Maverick' promises to include lots of nostalgic moments for its target audience.

That is, people who saw 'Top Gun' back in 1986.

It's got photographs, sunglasses, the jacket, 'Danger Zone,' 'Great Balls of Fire' (which triggers a flashback to the original movie), and more.

Perhaps most notably, the volleyball match from 'Top Gun' is replaced by a 'dogfight football' match.

Maverick has just a few weeks to train the best pilots in the country for an extremely dangerous mission against.

.

.

some other country.

Anyway, Maverick pulled Rooster's (Miles Teller) application from the Navy a while back, and Rooster's been bitter ever since.

'Top Gun: Maverick' has the stylistic flare of its predecessor but with a sense of humor and a great soundtrack, this sequel can even appeal to those who haven't seen the original.

In 'Risky Business,' a goody-two-shoes member of his high school's Future Enterprisers club turns into probably the youngest pimp in recorded history.

Early on, Joel (Tom Cruise) has a very funny dream about the police stopping him from having sex with a babysitter.

Those first-person shots of his uptight, upper-class parents talking about stereo equipment and SATs make for excellent satire.

Joel is very worried about his reputation and future but gradually gets over the fears of sex and having a stain on his record.

Tom Cruise dances around his empty house to Bob Seger's 'Old Time Rock and Roll,' welcomes sex workers to Muddy Waters's 'Mannish Boy,' and has an interview with Princeton during an extremely (and illicitly) busy night.

The clock that ticks backward by one minute is one of many amusing details, and a certain car scene rivals the one in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

' Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) and Joel's relationship is surprisingly nuanced, functioning as the heart of what is largely considered Cruise's breakout movie and should be viewed as such.

Tom Cruise versus Jack Nicholson? Of course, it's a good movie! Directed by Rob Reiner, 'A Few Good Men' is one of the best courtroom dramas out there.

Cruise stars as Lieutenant Kaffee, the defense attorney for two Marines tried for murder.

Nicholson, who was Oscar-nominated for his intimidating portrayal, plays Colonel Jessup, who gives an iconic speech at the end of this film and barks the famous line, 'You can't handle the truth!' Nominated for Best Picture and three other Oscars, 'A Few Good Men' is a must-watch.

It also has a pretty solid supporting cast, including Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Kiefer Sutherland.

It's very refreshing to see that Kaffee's partnership with Lieutenant Commander Galloway (Moore) doesn't transition into another cliché romance, and the climax unfolds a remarkable standoff between Kaffee and Jessup.

Cruise delivers another strong performance that helps bring one of Aaron Sorkin's best scripts to life.

'The Color of Money' is one of the best sports movies, and a sequel was released about two and a half decades later.

'The Color of Money' sees Paul Newman reprising his role as Eddie Felson, the now-aging pool hustler who takes on an equally talented protégé (Tom Cruise).

The movie has a more casual vibe, which kind of makes it easier to recommend for a casual movie night than, say, 'Rain Man.

' 'The Color of Money' has so many cool shots that it makes the viewer want to rack 'em up and give the sport a try themselves.

The visuals on display are gorgeous, and Cruise does a great job of playing the cocky up-and-comer who's extremely talented but has to pretend not to be (if he's going to make a living out of it).

The student-teacher dynamic keeps things rolling smoothly, and even viewers who don't shoot pool will find it rewatchable.

One of the highest-grossing movies of 2023, 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' is jam-packed with action and practical effects.

It's enough to make one's head spin at this point, as the franchise refuses to stop finding new and more elaborate ways of almost killing Tom Cruise.

Though it's long and only half of a whole, 'Dead Reckoning Part One' is a thrilling ride.

The device that Ethan Hunt and his team focus on this time is a key made of two halves, one that threatens the world as they know it.

The Entity embodies an early unstoppable piece of artificial intelligence (a villain that grows more relevant every day).

Among other things, Ethan winds up riding a motorcycle off a cliff and hanging from a train.

What else can Tom Cruise possibly do to wow audiences for the final installment in the franchise? Fans will have to wait until 2025 to find out.

The sixth entry in the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise, 'Fallout,' gets in on the action, and Cruise doesn't disappoint.

'Fallout' features his immortal arm pump in an excellent action scene that gets better with every rewatch.

The way Ethan and August Walker (Henry Cavill) get pummeled in a public bathroom by one extremely dangerous man is both hysterical and thrilling at the same time.

Staying true to the title, Ethan eventually falls out of a moving plane (on purpose).

This is the kind of thing a man needs to do when the villain is plotting to wipe out a third of the world's population.

He also has to go on a hectic helicopter chase in the climax, which undoubtedly goes down as one of the greatest sequences ever done.

Along with making good use of one of Lorne Balfe's best scores and some well-placed humor, 'Fallout' ensures its legacy as an evergreen action extravaganza.

2005's 'War of the Worlds' is Hollywood's best adaptation of H.

G.

Wells's late-nineteenth-century novel.

Tom Cruise plays a divorced dad named Ray who has to drive his two kids to their mother's in the middle of a terrifying alien invasion.

The guy hasn't exactly been the best father, and his kids (a fantastic Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) are well aware of that.

Who knew Rachel was allergic to peanut butter? Along the way, Ray learns to be a responsible parent—and Cruise's performance makes the transition real.

As in most Steven Spielberg movies, the special effects are top-notch.

Likewise, the intensity of the chaos is unquestionable.

Of all the times we've seen Tom Cruise run away from something, it's probably never done better than in 'War of the Worlds'' early scenes.

Ray witnesses these giant killing machines emerging from the ground and runs home while everyone around him gets beamed into dust.

It's astonishingly realized, as is the rest of the story, and by the end, you'll be on the edge of your seat.

With some narration by Morgan Freeman and a memorable cameo from Tim Robbins, 'War of the Worlds' is an easy rewatch.

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, 'Jerry Maguire' is an emotionally satisfying and funny romantic comedy that has been making viewers smile for almost thirty years now.

Tom Cruise got an Oscar nod for his role as a sports agent who starts an agency after getting fired from his high-profile job.

Dorothy from accounting (Renée Zellweger) joins him, and they fall in love.

In the meantime, Jerry essentially has to rely on his NFL client (Cuba Gooding Jr.

in an Oscar-winning role) to stay afloat.

'You complete me,' and 'You had me at hello' are iconic lines, and they're both in 'Jerry Maguire.

' 'Show me the money!' is another one, repeated in a scene in which Tom Cruise really showcases his comedic prowess.

There are so many endearing moments, like when Jerry and Dorothy swing her son Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki) together in the airport while she tells him she liked his memo.

'Help me