web counter
 

I Know You Don't Care for Tom Cruise, But You HAVE to Admire the Man's Determination

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (44)

tom-cruise-clim6f.jpg

I know, I know, whatever Tom Cruise, blah blah Mission Impossible IV, the third one sucked blah blah blah. Oh, shut up. Whatever you want to say about Cruise and his religious beliefs, his sexual identity, his alleged “contract” wife, or his acting ability, there’s probably not another guy in Hollywood with more determination that Tom Cruise. He labors over scripts, he takes part in every element at very stage of his films, and he works hard on his movies, from pre-production through the marketing phase.

I admire the hell out of the man’s work ethic, and I cannot believe that one of the biggest, richest, most famous stars in Hollywood would not only perform many of his own stunts, but do so on top of the world’s tallest building while the wind is whipping around. He effing jumps off this building, and then climbs back up. I don’t care how much gear one has around his waist or how safe the stunt might be, it would have to be absolutely terrifying. He’s a mile-and-a-half up in the air, hanging on for dear life, and he is aware enough to look into the camera and give it a Tom Cruise glare. That’s impressive, folks.

You have to see this. If you are terrified of heights, as I am (I could barely watch the opening scene in the third Mission Impossible), it’s going to be difficult to watch. But it is nevertheless amazing, fearless, and impresssive. I would piss myself taking the elevator this high, and Cruise is just walking up a building like it’s just another day at the office.


Tell me you don’t want to see that in IMAX.

(Via Movieline)









Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance

← First Look: The Farrelly Brothers' Three Stooges Look Aghast Upon the World's Indifference | The Full Lisbeth Salander Photoshoot Collection →









Comments

[comment redacted out of respect for Dustin's effort to be uncynical]

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at October 27, 2011 11:10 AM

The bit when he jumps headfirst out of the building? Fair play on that one Tom, he may be a little cray-cray but fair play.

Posted by: Itmustbebunnies at October 27, 2011 11:11 AM

I didn't know he did his own stunts and I'll admit that is very impressive.

I wonder if his faith has something to do with how confident he is doing this stuff? Regardless of what ones religious persuasion, it probably helps to really believe there's a higher power watching out for you when you're doing shit like that a gazillion feet in the air.....which is why I could never, ever do it.

Posted by: PaddyDog at October 27, 2011 11:17 AM

Dustin:

He's crazy, this is like saying you admire the work ethic of a determined, meticulous serial killer.

Posted by: Michael Murray at October 27, 2011 11:18 AM

Three words I never thought I'd type together:

Tom Cruise, badass.

Posted by: , at October 27, 2011 11:19 AM

Aye, Tom is generally the craziest motherfucker alive and I question his ability to actually...act, quite often(I feel like he's a lot of SHOUTING cutting to lotsoffastwhispering) but damn it, the man works. He works hard.

Posted by: Nadine at October 27, 2011 11:23 AM

Sweet Jeebus. Badass? Maybe. Crazy? For sure. I'd be impressed if I wasn't traumatized from the height. Hold me.

Posted by: Scully at October 27, 2011 11:24 AM

Mission: Impossible 3 was good!

And this scene + preview for The Dark Knight Rises = me buying an IMAX ticket.

Posted by: aidan at October 27, 2011 11:25 AM

For the record, he doesn't do ALL of his own stunts, just most of them. Which is still incredibly awesome, especially in the context of this video. I give a lot of credit to actors, especially big stars, who are willing to do the work to be physically capable of doing their own stunts (see Jennifer Garner in the terrible Elektra...or don't see it, but respect the work she put into her stunts and physicality). I give mad props to Cruise for doing this, and to the production team for having the balls to let him.

Posted by: KatSings at October 27, 2011 11:27 AM

I can't even. No human should naturally have fun doing that. More evidence that homegirl is craycray beyond thunderdome.

Posted by: heatseeker at October 27, 2011 11:32 AM

Once you get past 30 or 40 feet does it matter how high you are? You're road pizza no matter what. Joel realizes this and goes for it. What the fuck, right?

Posted by: ed newman at October 27, 2011 11:33 AM

I don’t want to see that in IMAX.
I can't believe the insurance company let him do that stunt.

Posted by: JenVegas at October 27, 2011 11:39 AM

That's worth your $20 million, right there.

Posted by: , at October 27, 2011 11:44 AM

Lookit that crazy bastard. I bet he doesn't even consider that "work".

Posted by: ChickaBoom! at October 27, 2011 11:47 AM

... this is like saying you admire the work ethic of a determined, meticulous serial killer.

Like, say Dexter?

Posted by: BierceAmbrose at October 27, 2011 11:52 AM

Actually I DO care for Tom Cruise. I think he's a pretty decent actor, and he's definitely a good action hero. I don't give two shits about the guy's religion or personality.

Posted by: camytaru at October 27, 2011 12:02 PM

That's fucking amazing. It's further proof that he's batshit insane, but DAMN. Can you imagine being his daughter "Yeah, my dad did that shit. MY DAD." That's gotta make up for the insanity, at least a little.

Posted by: figgy at October 27, 2011 12:03 PM

All of it was completely bad ass, but when he JUMPED out of that window, he owned. I felt the money for the ticket leaving my wallet.

I still don't know about him playing Jack Reacher, but he made me STFU about Lestat, so...
~~~

Posted by: Meander at October 27, 2011 12:14 PM

Ever since Cruise ran his stupid, toothy mouth at Matt Lauer about psychiatry, he's been firmly at the top of my Oh, You Suck It, Tom Cruise! List, which oddly has 246 names on it and should probably be renamed at this point. But yeah, since that day, since seeing that interview, I've refused to pay money for his content.

Whiiiiich is not to say I don't consume his content, and often enjoy it. Damn me, I love the Film Thing that is Tom Cruise. His turn as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder makes me laugh with my teeth showing every fucking time I see it, and to be fair, I didn't know going in that he was IN that movie, so I don't feel bad about paying for that one. But I did know he was in War of the Worlds, which I enjoyed, so I simply bought my best friend dinner that night and HE bought the tickets, sparing me the moral crime of paying for Cruisean Content. Which I refuse to do.

So yeah, I'll either sneak into MI:4 and enjoy the balls off of it, or I'll wait for some form of digital media that I can absorb through legal channels as part of a Not-Tom-Cruise-Specific subscription fee. Thus will my Queergay For The Cruise and my Moral Objection to Funding Him be mutually sated, huzzah!

Posted by: Carlos Alberto Del Castillo Cabeza Del Vaca El Dingo Martínez Escudero at October 27, 2011 12:15 PM

Also: I'd do that stunt in a heartbeat. Tomorrow. If they make a harness big enough for all my fat.

Posted by: Carlos Alberto Del Castillo Cabeza Del Vaca El Dingo Martínez Escudero at October 27, 2011 12:22 PM

I thought it was common knowledge that Mission Impossible 3 was by far the best of the series? It wasnt? Well it sure as Xenu is now.

Posted by: RabidShihTzu at October 27, 2011 12:31 PM

I have always liked Tom Cruise, but after he went on 106th and Park and danced I loved him. He just seemed so earnest and was so cool about it. I don't care what religion he is (or that he looks nothing like my beloved Reacher). I will continue to enjoy and support him and his movies.

Posted by: Still Cathy After All These Years at October 27, 2011 12:36 PM

I like Tom Cruise. I like almost all of his movies (M:i 2 was horrible). But the man is incapable of disappearing into a role. I'm always aware that I'm watching Tom Cruise: Movie Star. Luckily I enjoy the Tom Cruise: Movie Star persona so I don't mind too much. He may be crazy but most folks in Hollywood are. And honestly, his beliefs are no more batshit than anyone who thinks otherworldly beings are watching over them at all times. Watching, judging, waiting for that one impure though that finally tilts the meter over the line and grants them a one-way-ticket to a big pit of fire. Yeah, Scientologists are a wacky bunch.

Posted by: TylerDFC at October 27, 2011 12:38 PM

Years ago, I met this insanely hot man. He was an avid, rabid rock climber. I was a beer drinking couch jockey. But I wanted to fuck this man so veddy veddy badly. So I went rock climbing with him (I was deathly afraid of heights...deathly I tell you). And I kept climbing. Weekend after weekend. Climb after climb. I became very very very good at climbing (and at pretending I was not afraid of heights). I kept doing it because ...that man...in the sack...was so so so worth it. SO. I think Cruise's millions of dollars per picture is his hot man. Uh...wait...you know what I mean. I had my carrot. He has his.

Posted by: klingonfree at October 27, 2011 12:41 PM

He's climbing in your windows...

Posted by: YesPlease at October 27, 2011 1:17 PM

Just an aside, I didn't think M:1-3 was all that bad.

Posted by: Rob at October 27, 2011 1:44 PM

well, it is impressive. that won´t trick me into watching a whole movie with this nutjob though.

Posted by: birdie at October 27, 2011 1:56 PM

i don't think i've ever not enjoyed one of his movies. though i skipped topgun and the one where he is a racecar driver, so that makes it easier.

that shit on the skyscraper(what a fuck yeah! word that is) makes my nervous system all disrupty.

Posted by: idleprimate at October 27, 2011 2:35 PM

I enjoy the MI movies for what they are and TC does his thing well.

But Paddy, I'd hardly call Scientology faith. I'd guess Cruise just believes in himself.

Posted by: CIndy at October 27, 2011 3:03 PM

I like Tom Cruise's movies, and was enjoying this article until I got to the comments.

Then it appeared that some people seem to think Tom Cruise is going to be playing Jack Reacher. So I checked imdb and it says the same thing.

Huh.

Guess I missed that item of trade news.

And I guess Cruise missed the part where Reacher is 6'5.

.... oh. Forgot Cruise is dyslexic.

Posted by: Gentleman Farmer at October 27, 2011 3:15 PM

Nice one!

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at October 27, 2011 3:27 PM

I agree the first and third Mission: Impossible weren't bad. They are pretty good action movies. It's just that they had so little to do with "Mission: Impossible."

Posted by: DarthCorleone at October 27, 2011 3:45 PM

Holy shit. On the one hand, this is just more evidence that Tom Cruise is not in touch with sanity.

On the other hand, when do the tickets go on sale?

Posted by: Louise at October 27, 2011 3:55 PM

Carlos Alberto Del Castillo Cabeza Del Vaca El Dingo Martínez Escudero - for some reason the words "Cruisean Content" got translated in my brain to the word "croissant" and now all I can think is, "Damn, I want a croissant."

Also, I have to say that those stunts looked pretty awesome. I'm not sure it's enough to convince me to see MI:4, but giving props where props are due.

Posted by: tamatha at October 27, 2011 5:03 PM

Cindy:

Listen I think Scientology is ridiculous but why not call it a faith? It's what he and lots of other entitled people believe. What you believe IS your faith, it doesn't matter how crazy it is. End of.

Posted by: PaddyDog at October 27, 2011 5:09 PM

Almost makes you think all that Scientology crap might be legit. Almost.

Posted by: Amy at October 27, 2011 7:00 PM

That is crazy badass. I think that day he definitely earned his money.

Posted by: LaRhue at October 27, 2011 7:11 PM

I'd agree that Tom's faith plays a major role in his ability to do stunts like this. I think it's nuts, but I have no desire to see another Mission Impossible.

Posted by: Uda at October 27, 2011 7:55 PM

That's one tiny little badass.

Posted by: jzhz at October 27, 2011 9:20 PM

Have you read about Xenu and the whole story of Scientology? Sorry, but I don't believe for a second that even Cruise thinks of it as a "faith." I do believe that L. Ron Hubbard or someone in the organization provided Cruise confidence or some other sort of help at a time when he needed it and in return, Cruise endorses it as a religion.

Posted by: CIndy at October 28, 2011 12:43 AM

Posted by: CIndy at October 28, 2011 12:45 AM

Brad Bird got the directing gig?
Well done, young man.

Posted by: mograph at October 28, 2011 12:47 AM

Cindy, if that was directed at me, then I'd like to point out that I already posted in the comments section of the piece you linked to. And perhaps you're right and 'faith' isn't the appropriate word, but the point is that he believes in LRH's Tech and as far as he's concerned he never has to worry about accidents or even getting sick because of it.

Posted by: Uda at October 28, 2011 2:11 AM

Thank You for acknowledging Tom Cruise's drive.
It's easy to talk about his personal life and personal beliefs and be dismissive of them but this man is truely a MOVIE STAR!!!
Yeah he's not the coolest guy but I know that when I'm watching a Tom Cruise movie I am getting my money's worth. And that is something that I can't say about many actors in Hollywood, hell I even liked Vanilla Sky and Knight and Day.
I now have to go hide my head in shame....

Posted by: Medea_kg at October 28, 2011 3:29 PM