Tom Cruise has never been afraid to perform his own insanely dangerous stunts, as he proved by hanging off the side of the world's tallest building and dangling outside the door of an airplane, so it should be no surprise to learn that he did some of his own stunt driving for Jack Reacher 2: Never Go Back. It wouldn't be a Tom Cruise movie if the star didn't put himself in harm's way.
Cruise may not have gotten a chance to do anything really crazy in the Jack Reacher sequel, but he still managed to get his adrenaline pumping while filming. And Cruise wasn't the only one who got a chance to feel the thrill while shooting the action sequel (which despite all the effort still underwhelmed critics and under-performed at the box office).
In a behind-the-scenes clip culled from the extras included with the upcoming Blu-Ray release of Jack Reacher 2 (via Paramount Movies), we see Cruise doing some of his own dangerous stunt driving in a police car. Cruise drifts skillfully around a corner and plows down some steps, scattering extras, before skidding to a halt. It's not quite as crazy as some of the other stunts he has performed but there's clearly an element of risk. (As we know, Tom Cruise laughs in the face of risk.)
Viewers will note that Cruise is not alone in the vehicle when he performs the stunt. At the end of the clip, co-star Cobie Smulders is revealed to have been in the car all along. On close inspection, it's clear that Smulders nearly gets whiplash when the car hits the bottom of the steps. All in a day's work if you want to be in a movie with Tom Cruise.
As the stunt coordinator explains in the clip, having Cruise do his own driving makes it easier to place the camera inside the vehicle, giving the audience a chance to go along or the ride. Plus, Cruise is such a good driver (according to the stunt coordinator) that a real stunt driver couldn't do it any better. His willingness to take on these dangerous activities is one of the reasons his action movies tend to feel more real, and exciting than action movies made by stars who play it safe.
One could argue that Cruise takes unnecessary chances by performing all these crazy stunts, putting not just himself but the entire production at risk. Then again, if he feels the physicality of the danger helps his performance and he has the studio's (likely insured) blessing, who are we to judge?
Jack Reacher 2: Never Go Back is set to hit digital HD on Jan. 17, 2017 and Blu-Ray on Jan. 31.
Source: Paramount Movies
