A Triple Down The Line -- Or -- Why Tom Cruise Is The Most Important Movie Star We Have

Tom Cruise is looking good in the latest TV trailer for 'Edge of Tomorrow', which is posted below. There's a vibe between him and Emily Blunt -- I can't remember the last time there was any chemistry between Cruise and a co-star, including Kidman (it just wasn't there).

People are hot for 'Edge of Tomorrow', and I'm thinking it'll be a solid triple if not a home run. It's what Tom Cruise has coming up next that worries me. After 'MI: 5' (which should coast into profit), there's 'Van Helsing', which doesn't look good even this far out, 'Top Gun 2' (really?), which needs a new title and completely different approach if it's going to have a chance, then a Jack Reacher sequel, which doesn't seem called for.

What has changed in the last few years is the foreign market. While a movie like TG2 could flop bad in the U.S. because we don't care about that kind of storyline anymore, it could do great overseas, especially in Asia. That stuff is new over there, where they haven't been watching product 24/7 for the last thirty years. So, something as odd sounding as 'Van Helsing' might make a strong showing in foreign markets. 'Protocol' made $200 million in the U.S., but almost $500 million overseas.

Still, even if those flicks are hits due to overseas box office, I don't see Cruise being happy. That being said, the way business is going here, being a star in other countries may be all that's left -- for anyone. 

So, if I'm wrong about Cruise's upcoming projects, great -- fantastic, but right now it feels like one step forward, two steps back. Why do I care? Because how well Cruise's movies do, perhaps more than any other star, reflects the condition of the industry. How he got saddled with that responsibility I don't know but, to me, it seems to be the case. 

I just don't see another star who is on that level. You might think Johnny Depp, but outside 'Pirates', which has run its coarse, I don't think so. Daniel Craig? Tom Hardy? No. Leonardo DiCaprio occurs to me. He might be a candidate, but his stuff doesn't have the broad appeal. Cruise can do genre better than DiCaprio, Cruise does popcorn flicks better while DiCaprio's movies have more refined stories. That has to count more in a business sense. As far as pure genre flicks go, Leo was in 'Django', but was he the main draw and is there another movie DiCaprio has been in with hat kind of sensibility?

You could argue, but for pop appeal I'm sticking with Cruise.

You might suggest Bryan Cranston. He can do a wide range of stuff but, like DiCaprio, he can't do action, or pure thrillers. Cruise can. Plus, Cranston is best known for TV. That more or less cuts him out.

Hugh Jackman? He's good. But, pure action? Pure summer popcorn? Outside of X-Men, not so much.

Chris Evans? Like Jackman, outside of the Cap character, not really.

Ben Affleck? Yes. Oddly. A few years ago his name was a punchline, but now he's so A-list. If his take on Batman flies, maybe. Otherwise, nope -- again, because of his lack of pure action appeal, which is a must to pull down global dollars on a regular basis.

Christian Bale? Doesn't do pure action.

Brad Pitt? Certainly, right? No. He's always reaching, always going for the brass ring storywise. No real popcorn from this guy.

Matthew McConaughey? Maybe, even without action flicks. He's so strong, but I'm thinking that's mostly in this country. I don't think it translates overseas.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt? You'd think not, but he gets my vote. He has an appeal, can do action/thrillers, tries his hand at pure action, and is young enough. So...waiting to see.

That's it. I'm out of ideas. Tom Cruise may have been considered to be on the ropes a few years ago, but that ain't the case now. Today, I mean. After his next few movies it could be a different story, but I think not.

So, to summarize, Tom Cruise is the most important movie star we have and how his movies perform is the leading barometer for box office trends and global release strategy. Go ahead. You can quote me on that. Oh, yeah -- action/thriller is/are the most important genre(s) as a determiner for worldwide appeal of any given movie star. You can quote me on that, too.

Don't think so? If Tom Cruise's next four movies -- two of which are action, two solid genre movies -- are successful it'll most likely be because of international coin and we won't be arguing whether things have changed anymore. Whether Cruise is the most important movie star...we can still argue that.

As for 'Edge of Tomorrow', I like it except for the soap-opera sounding title. But, how that translates into Italian or Japanese, or whatever foreign language, is the important thing. Right?

So Damn Impressed -- Looking Forward to 'Godzilla 2'

Another beautiful trailer for 'Godzilla' this time with a great reveal about who Bryan Cranston's character is saying goodbye to behind that steel door and why.

So, a few more stunning visuals but, importantly, great story elements as well. This is so much better than mere 'monster movies' from years past and certainly not just another CGI-fest. On another level entirely -- a truly captivating fable.

Gareth Edwards' future work will be must-watch and, strange as it is to actually type these words, I can't wait for the sequel.

The Godzilla Zeitgeist -- or -- What's It Really About

Godzilla, to the Japanese, is an allegorical device that represents the force of nature reasserting its control over mankind. In its path, our armies are useless, our technology does us no good, and all that's left is our anger, our deflated arrogance, in the face of true power as we watch our world disintegrate. Yeah, it was a guy in a rubber suit stomping on little model cities shot in semi-slow-motion, and the kids loved it, but that's what it represented.

To be honest, I don't remember what Roland Emmerich's 1998 take was about. I think it boiled down to 'giant lizard tap dancing on NYC' but I'm drawing a blank. Saw the movie, don't remember. However, it's clear what this new 'Godzilla' is about. "Being sent back to the stone age," and "The arrogance of man is thinking nature is in our control and not the other way around," and "You have no idea what's coming."

We're just beginning to see the results of over populating the Earth and polluting our environment. The super storms, droughts, fires, polar vortices, dying oceans, melting ice, and now riots that pop up in a new city seemingly every week. These are the things we fear and, as it always was in the Japanese movies, this is what Edwards' movie is about. That lizard represents nothing more than the destruction which lies waiting around the next corner.

Bryan Cranston is the audience surrogate. When his character's voice cracks it's with the same emotion we feel when we read the latest horror story on the front page. His outbursts are ours, his rage belongs to us. This is a new 'Godzilla' for a generation facing extinction, or -- if that seems too dramatic, if that sounds like a stretch -- the end of civilization as we know it.

Very much looking forward to 'Godzilla'. VFX look tremendous, and it's worth noting that the trailer is engaging well before the first 'money' shot. We're hooked on this story, breathlessly waiting to see what might happen next, long before we see the first glimpse of the guy in the rubber suit.

Cranston Comes Undone

Well. There would seem to be some stress here.

Painting Movie Posters

Here's a video of director Tze Chun painting posters for his movie 'Cold Comes the Night' with Alice Eve and Bryan Cranston.



Here are the posters.

NoFilmSchool has an interview with Chen. If you haven't seen it, here's a trailer.