With each installment of Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise rolls his neck out. At 62, the actor stops at nothing to make viewers jump. Since his first steps as Ethan Hunt in 1996, in front of Brian de Palma's camera, the American has made it a point of honor to perform the vast majority of his stunts alone. For Final Reckoning, for example, he performed a leap into the void aboard a motorcycle before deploying a parachute at the last minute. These sequences, which give the franchise's insurers cold sweats, are most often real feats and even records. A look back at all the times Tom Cruise made us dizzy.
Mission: Impossible II — The Cliff
From the very beginning, Mission: Impossible II sets the scene. Ethan Hunt is not human. Climbing enthusiasts can go get dressed; the spy isn't really the type to lock himself away in a smelly gym. Instead, he heads to one of the most famous natural sites in the United States to get back in shape: Monument Valley. Tom Cruise trains with a professional athlete. The latter was also supposed to direct some sequences as a stunt double. In the end, Tom Cruise directed all of his scenes.
That day, on set, everyone was impressed by Cruise's determination. He performed a somersault several times. Director John Woo explained in the DVD bonus features that he was very afraid that the star of his film would get injured. Tom Cruise, for his part, said it was his favorite scene. A day in the life of the man who has played the spy for nearly three decades.
Ghost Protocol — The Burj Khalifa
In 2011, Ethan Hunt travels to Dubai for a new mission. If he accepts, he will have to climb the tallest tower in the world (at the time) and scale its glass surface to reach a hotel room and his target. Tom Cruise will have to travel more than 510 meters, or to the 123rd floor of a tower that has 163 floors. No green screen or mattress, he will move on the building's windows, having to manage the wind and the height. He will even let himself fall for the needs of the scene, a risk for the actor and the crew. They had no room for error.
At the time, the Burj Khalifa was still under construction, and the scene was a headache for the production teams. Tom Cruise explained in the making-of that he had to perform his stunts in record time. After several minutes spent in the harness and in the air, his legs atrophied and lost feeling. Another impressive performance for someone who has nothing to envy from stunt legends.
Rogue Nation — Airplane
“If the stunts look real, they are real.” In 2015, for the release of Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Paramount Pictures built its promotional campaign around the new feats of its lead actor. The actor's investment becomes a marketing argument, the studio promises high-flying entertainment for the audience.
This is particularly true for a scene taking place on an airplane, as we said, of course. For the film's opening, the actor is hanging from the door of an Airbus A400M and must withstand winds of nearly 250 kilometers per hour. He also wears protective lenses; at such speeds, a collision with an insect can be fatal. The same goes for birds, which represent an even greater risk.
Using simple safety ropes and the strength of his arms, Tom Cruise flies up the side of the aircraft and remains there until landing. As he explains in a "making-of" video, he has no room for error. Danger is everywhere, so it's better to limit the number of takes. Ultimately, he would repeat this sequence eight times to get the scene perfect. And it didn't fail, as it immediately became one of the most iconic moments in the series.
Fallout — The Ankle
With Fallout, Tom Cruise takes stunts to the next level. Not content with defying the laws of gravity in a helicopter, he also plays with his limits by performing a jump between two buildings. When chasing Henry Cavill's character, he launches from one building to another and almost misses his landing. The fall is planned, and should cause gasps of surprise in the movie theaters. Except that, during filming, Tom Cruise arrives too quickly in front of his obstacle and his ankle breaks. The footage was shared on the set of The Graham Norton Show.
Cruise's ankle can be seen bending at an unconventional angle. With his foot broken and, one imagines, in acute pain, the actor continues the scene anyway to avoid having to reshoot. He is then taken to the hospital, and production is halted for several months. He will then have the opportunity to continue performing crazy stunts aboard a helicopter or a freefall jump...
Dead Reckoning — A Motorcycle in the Void
“Don’t be cautious, be professional.” Tom Cruise is afraid of nothing, especially not putting his life in danger for the big show. It is common knowledge that the actor does not shy away from any challenge, and he has once again surpassed himself. Riding a motorcycle and at the edge of a cliff, the actor launched himself from a diving board several meters high before reaching the void. He then landed with a parachute. According to director Christopher McQuarrie, this is undoubtedly the most dangerous stunt in the history of the 7th art.
It required years of work and training. Tom Cruise first had to master the parachute jump to perfection to ensure his safety; it took him a year and more than 30 jumps a day. Stability, choreography with the cameramen, and management of his canopy: nothing was left to chance. Then, he had to demonstrate perfect motocross riding, on a platform designed for the occasion. 1,300 motorcycle tricks were performed to avoid any risks and, above all, to calculate his position in space precisely. The teams didn't want to miss the fateful moment. Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, currently in theaters, must also revive the tradition of a major sequence to keep viewers glued to their seats. This time, he is attached to the wing of an airplane at more than 2,430 meters high and with winds of 225 kilometers per hour. A stunt that seems impossible to achieve, but which doesn't scare someone who already has a great track record.
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