7 Tom Cruise roles that prove his star power

Tom Cruise has been there, slid in his socks and helped immortalise eyewear. Whether the Hollywood megastar is looking over a pair of wayfarers in Risky Business or aviators in Top Gun, one thing’s for sure… he’s got star power.

As one of the last few heavyweights of his generation whose name still draws a crowd, it seems bizarre that after more than four decades he’s still breaking records! Flying on top of the world with Top Gun: Maverick and a two-part Mission Impossible sequel on the horizon, some of Cruise’s greatest hits are now playing on Showmax.

Top Gun (1986) as Maverick

“Being in the zone” just didn’t cut it anymore according to Top Gun’s Danger Zone anthem from Kenny Loggins. Fighter pilots, jets, aircraft carriers, air punches and cool nicknames like Maverick, Iceman and, uh, Goose, this was the world of Top Gun. Centred on students at the United States Navy’s elite fighter weapons school, this jet-fuelled action drama thriller became the playground for a much-loved and spoofed Tom Cruise classic.

The tension between Cruise and Val Kilmer eventually inspired a cult recut trailer about an unexplored romance but was initially a result of them not socialising on set. Renting aircraft carriers and jets from the Pentagon, Tony Scott’s “be an elite pilot” wish fulfilment programme was a smash hit with audiences and became a quintessential piece of pop culture from the 80s until its long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick earlier this year.

The Last Samurai (2003) as Nathan

The Last Samurai is an earnest and handsomely mounted historical adventure epic. Hired by the Emperor of Japan to get the country’s militia up to speed on modern warfare, Captain Nathan Algren finds himself immersed in and influenced by the ancient culture of the Samurai warrior.

Taking a Hollywood vantage point, The Last Samurai is a sweeping epic that honours the Japanese culture and makes it more accessible to Western audiences.

Taking on a sort of Braveheart meets Dances with Wolves swagger is Tom Cruise who makes the role his own in this grand and picturesque East meets West tale. Compelled by thoughtful drama, an honourable tone, pure conviction and bloody battle sequences, this engrossing and even meditative film is a satisfying watch thanks to a captivating turn from Tom Cruise, anchored by Ken Watanabe.

Rain Man (1988) – Charlie

Tom Cruise is known for playing go-getting characters whose steely-eyed determination make them fearless and indomitable in their quest. This is what makes his role in Rain Man so curious, seeing him play an opportunist in pursuit of “happiness”… in this case a share of a $3-million inheritance. Making a monument to his ingratitude, the selfish auto dealer decides to kidnap the heir to his father’s fortune… who turns out to be his long lost brother. Family(!)

Rain Man is best remembered for Dustin Hoffman’s Oscar-winning performance, inspired by the real-life Kim Peek. While Hoffman steals most scenes, he spars with Cruise whose conviction activates much of Rain Man’s prickly dramatic tension. An odd-couple road movie, it does have a lighter side, giving Cruise an opportunity to see-saw his dramatic and comedic abilities.

American Made (2017) as Barry

By now, most people believe Tom Cruise can fly. He hurled after a test flight like most of his Top Gun cast members, but the experience may have forced him to learn how to actually switch to cruise control. Doing many of his own chopper stunts for Mission: Impossible and starring in Top Gun: Maverick, his possession of a pilot’s licence is becoming more and more obvious. American Made, based on a true story about an airline pilot who got involved with drug and gun-running while working for the CIA isn’t a typical Cruise movie but he knows how to make it his own.

Being so charismatic, the action-orientated movie star acts like he runs – with purpose. Playing Barry Seal in this larger-than-life tale, the outlandish storytelling essentially makes it a The Wolf of Wall Street lite. The clean-cut Cruise is quite literally American made and delivers once again, reinforcing the notion that he’s a Hollywood brand.

Oblivion (2013) as Jack

It’s curious to see how far filmmaker Joseph Kosinski has come with Tom Cruise. Having been entrusted with TRON: Legacy, Kosinski’s next project saw him team up with Cruise for sci-fi actioner Oblivion. And, what do you know, almost 10 years later their Top Gun sequel is surpassing $1 billion in takings internationally and breaking records at the South African box office. The epic wasteland odyssey Oblivion set this partnership in motion – centred on a veteran drone security repairman on a desolate war-ravaged Earth in the year 2077.

This mesmerising and sweeping sci-fi film recalls the eerie post-apocalyptic future of I Am Legend as Cruise navigates many twists and turns in a sharp performance. Pulsating action set pieces and Cruise’s convincing lead performance power up this visually arresting film inspired by many classic science-fiction works. He’s not entirely alone, and is supported by a stellar cast including Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Jack Reacher (2012) and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) as Jack

Jack Reacher is known for being 6’5 and weighing more than 110kg. So Tom Cruise wouldn’t be the first person you’d expect to play the former Military Police officer in this adaptation. Yet, testament to his acting prowess and “size of the fight in the dog” attitude, he manages to take complete ownership of the role.

Cruise’s Hollywood star is more like a planet and his career is epitomised by grit and can-do spirit, whether he’s fighting aliens or flying F-14 Tomcats. His self-belief is so strong and infectious, he becomes magnetic and audiences have no choice but to go with it. This is what makes Cruise alarmingly adept at being a charismatic yet action-ready badass in this entertaining old school crime mystery thriller.

Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018) as Ethan

When it comes to spy action franchises there are basically three big names: James Bond, Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt. Tom Cruise represents the only series to maintain one headline actor. Having run for 25 years, the Mission: Impossible saga (much like Cruise) just seems to get better and better! Doing his own stunts, pushing the limits and carrying the torch for so long, it’s incredible that Tom Cruise is still leading the way.

Following on from Rogue Nation, Mission Impossible: Fallout sees the IMF team in a race against time to thwart a group of terrorists from carrying out major nuclear attacks on several cities. In another exhilarating and breathless mission, Cruise reunites with writer-turned-director Christopher McQuarrie to up the ante for another exciting globe-trotting blast of action adventure and espionage thrills. Sky leaps, motorcycle mayhem and chopper chaos – as Nelson Mandela said, “it always seems impossible until it’s done”.