Tom Cruise has a need for speed again — wait, that’s the wrong movie. Technically, Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell will return to the cockpit in “Top Gun 3.” But first, he has a date with the racetrack in “Days of Thunder 2.” Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle, the talented hotshot driver in 1990’s “Days of Thunder.”
Cruise is a sequel machine, having played Ethan Hunt eight times in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and Maverick twice in the “Top Gun” series. His desire to make another sequel based on a character from decades past makes sense, yet Cole Trickle is not the character I would pick. Instead, I want Cruise to return to the pool hall, blast “Werewolves of London,” and star in a sequel to “The Color of Money,” which celebrates its 40th anniversary this month.
The case (for and) against ‘Days of Thunder 2’
In my Tom Cruise pantheon, “Days of Thunder” is not in my top 10. I’m not even sure it cracks my top 15. I don’t mean that as a dig at Cruise; it’s more a testament to his filmography. I’d rather watch Brian Flanagan juggle drinks in “Cocktail” than learn about the importance of tires on a racetrack.
To be fair, I won’t turn down the opportunity to watch Cruise obsess over NASCAR and learn some aggressive driving tactics to implement in the sequel. Recruiting Anne Hathaway to play the female lead—a racecar team owner and engineer—is fine by me. Hiring Jonathan Levine, who I believe has a sleeper hit this Christmas with “Mr. Irrelevant,” to direct is an inspired choice. Collaborating with super producer Jerry Bruckheimer is always a wise decision.
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I like the ingredients of the sequel, but I’m not dying to eat this meal. I’ll be in the theater opening weekend in 2028 to watch “Days of Thunder 2” and cheer on Cole Trickle to another victory. That being said, my relationship with “Days of Thunder” is nonexistent. I challenge anyone to find someone who ranks “Days of Thunder” above “Mission: Impossible” and “Top Gun” among Cruise’s best movies. “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Minority Report," and “War of the Worlds” are better than “Days of Thunder.” I’d even rather watch “Oblivion” at this point.
I don’t know the plot details, but I imagine Cruise’s Cole Trickle will now be a veteran driver who has to mentor young talent and grapple with the passage of time. If that sounds like the plot of “F1,” your instincts are correct. Audiences just saw Brad Pitt follow that formula last year. Are they ready to watch Cruise do the same in 2028? I’m not.
Legacy sequels lose more often than they win. “Top Gun: Maverick” was an anomaly, the rare legacy sequel that’s better than its predecessor. I try not to bet against Cruise because he’s an obsessive creative who will do whatever it takes to entertain the audience, or he’ll die trying. (Please don’t die, Mr. Cruise.) Until Cruise can determine who “Days of Thunder 2” is for, I’m skeptical of the outcome.
Released in October 2006, “The Departed” was the highest-grossing movie of Scorsese’s career to that point ($292 million worldwide). “The Departed” earned some of the best reviews of the director’s career and culminated in an Oscar statue (more on that below). It’s also a movie that broke Scorsese mentally. Warner Bros. pushed to have Sullivan or Costigan survive in hopes of making a franchise. Scorsese immediately rejected that idea. It’s a cruel twist: knowing the movie that brought Scorsese so much success would be the thing that led him to distrust major studios.
‘The Color of Money” is ripe for a sequel
I suck at pool. I lack the precision and expert hand-eye coordination needed to sink shots into the corner pocket, which is why I avoid the game like it’s the plague. Even convincing hustlers like Cruise and Paul Newman couldn’t get me to pick up a pool cue. I have watched many games of pool from the side, and from my experience, the most important trait of a successful player is confidence. You can’t dwell on the bad shots, and you can’t showboat on the good ones.
In “The Color of Money,” Cruise plays Vincent Lauria, a character with more confidence than prime Michael Jordan. Vincent is a cocky pool player with exceptional talent. Vincent’s skills attract “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman), a former pool player who takes Vincent under his wing and teaches him the art of hustling.
Eddie, Vincent, and Vincent’s girlfriend, Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), hit the road in search of pool halls where they can practice before a prestigious tournament in Atlantic City.. Along the way, Eddie tries to show Vincent the ins and outs of hustling. First lesson: Sometimes if you lose, you win. Eddie knows that by losing to top players, you can then hustle the rich ones and win more money.
Who knew pool could be so cinematic? In one of his few “director-for-hire” jobs, Martin Scorsese brings his kinetic filmmaking style to pool games that rival the tension and thrills of the Super Bowl. It’s a movie about ego and pride—Eddie fears his best days are behind him, while Vincent feels he’s only just getting started. Greed and corruption—two specialties in Scorsese movies—transfer from Eddie to Vincent as this wide-eyed kid learns that playing it straight won’t get him far.
Then there’s the “Werewolves of London” scene, where this movie soars to new heights. Cruise reaches into his charisma playbook and shows off his signature trademarks: a self-satisfied grin, a chance to show off his intensity (he made most of the shots), and a ridiculous gesture (martial arts with a pool cue). It’s a euphoric scene that ranks just below “You complete me” among my favorite Cruise moments.
“The Color of Money” is a sequel to 1961’s “The Hustler.” In that movie, Newman plays a younger version of “Fast Eddie” Felson, an aspiring hustler who sets out to beat the top pool player, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). “The Hustler” is much darker and grittier than “The Color of Money,” exploring the morality of winning and losing and the idea of sacrificing one’s integrity for personal gain.
I don’t expect Cruise to explore Vincent’s darker side in a potential sequel. The movie could easily channel the vibrancy of “The Color of Money.” I’d much rather watch Vincent mentor an upstart in pool than Cole challenge a hotshot rookie in racing. I love Cruise’s stunts as much as the next person, but I miss seeing his dramatic chops on display when dialogue, rather than action, drives a scene.
Playing a down-and-out Vincent gives Cruise a chance to do something he hasn’t done this century: lose. Notice how Cruise’s characters usually find a way to win. Ethan Hunt always overcomes the challenges. Maverick is still the best pilot to get the job done. The youngsters push Cruise’s characters to their limits, but in the end, the old man always wins. Vincent has to be a loser at some point in the sequel, or the movie doesn’t make sense. I’m eager to see Cruise play a character at rock bottom. It’s been too long.
“Digger” was supposed to be Cruise’s return to risk-taking with his roles. While the movie flopped, I love that Cruise went out on a limb and tried something different. That’s what I want to see from Hollywood’s last true movie star. It’s OK to mix in a “Top Gun” sequel if you’re doing other interesting projects. Plus, he still might walk away with an Oscar nomination for “Digger.”
Speaking of the Academy Awards, Newman won his acting Oscar for “The Color of Money.” Could “The Color of Money 2” be Cruise’s chance to take home a much-deserved acting Oscar? He’ll have the legacy support from the Academy, and his “it’s time” narrative will be at an all-time high.
I know “Days of Thunder 2” is going to get made. Paramount Skydance has already given it a release date, so I don’t see the studio pulling the plug. As for his next move, I need Cruise back in the pool halls. Heck, call up Scorsese to see if he’d direct. I have the announcement video for you. Cruise is at the pool table and says, “I’m back” before executing the break shot. Thank me later.