:44 PM

What about The Last Samurai?

(Reply to this)

CalvinandHobbes23 writes:
on Dec 25 2008 01:03 AM

hey where's mission impossible 3?
i thought that one was decent

(Reply to this)

BaronVonBullsht writes:
on Dec 25 2008 01:28 AM

In reply to this comment (#2202682)
Top Gun was released in the summer of 1986 not 84. Even if it was in 84 being known 24 years later isn't "lasting forever" You want lasting forever go with something like Lawrence of Arabia, Gone With The Wind, or even early James Bond stuff. When people still know Top Gun almost 50 years after its release you can say it's "lasted forever".

Since Risky Business came out 3 years before Top Gun and after its release Tom Cruise was a household name I would say that your point of Top Gun putting him into stardom is a moot point anyway.

(Reply to this)

Beatlesfan135 writes:
on Dec 25 2008 01:33 AM

In reply to this comment (#2202718)
Actually, in addition to his nomination for Jerry Maguire, Cruise did receive nominations for his roles in Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July. So, he hasn't been as overlooked as you might think.

(Reply to this)

RidleyFox writes:
on Dec 25 2008 04:43 AM

I thought Interview With the Vampire would have made this list. He surprised a lot of critics, including myself, for his portrayal of Lestat. I thought he nailed it.

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Dec 25 2008 09:06 AM

I hate all of you for proving me wrong!

=(

(Reply to this)

TakeMeAway writes:
on Dec 25 2008 11:00 AM

Minority Report was amazing. His performance in that movie blew me away.

Magnolia should be higher imo.

(Reply to this)

NyCkoS PiCkoS writes:
on Dec 25 2008 01:11 PM

I'm really not a fan of Tom Cruise, but I must admit I really liked him in Eyes Wide Shut. Weird that it's not on the list.

(Reply to this)

sapien 0101 writes:
on Dec 25 2008 01:44 PM

Interview with a Vampire should be on this list. And Magnolia should be at least in the top 3.

(Reply to this)

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