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Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Limitless
JFK
Film credit
Tom Cruise
Also referred to as Cruise, Cruz, Digger Cruz
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 20
- Movies in this archive
- 18
Rewatchables episodes featuring Tom Cruise’s films
Eyes Wide Shut
1999 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Mallory Rubin
Aired August 15, 2023
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
2018 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Craig Horlbeck
Aired December 27, 2022
Displaying episodes 1 - 12 of 20 in total
Mentioned in discussions
Probably Unanswerable Questions
The unnamed enemy and alternative readings of Maverick
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:49Read transcript
- Which real country best fits the mission’s fictional opponent? — Bill Simmons
- Iran and North Korea are suggested without treating either as identified in the film — Bill Simmons
- Do Cruise’s stunt choices suggest a death wish? This is host speculation, not a personal-health finding — Bill Simmons
- The hosts discuss a queer reading of the fictional Maverick based on relationships and recurring imagery — Bill Simmons
- The imagined Maverick/Rooster domestic arrangement extends the joke — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:46Read transcript
- Kosinski is the first choice — Bill Simmons
- Claudio Miranda is also considered — Bill Simmons
- The hosts speculate about Cruise’s possible actor nomination without claiming an outcome — Bill Simmons
Apex Mountain
Post-prime Cruise, the 1973 Porsche 911, and Joseph Kosinski: yes
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:14Read transcript
- Both agree on post-prime Cruise, distinguishing it from his earlier overall peak — Bill Simmons
- The 1973 Porsche 911 receives an emphatic yes — Bill Simmons
- Connelly’s late resurgence is compared with her A Beautiful Mind Oscar — Bill Simmons
- Kosinski is an emphatic yes — Bill Simmons
- Teller and Powell may still have higher peaks ahead — Bill Simmons
- Whiplash is contrasted with Teller’s new fame — Bill Simmons
- Anchorman is preferred for San Diego — Bill Simmons
- Posthumous Don Simpson, Mach 10 and the hard-deck rule are jokingly considered — Bill Simmons
- Hamm is not at his overall peak — Bill Simmons
- The original film is preferred as the Top Gun institution’s peak — Bill Simmons
Half-Assed Internet Research
Cruise’s earlier refusal, cockpit filming and a beach-scene reshoot
In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:47Read transcript
- Cruise reportedly dismissed a sequel as irresponsible in 1990 — Bill Simmons
- Kosinski pitched the Rooster relationship and Darkstar storyline to Cruise — Bill Simmons
- A professor’s records research is cited about military input in the film — Bill Simmons
- The hosts report hourly Navy aircraft fees — Bill Simmons
- Actors handled aspects of makeup and camera operation while airborne — Bill Simmons
- They note that extensive practical filming does not make all mission details realistic — Bill Simmons
- The flight-jacket Taiwan/China flag controversy is briefly discussed without resolving every claim — Bill Simmons
- Cruise’s own P-51 appears in the final flight — Bill Simmons
- The beach montage was reportedly reshot after Cruise found the first version insufficient — Bill Simmons
- The cast reportedly returned to training after celebrating the original shoot — Bill Simmons
- The sailing sequence reportedly used a J-125 in San Francisco Bay without doubles — Bill Simmons
- Bruckheimer restored a Don Simpson credit as a tribute — Bill Simmons
- Teller reportedly learned the piano performance — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
Nicholas Hoult and Glen Powell for Rooster
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:05Read transcript
- Hoult, Powell and Teller reportedly attended chemistry tests with Cruise — Bill Simmons
- Teller was selected — Bill Simmons
- Lewis Pullman is identified as Bill Pullman’s son — Bill Simmons
What’s Aged the Worst?
Penny’s idealized life, thin mission logic and rushed funeral
The panel is imagining how this might look in the future.
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:50Read transcript
- Cruise’s introductory theater message feels stiff — Bill Simmons
- The hosts jokingly connect its placement to the Nicole Kidman AMC advertisement — Bill Simmons
- Penny’s beauty, successful bar, Porsche, sailboat and almost frictionless family life seem implausibly perfect — Bill Simmons
- A crowded bar seems impossibly understaffed — Bill Simmons
- The unnamed uranium target and lack of simpler attack options raise doubts — Bill Simmons
- Cruise’s dark hair is questioned as an age detail — Bill Simmons
- The pre-mission encouragement to Rooster feels too ordinary — Bill Simmons
- The new pop singles compare poorly with the original soundtrack’s cultural footprint — Bill Simmons
- Rooster’s call sign is not universally liked — Bill Simmons
- The hosts reject some complaints about omitting McGillis and Meg Ryan, while imagining a Ryan scene — Bill Simmons
- Iceman’s funeral feels too short — Bill Simmons
Mallory Rubin Award: Did This Movie Need a Better Sex Scene?
The romance works better than the sex scene
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:54Read transcript
- The hosts describe little onscreen sexual action — Bill Simmons
- The laughter and dark conversation afterward feel awkward — Bill Simmons
- They find more apparent passion in the original Cruise–McGillis scene — Bill Simmons
- Connelly is credited with carrying the intimacy — Bill Simmons
The Tom Cruise Award for Most Valiant Attempt to Emulate a Normal Human
Tom Cruise playing beach football
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:14Read transcript
- The hosts joke about Cruise’s rolled-up jeans and football instincts
What’s Aged the Best?
Jennifer Connelly, practical flying and measured callbacks
The panel is imagining how this might look in the future.
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:07Read transcript
- Connelly is both hosts’ first choice — Bill Simmons
- The romance is praised as age-appropriate, warm and unusually convincing for later Cruise — Bill Simmons
- Making Penny the briefly mentioned woman from the first film is considered smart — Bill Simmons
- Teller’s resemblance to Anthony Edwards works — Bill Simmons
- The casting competition is echoed by Maverick choosing Rooster — Bill Simmons
- The score reuses familiar themes effectively — Bill Simmons
- The hosts praise the feeling of actors experiencing real flight — Bill Simmons
- The opening credits recall the original without making the whole film a remake — Bill Simmons
- Coyote’s G-lock scene is praised — Bill Simmons
- The trophy, Goose mannerisms, beach yell and carrier reunion are effective callbacks — Bill Simmons
- Bob’s simple call sign is funny — Bill Simmons
- Maverick tossing the manual away is appreciated — Bill Simmons
- Maverick and Iceman texting with punctuation is a good age detail — Bill Simmons
- An unnamed enemy allows streamlined action — Bill Simmons
- Jeans, leather jackets, Hawaiian shirts and aviators lend a timeless look — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:43Read transcript
- The Darkstar opening and diner arrival are nominated — Bill Simmons
- The Hard Deck introduction through Rooster playing piano is praised for economical character work and emotional flashbacks — Bill Simmons
- Maverick defeating the trainees is nominated — Bill Simmons
- The Iceman visit is praised for restraint, typing, frustration, vulnerability and the closing joke — Bill Simmons
- The hosts question how deep the old rivals’ friendship became — Bill Simmons
- Dogfight football prompts detailed doubts about two balls, scoring, defensive pressure and strategy — Bill Simmons
- Maverick demonstrating the impossible training route is nominated — Bill Simmons
- The full final mission through the carrier reunion is a major choice — Bill Simmons
- Penny with the Porsche and the final flight provide an especially satisfying coda — Bill Simmons
- Bill favors the Kilmer scene leading into football — Bill Simmons
- Chris praises the extended finale and the lack of music during part of the mission — Bill Simmons
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Best actor ever for Limitless; oven as the NZT hiding spot
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:34Read transcript
- Asked for the all-time best person to star in Limitless, Will Smith is the first pick for his charm and emotional attachment. — Shea Serrano
- Given 2002 Will Smith or Firm-era Tom Cruise, the choice is Cruise, with early Michael J. Fox as an interesting alternative after Alex Keaton's diet pills. — Chris Ryan
- Another vote goes to Cruise, who would have learned skills like flying a helicopter or winning at race-car driving; no one loses.
- An amendment requires putting Cooper into the swapped star's movie: take 2004 Will Smith after Bad Boys 2 and swap out I, Robot for Cooper.
- Cooper as Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys with Martin Lawrence is offered as the obvious swap; Cooper in The Firm is another, and Cruise didn't make enough Limitless-type movies, unlike Keanu.
- With cops coming, the oven is questioned as the best hiding place and called underrated for money, drugs or guns.
- A childhood memory recalls an aunt who hid drugs in the microwave; anything oven-related is endorsed.
- An old-fashioned air-conditioner vent, as in No Country, is always great. — Chris Ryan
- The alternative is to take all the NZT and make yourself police commissioner.
Most Rewatchable Scene
Mr. X scene; John Candy scene
In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:12Read transcript
- Costner's 'ashamed to be an American' moment and his New Orleans walk with his investigators, pointing out the FBI, CIA, Secret Service and O&I buildings, are nominated; the editing is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The New Orleans scenes make participants want to drink and smoke; New Orleans is called the only place one participant still smokes.
- John Candy's big scene is quoted at length: the big enchilada, a mouse fighting a gorilla, Kennedy as dead as that crab meat, and 'Daddy-o'; his moving sunglasses are praised.
- Asked when Candy died, the joking reply is that 'they killed him'. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts want to work Candy's 'any idea what you're getting into, Daddy-o' line into NBA conversations, such as Lakers defense and Frank Vogel.
- Kevin Bacon's prison scene is quoted; he 'hits a four-three from 30 feet', culminating in a crude line one participant can't believe was in the script, likened to Ashley Schaeffer from Eastbound & Down. — Chris Ryan
- Pesci's last big scene ('a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma', 'the shooters don't even know') is called great, though Pesci is said to dial it up too much. — Chris Ryan
- Pesci's wig is called out of control, and he never inhales while smoking, compared to Tom Cruise smoking.
- The first Pesci interrogation and the way Costner comports himself in the Sunday detention scene are singled out as a movie-star sequence noticed in the theater. — Brian Koppelman
- Setting the film in New Orleans lets the actors play Foghorn Leghorn, and Richardson's frames are packed with layers, such as the flambe in the restaurant scene. — Brian Koppelman
- For the Mr. X scene, Dale Die (as transcribed) wearing aviator sunglasses indoors is praised, and Garrison appearing as Earl Warren is a moment one participant rewinds to watch.
- Anecdote: after moving to Los Angeles to work for Grantland, one participant repeatedly made his wife and a friend's wife watch the Mr. X scene on Friday nights to show how the two friends talk; they never enjoyed it. — Sean Fennessey
- The Mr. X scene is compared to the 35-minute Boogie Nights sequence at Jack Horner's house as a mega-sequence. — Bill Simmons
- Two more nominations: Jim explaining the magic bullet theory, iconic once Seinfeld grabbed it, and 'back and to the left' leading to the big monologue. — Bill Simmons
- 'X is the answer' is stated over the John Candy scene, while another participant votes for the John Candy scene but says they understand.
- Also praised: the Clay Shaw interrogation, Jack Lemmon at the horse track, and Ed Asner beating up Lemmon's character at the opening. — Brian Koppelman
Displaying discussions 145 - 156 of 263 in total
Films in the archive
A Few Good Men
1992
Cocktail
1988
Collateral
2004
Days of Thunder
1990
Edge of Tomorrow
2014
Eyes Wide Shut
1999
Jerry Maguire
1996
Magnolia
1999
Minority Report
2002
Mission: Impossible
1996
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
2018
Rain Man
1988