Tom Cruise is no stranger to sequels. The “Mission: Impossible” franchise is still a huge hit across the globe and shows no sign of stopping. Paramount Pictures recently announced that a fifth entry into the series is already in the planning stages.
There are some iconic Cruise films, though, that some think are best left without a sequel. How could a potential sequel to “Risky Business” possibly compare to the original? Although Cruise takes great pride in his health and physique, could the aging star get away with doing another dance in his underwear?
Likewise, many critics feel that a movie like “Top Gun” is best left alone. The megahit 1986 film rocketed an already famous Cruise into another stratosphere. It had all the elements of a great movie – high drama, comic relief, likable characters and an insanely charismatic leading man. Why would anyone want to sully all that with a sequel, since sequels usually are not nearly as good as their originals?
The answer of course is money. Hollywood loves it, and with Cruise reclaiming some of his popularity with “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” the timing is right for a sequel with the enigmatic star. The only problem is, more than 25 years have passed since the original. Leads Cruise (Maverick) and Val Kilmer (Iceman) have aged. Does the general public want to see middle-aged rivals act childishly while flying Navy planes?
Most movie bloggers say yes, the public wants to see them. The only real question is how well Cruise and Kilmer can handle more mature versions of their characters. The film “Knight and Day” showed that Cruise still has leading man potential in him. Though the film did not do well at the box office, Cruise turned in a performance that showed he still has the screen presence to be at the top of the Hollywood heap.
The question of what kind of performance Cruise would turn in as Maverick may even be moot. In one of the earliest drafts of the screenplay, Maverick was a bit of a player. In fact, there are rumors that Cruise may have nothing more than a cameo in the film. If that is the case, any conjecture about how Cruise would fare in the sequel would be silly. An actor of his ability can handle a cameo easily.
Kilmer, on the other hand, may not fare so well. He has worked steadily since “Top Gun.” In fact, some of his projects have been well received, including 1992’s “Thunderheart” and especially 1993’s “Tombstone.” He played Simon Templar in “The Saint,” a movie that was hotly anticipated months before its release.
The problem is that since the mid 1990s, Kilmer’s star has fallen. He has done plenty of work but most of it has not been very good. The failed NBC reboot of “Knight Rider” is among a long list of straight-to-video movies on his recent resume.
Some of Kilmer’s bad luck may be attributable to his physical appearance. Hollywood can be awfully shallow about how an actor looks, and Kilmer has gained quite a bit of weight since his Iceman heyday. Though many would still find him attractive, he is rarely cast in lead roles any more. His acting ability hasn’t gone away, but it remains to be seen if he still has the capability to help carry a big production like “Top Gun II” is sure to be. He did say in a 2012 interview that he would love to do the movie and would be willing to cut his hair if asked to be in it.
There’s no guarantee Kilmer will be asked to return. The plot to the film is being kept under wraps as the script undergoes yet another draft. This time, screenwriter Peter Craig (“The Town”) is taking a stab at the often-rewritten script. Before him, Christopher McQuarrie (“The Usual Suspects”), Zach Stentz (“X-Men: First Class”) and Ashley Miller (“Thor”) all wrote their own versions.
With so much still up in the air and nobody really knowing what kind of role Maverick and Iceman will have, it is impossible to say how well Cruise and Kilmer will do. We don’t even know if Kilmer is officially on board. What we do know is that most fans of the first movie would love to have both back, and that Cruise can still light up the screen. The real questions here aren’t about performances. Instead, the questions are about who will be at Cruise’s side as he flies those Navy planes, and when it will all happen.
