To be fair, there aren't many blockbuster movies that give actors an opportunity to showcase their acting skills that much... They're mostly popcorn movies. Cruise has produced a bunch of them as well, so he knows how to be at the helm of a blockbuster. The guy is just good at movies, plain and simple.

__________________
GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

You are mixing up two different concepts.

First, there's hollywood box office performance in and of itself, which I agree that over a shorter time frame is hardly indicative of true talent (Twilight Saga - I'm looking at you). These one hit wonder - type performers flame out quickly.

Then there's track record. I challenge you to name a single actor/actress who has remained relevant for over a decade (ie: a real "track record) while continuing to star in shitty movies. There simply isn't.

If you are one of the very few in hollywood with a distinguished long-term track record of hit after hit after hit in radically different types of roles, then it only means one thing... you are one talented mother****er.

still doesn't speak to his 'talent' as an actor...

it speaks to his appeal to the masses...

stallone made hits for decades and can't act worth sh*t

i do think cruise has more talent than most of his movie choices have allowed him... but my point is more along the line that just because he spewed out hits year after year, it doesn't necessarily correlate with his individual performances in those roles. it has more to do with people wanting to see shallow movies where lots of stuff blows up... and cruise has developed a history of getting the job done in those shallow roles. his best acting was in films like magnolia and eyes wide shut - and nobody was lining up to see those films.

Stallone went a whole decade without a hit though. From Rambo III in 1988 to Rocky in 2006, his track record wasn't that great. Cliffhanger was probably his only true hit in that time (some other movies did just okay, such as Judge Dredd and Demolition Man, but there was a bad two decades there).

__________________
12-team Keeper pool, straight points for forwards & dmen. Goalies get: 2 points per win, 3 per shutout, 1 point per assist & 1 point per shootout loss.

Top 8 forwards, 5 dmen and 2 goalies count.

We keep 8 forwards, 5 dmen, 2 goalies & 1 rookie.

Forwards: Malkin, Stamkos, Getzlaf, Hall, Kunitz, St. Louis, Kadri, Gaborik, Hartnell, Brunner, Weiss, Bouchard, McDonald, Connolly
Defence: Letang, Enstrom, Schultz, Markov, Keith, Carle
Goalies: Price, Niemi, Brodeur

My personal blog: http://theryancokeexperience.wordpress.com

How many Magnolia or EWS type movies attract huge audiences?

__________________
GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

A. Cruise is a terrible actor. Colateral and Risky Business were decent but honestly he is way overhyped as a actor.

B. Scientology.

__________________

Four out of three people have difficulty with fractions

Commish - Twisted Wrister Fantasy Hockey League

12 team, $$$, 24 players, Weekly, H2H, limited keeper (8), multi-cat (G, A, PIMs, Hits, SOG, HT/ W, GA, SV%, SO)

Start: 2C, 2RW, 2LW, 4D, 2G

So im assuming the books are worth a read? Im still getting through The Dark Tower series which came so heavily recommended on this board...but im always up for another one.

__________________

12 team H2H Keeper
G,A,PP,PIM,SOG
W,GAA,SV%,SO
C:Giroux,Zberg,Marleau,Kadri
LW:Ovi,Neal,Pach,Benn
RW:Perry,MSL,Wheeler
D:Yandle,Subban,Edler,OEL
G: Lundqvist,Miller,MAF

12 Team H2H
R,2b,3b,HR,RBI,AVG,SB,BB,K,E
W,L,SV,HLD,K,ERA,WHIP
C:Santana
1B:Blanks
2B:Kipnis
3B:Zimmer
SS:Rutledge
LF:Cespeds
CF:McCutch
RF:Pence
Util:Profar
SP:Cain,Moore,Latos,Kennedy,Ryu,Medlen,Cole
RP:Bailey,Rivera,Jansen,Gregerson,Axford
DL:Anderson, Pineda,Tulo

that was my point....

hits = appeal
hits dont = quality, necessarily

tom cruise is more about hits than quality...

A) Disagree

B) Touche

And my point is that no one rakes in big dough on artsy movies, so how is that whole line of argument even relevant?

What does it matter if he is more about hits? He's proven plenty of times that he's a good actor and the fact is that there is a very limited number of leading men that can consistently carry blockbuster movies. He's one of very few and that has to count for something, in addition to his quality work. Is it suddenly wrong that he's raking in the dough? His big hits are hardly bad movies...

__________________
GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak