Okay...I'll admit it. I like Tom Cruise.
...or at least a lot of his films.
I know it's currently the "in-thing" to bash Tom Cruise. Given his couch jumping, face-eating kisses and all around open weirdness lately it might be justified. However, the one thing that gets lost in all of that is that I actually enjoy quite a few of his films. Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, Top Gun, the first two Mission: Impossible films (I didn't get around to seeing the 3rd because I also got sucked into the anti-Cruise juggernaut) are all very enjoyable films to me.
Last night on a total whim Anji and I decided to have a little Tom Cruise double feature. We watched War of the Worlds and Collateral back to back. Both films were pretty enjoyable for what they where. When it comes to reviewing films I always try and look at the type of film (genre, style, cast, etc) to try and determine how I am going to read it. In short, Billy Madison is going to be "reviewed" differently for me than Casablanca. Fair or not, that's how I do it.
In the case of War of the Worlds, I thought it was a fun popcorn movie. I am no fan of Speilberg by any means so the fact that I didn't want to pull the DVD from my player half way through and bury it in under the earth just like the machines in the film was a pretty good sign.
Although, given that Mr. Cruise is a Scientologist I couldn't help but to think that he wouldn't be running from the "machines" as much as he'd be bowing too them, right? I mean after all is that anyway for a Level 7 thetan to act? (Look it up if you have to. The beliefs of Scientology are interesting at the very least.)
Collateral and I liked more, but it was just a better scripted, better acted film all the way around. I love Michael Mann's style. If you haven't seen Heat with Pacino and DeNiro I highly recommend it.
I came out of last night's Tom Cruise double feature a little bit encouraged. In the wake of all the TomKat, TomKitten, L Ron Hubbard media frenzy - I can still enjoy Tom Cruise films and I am not ashamed to admit that. Keep em coming, Tom! (the movies, not the babies, torrid affairs and tabloid rumors).