Tom Cruise appears to be one of those rare breeds of individuals who aren't afraid of anything. The actor, who's been a leading man for over three decades, attempts to push the boundaries of stunt work to new heights (sometimes literally), delivering jaw-dropping spectacles in each new installment of Mission: Impossible as well as his other film work.
It's well known that Cruise has a love for all things action, even training for a pilot's license after falling in love with aviation on the set of Top Gun and learning how to fly a helicopter for the latest Mission: Impossible film, as reported by Quartz. This, along with his dedication to delivering authentic action, means that Cruise is willing and able to do a lot of his own stunts, and some of his work has inspired awe in fans on Reddit.
Halo Jump (Mission: Impossible - Fallout)
While other franchises would probably have ended up using CGI to shoot this scene, Mission: Impossible - Fallout did this in reality. Tom Cruise had to train for over a year, jumping out of an airplane sometimes more than three times a day to train for this sequence. Viewers will notice how the camera does not cut from Tom Cruise’s face. This was done deliberately to show the viewers that it was the actor himself doing the jump.
The film crew had to meticulously plan out each and every detail of the scene including the correct lighting and the weather situation. Kozlow says, "[Cruise] did 35 motorcycle jumps a day every single day without a break and somehow found a way to get a plane so he could do a skydive sometimes twice a day everyday." Stunts like these are perhaps why Fallout is considered the best Mission Impossible movie.
The Helicopter Sequence (Mission: Impossible - Fallout)
Just like the previous stunt, most studios would have ended up using CGI or a stunt double to get this scene done. But Tom Cruise actually took additional flying lessons to be able to do those maneuvers in real life. There is a reason why Cruise’s face can be clearly seen in many of the film's action sequences.
StandUpTall66 points out, "The dude flew helicopters for 16 hours a day to get his license twice as quickly." Most viewers would not have guessed that the flying sequences they were witnessing actually happened in real life. It could also be argued that this sequence was one of the most over-the-top action scenes in Mission: Impossible.
The Rooftop Jumping Sequence (Mission: Impossible - Fallout)
It seems like the latest Mission: Impossible went all out with its action sequences. This scene is also infamous for causing Tom Cruise a gruesome injury to his ankle. Compared to some of his more extravagant action sequences, this doesn’t seem overly complicated, but sometimes the stunts which look the easiest turn out to be the most dangerous.
kelerian points out that, "[Cruise] broke his ankle doing the rooftop jump in Fallout." The actor had to jump from the rooftop of one building onto another and although he was tied to a harness, his ankle touched the opposite wall at an awkward angle, completely breaking his ankles. He continued the shot even though his ankle was completely shattered.
Being Tied to a Moving Plane (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation)
Although some people argue that Cruise was clearly tied with a harness for this stunt, making it less of an impressive feat, the sheer force of an airplane taking off and the risk factor attached to it makes it one of the scariest things a person can do.
Edonistic says "Sounds like a cool stunt though," with krokadilas adding that it sounds "intense." The user also suggests that at this point, the filmmakers will just have to defy the laws of physics to come up with better stunts for the next installments of the franchise. This sequence will forever go down among the best airplane action sequences in cinema.
Climbing the Burj Khalifa (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol)
This sequence is remembered as one of the most iconic stunts of all time for good reason. Climbing a skyscraper is one thing and climbing the tallest skyscraper in the world while being an A-list actor is another.
A lot of people were impressed by the use of CGI during the sequence, but little did they know that other than the sandstorm, everything was shot at the real location. Tom Cruise had to be tied to a harness, around 100 floors up in the air, and then climb the building while dealing with the intense wind and adrenaline rush. A deleted user suggests that "Climbing (and hanging from) the Burj Khalifa" definitely comes under his top 10 stunts. Stunts like this are one of the reasons fans should be excited for the new Mission: Impossible movie.
Free Climbing Sequence (Mission: Impossible 2)
Climbing a cliff while tied to a harness is something that most people would not even dream of attempting, but climbing a cliff while not tied to anything is even more terrifying. This is exactly what Tom Cruise did while filming for Mission: Impossible 2.
Royal-Lack6429 points out, "The free climbing scene was actually pretty terrifying." This stunt put other actors and action franchises to shame even back in 2000 when most action movies were stuffed with unconvincing CGI and over-the-top action sequences.
Holding on to a Moving Car (Knight and Day)
It is incredibly difficult to stay in one place in a high-speed moving car while inside, it is a completely different story when on top of it. Tom Cruise had to land on the roof of a moving car and hold on to it during a high-speed chase in Knight and Day.
Although he makes it look easy, a deleted user points out that when, "Cruise falls on the hood of a car, and hangs onto it during a chase" it easily made it into his top 10 stunts. This sequence would have been incredibly difficult, especially considering Cruise's diminutive stature means his arms don’t have a very long reach.
Base Jumping from a Skyscraper (Mission: Impossible 3)
If one was to ask a professional skydiver which is scarier, jumping out of an airplane or from a building, they would most likely say the latter. Jumping from a skyscraper is incredibly dangerous and many more things can go wrong while doing so.
But of course, Tom Cruise jumped out of the skyscraper in Mission: Impossible 3 with multiple cameras following him to get the perfect shot. Royal-Lack6429 states "When [they] found out that the BASE jumping scene was actually tom, [they] had a new level of respect for him." This mind-boggling stunt still has fans in awe.