To celebrate the launch of "Mission: Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol", this is a feature about its leading man - Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise. When one says this name, it conjures up many images. He has been a sports agent, vampire, psychotic hit man, a playful pilot and a secret agent amongst a range of diverse characters and acting styles. He is the world’s biggest movie star. Cruise has been acting the length of time that I have been living – 30 years. In that time, he has accomplished many impossible missions however this feature will discuss five. Fans will know that Tom Cruise produces some of his own movies but he also performs many stunts too.
One memorable stunt is in “Mission: Impossible 2” when Cruise rock climbs at Dead Horse Point in Utah. The opening scene of the movie is one of azure and golden grandeur as Ethan Hunt (Cruise), wearing a black vest, beige trousers and an itsy bitsy bum bag (fanny pack), scales a rock face at 2,000 feet. Initially, no music accompanies this scene; the viewer can only hear his breathing. An unforgettable scene as the camera spans the surrounding landscape whilst Ethan Hunt’s next move is being calculated; this is shown in the actor’s facial expressions and intense concentration. No harnesses or ropes are observed allowing the viewer to experience the intensity of such an act. Cables were, of course, digitally removed in pre-production. Nonetheless, one can only hold one’s breathe. Let it be known, there were climbing doubles on the scene but Cruise is in fact performing most of these difficult manoeuvres. He even tore his shoulder when he was jumping from one cliff to another at a great height. There was concern over the safety regulations for this opening shot but Cruise refused to drop the idea. He wanted Ethan Hunt to be reintroduced in that way.
Successfully, Cruise pulls off the stunts that he commits to before the plot is introduced into the film by the way of a rocket containing his special sunglasses (you know the ones that inform him of his mission should he accept it) while Limp Bizkit’s theme tune plays in the background. A dedicated professional, who evidently trained for months for this stunt, only Tom Cruise could succeed on a mission of free climbing for a short scene.
Did you know that 10th of October is “Tom Cruise Day”? In 2006, the Japan Memorial Day Association declared 10th of October as “Tom Cruise Day”. Cruise has a close association and a love for Japan. In fact, his movie “The Last Samurai” grossed more in Japan than in America. Cruise has been honoured with a national day because he has made more trips to Japan than any other Hollywood movie star and this year was no exception as he arrived in Japan on 1st December 2011.
The international promotional tour for his new movie “Mission: Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol” begun on this day at the Roppongi Hills Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to this, it was reported that Cruise’s winning smile donned screens at 25 places in Tokyo including Roppongi, Shinjuku and Shibuya as well as in Osaka and Fukuoka on posters inviting them to help him in his mission impossible. Cruise is one of the few foreign movie stars to visit Japan since the disaster in March. He spend hours greeting fans at this premiere and he was joined by American Ambassador to Japan, John V. Roos to sign a banner in support of the Tomodachi initiative relating to the recovery from the East Japan Earthquake and tsunami last March. Cruise is the first Hollywood movie star to receive an honorary day in Japan.
Tom Cruise not only plays heroic parts in his movies, he has also performed heroic deeds in his ‘real’ life. In the past, Cruise helped a woman who was involved in a hit and run accident in California. When the driver sped away, Cruise called an ambulance and stayed with the woman until she was taken to the hospital. OK, this is something that any good-natured citizen would do but Cruise took it a bit further by paying the woman’s $7,000 hospital bill. It seems that Cruise has done many heroic actions in his lifetime.
This quick thinking superstar also saved two young fans from being crushed by crowds at a movie premiere in 1998, he also helped tow a driver who was snowbound and he helped save people from a sinking ship when he was on his holidays. Just another day in the life of Tomás Cruise!
Back to the movies and how could I write a feature and not refer to Tom Cruise’s greatest stunt of all time. Yes, the movie isn’t even out yet, it is released on St Stephen’s Day, but everyone knows how Cruise dangles from the highest building in the world for his new film “Mission: Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol”. In this film, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) can be seen flaunting on the outside of Burj Khalifa in Dubai. At 2,716.5 feet high, Burj Khalifa is the highest free standing structure in the world. The thoughts of it are making me dizzy. Impressively, this does not put Cruise off his mission. Dressed all in black and wearing silver goggles Cruise who is secure in a harness, cascades and somersaults like a dancer across the building’s pristine windows.
He makes this stunt look flawless and as he abseils from the building’s edge, it seems he can walk on air. Official featurettes of the making of this movie show Cruise running horizontally around the building and then jumping from a window to run vertically down the shiny façade of Burj Khafila. I cannot wait to see this on the big screen and my stomach does a flip every time I see the trailer. What a man!
As mentioned before, Tom Cruise is known worldwide for his lengthy sessions of meeting and greeting his fans at film premieres. At times the showings of such films have been delayed because Cruise wanted to get close to his fans. I witnessed this for myself at the “Mission: Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol” premiere in London on the 13th December 2011. I watched as the red carpet was laid down and the lights were installed. I braved the winter cold because I knew I would meet Tom Cruise. And his reputation paid off.
At 5pm, Cruise arrived on the red carpet. Initially he stood for press photographs but after a minute, he was eager to talk and meet his fans. On average he spoke with each person for about a minute and posed for photographs. There were roughly about 150 people at the British Film Institute. After two and a half hours, Cruise was still on the red carpet. He was joined by Brad Bird, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton and other celebrities. If you think about all the times that he has attended premieres in his career and all the fans that he has greeted, I bet he has met more of his fans than any other celebrity. On an average of 120 fans, at 1 min each from the last 10 premieres alone, Cruise has spent the best part of over 20 hours with his fans, which is incredibly impressive.
It took my 30 years and the length his acting career to come face to face with the guy and it was worth it. He seemed a genuine guy and told me how he loved Ireland. His handshake was authentic and his eye contact even more so. Tom Cruise is the real deal – someone who is not afraid to take chances, stands strongly for what he believes in and provides joy to his fans.
“Mission: Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol” is released on 26th December 2011.
