Mission: How To Cruise Cannes

In the end he didn’t abseil onto the roof of the Palais or land a plane on the Croisette. But as Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning explodes onto screens across the world this weekend, it’s time to pay tribute to the man they’re calling the last great movie star and recall the star power he brought to Cannes 2025, where thousands gathered to catch a glimpse of him at the premiere. 

In the 1980s Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was the biggest movie star in the world. He had an extraordinary run of hits: Risky Business, Top Gun, The Color of Money, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July.

A film poster only needed the single word ‘Cruise’ on it to make the movie a must-see. But he was no flash in the pan heartthrob. His wildly successful streak continued into the ’90s with huge hits like Jerry Maguire and Interview With The Vampire.

He and then wife Nicole Kidman were also THE power couple of Hollywood. Their screen ventures together such as Eyes Wide Shut were not as commercially successful as his solo offerings but no Oscars red carpet was complete without them; he with his signature shades and tousled hair, she elegant and Hollywood goddess like.

Then, for a while, it all went a bit wrong. Cruise and Kidman abruptly divorced. He made a bizarre appearance on Oprah declaring his love for new wife Katie Holmes by jumping on a sofa. The clip ‘went viral’ in a before social media kind of way. Cruise was mercilessly mocked. His high level connections with Scientology were criticised and rumours about his sexuality intensified.

But he never wavered from making good films. Minority Report, The Last Samurai, Collateral, all made waves. Even his lesser era of films like Knight and Day, Vanilla Sky are, in retrospect, underrated and many actors would kill for his ‘flops.’

Through the less good runs too, Cruise never lost sight of his role in life: he was a movie star; arguably still the biggest in the world. He didn’t slink off to do repertory theatre or obscure indie films, claiming he’d always wanted to do that. He didn’t make a television series or write a memoir. He just continued making movies. Big ones. Unlike Sunset Boulevard’s Gloria Swanson, he believed he was still big and his movies could still be, too.

In 2022 he powered Top Gun 2: Maverick to a billion dollar box office. He didn’t shy away from patriotism or pride in personal achievement in the film; he promoted them. He had the beautiful, mature Jennifer Connelly as his love interest not a 19 year old newcomer. He brought back old friends, notably an ailing Val Kilmer for his last role. The shrewd combination of nostalgia, new blood, pride in yourself and your country, family, friendship, goals, aspirations and achievement was a powerful one. With a Royal premiere in London attended by the now Prince and Princess of Wales, Cruise flew the flag for the film high. It worked. The movie soared to superhero levels of box office.

Tom Cruise was back on top.

And so to Cannes 2025 with Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.

With due respect to the other opening films, Mission Impossible, which was not in competition, stole all the thunder!

The glitzy screening brought home the power of big time moviemaking. The crowd outside the Palais was huge. Hits like Hotel California and I love Rock and Roll blared out as thousands screamed and strained to catch a glimpse of Mr Cruise in his tuxedo and dark shades. A glowing reception is not a given for big movies at Cannes. Well known franchises have been known to get only a tepid nod.

But Mission Impossible delivered. The almost 3 hour film was given a seven minute standing ovation and the team surrounding Cruise; writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Hannah Waddingham and Angela Bassett all seemed to be having as big a blast as the audience.

You can read a full review of the film elsewhere on Movie Marker but suffice to say Tom Cruise LOVES movies and making movies. And because of his passion, his enthusiasm and his willingness to go several extra miles for a great stunt, an awe inspiring set and a jaw dropping action sequence, we the audience feel that love too.

The Final Reckoning is, apparently, the finale to the franchise (based on a very popular television series) he began filming 30 years ago. But you just know, that while it may be the end for Ethan Hunt, it’s not the end for Tom Cruise.

And if he is the last great movie star, what a stupendous body of work he’s given us.