Quentin Tarantino’s favourite Tom Cruise action movie: “The more I’ve seen it, the more I love it”
Over the years, Quentin Tarantino has always made sure to voice his thoughts on films he loves and hates, praising kung-fu flicks, gangster comedies and strange rom-coms from the 2000s. He’s one of the most vocal critics, never holding back in expressing disdain over movies we would typically praise, such as The 400 Blows or A Clockwork Orange, even encouraging his fans not to watch the projects he holds in low regard, such as Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers and the Twin Peaks sequel. However, when he truly loves something, he is the first to say it, and he is eager to praise the work of Tom Cruise and his most revered character.
Mission: Impossible, directed by Brain De Palma in 1996, still lives on as one of the most iconic action movies of the ‘90s, following Ethan Hunt, a spy who has been accused of disloyalty and is trying to track down the person who is tarnishing his reputation. It’s full of exaggerated action, huge set pieces and full-throttle masculinity, with Cruise doing all the stunts himself in this delightfully cheesy franchise.
Tarantino is known for similarly silly sequences in his own films, with campy violence and gore that is pushed to the extreme for full viewing displeasure. After the release of Pulp Fiction, Tarantino was under intense scrutiny to create his next project, with people expecting similar levels of artistry from his subsequent film.
However, Tarantino highlighted how he cared less about what people expected and more about creating something with integrity, relating it to the work of Tom Cruise and the Mission: Impossible franchise. When asked about this, he said, “And I love ‘Mission: Impossible’. To me, that’s a $10 million movie made with the integrity of an artist. And the more I’ve seen it, the more I love it”.
Cruise has been praised for both commercial and independent work, but regardless of the story, he maintains a level of commitment and passion for the craft, sometimes risking his life for the sake of cinema.
After Pulp Fiction, Tarantino reflected on his sudden rise to fame and the challenge of maintaining integrity despite this success, saying, “I think I was mentally prepared for success. I always thought that through a body of work, I’d get to a place where I’d be respected. My work would matter, and I’d have my place in film history. I always figured I would make a splash… and the more success you have, the more power you have. I don’t need to talk a hot actor into doing my movie to get my movie made. And that’s true power — if you don’t need Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise to say yes to your movie to do it. Which isn’t to say I wouldn’t want those guys, but it would be my choice. I want me to be enough. That’s the power I have”.
Tarantino is not famous for being humble, but he does share something in common with Cruise: sticking to your guns and making what you truly care about means it doesn’t matter what you are making. It could be Mission: Impossible or Eyes Wide Shut, and if it’s done with integrity and conviction, you will find your audience.
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