The only Tom Cruise movie in the top 250 on IMDb is surprising

At this point, it’s really questionable if there’s anything Tom Cruise can’t do. After falling, jumping, and soaring through the air in a way that would make humans shiver, there’s only one thing he can check off the list and that’s making his way to… Top 250 on IMDb. With a filmography consisting of some iconic-caliber entries that defined eras and raised the bar of their respective genres, it only made sense that his works would receive some love alongside some of the greatest films ever made. What is surprising is the film that was cut.

Even before his cameo appearances in the “Mission: Impossible” films (all of which showcased his actual impressive career), Cruise appeared in films like “A Few Good Men,” “Jerry Maguire,” “Collateral,” and “Risky Business.” But none of them can compare to the time he was back in the cockpit as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Even ahead of the late, great director Tony Scott’s original film, which gave us the best of the best, Cruise’s cinema-saving sequel (Spielberg’s words, not ours) earned over $1 billion at the box office and became one of the hit films of 2022. But what does this return to the Danger Zone do that sets it apart from all of his previous films, and why does it deserve to be placed in first place? The rest? Maybe it all comes down to acknowledging what’s come before, while also delivering the biggest Tom Cruise movie ever.

Every old movie draws its energy from nostalgia, but “Top Gun: Maverick” moves at a different speed because it relies on the pure charm, charisma and creative mind of Tom Cruise doing what he does best: entertaining. Director Joseph Kosinski (Which should have at least gotten an Oscar nomination) makes sure it ticks all the boxes needed to excite fans. The bike, the sunglasses, a free game of ball on the beach with muscles gleaming in every frame… everything that wowed the world with the first “Top Gun” movie is here again, but now decades later, with the more experienced Tom Cruise, who has… It has dozens of amazing stunts since the first movie pushing the flight sequences to another level.

For a star who insists on doing things himself whenever he can, it’s that extra element that puts “Top Gun: Maverick” above so many other action movies and earns it a spot on the 250 Greatest Movies of All Time list. This is the movie he wanted to makeand knowing that he’s actually in the cockpit as well as the rest of his crew gives it an extra boost, and perhaps becomes a better film than its predecessor, which is what any sequel should aim to do. That’s what takes our breath away with “Top Gun: Maverick,” which proves that a return to an old franchise can pay off if it’s handled the right way and with a touch of good luck.