Love him, hate him, Tom Cruise continues to build a cinematic legacy unlike any we’ve ever seen. With each new project, Cruise reinvents the standard for silver screen stunts, and for the most part — does them all himself. Yes, you read that right. What you’re about to see is 100 percent Tom Cruise. Is that the sound of your mind being blown?
Honestly, the guy is a machine, and it just so happens that he runs like one too (sorry Tom, it’s just the facts). In many ways, the now 60-year-old Cruise is one of the last great action stars still working in Hollywood — and we couldn’t be happier. You’d think that at his age he would slow down, leave the stunts to the young guys, and rely on digital effects to save the day. You’d be wrong. Very, very wrong.
Cruise is a true champion of practical effects, and has often voiced his distaste for digital stunts or computer-generated images. Look no further than Top Gun: Maverick, where ‘ole Tommy boy found himself squarely in the cockpit of an F-18 fighter jet. It’s true he wasn’t the one flying the aircraft, but the fact that he strapped in for a literal rocket ride just to get some cool footage shows his dedication to the craft of moviemaking.
Now, it looks like Cruise’s imagination has run wild as he continues to shoot the seventh installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Here he is thanking fans for another wonderful year at the movies, and jumping out of an airplane while he does it. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? No?
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films of the new year, and with stunts like the one above, it’s sure to take our breath away. Still, the only question we have left is; if this is the type of stuff he’s doing in part one, how the hell is he going to outdo himself in part two? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to have enough patience to wait around and find out.
