I figured since the young Tom Hanks movies were working for me, I’d dabble with some young Tom Cruise as well. My quarantine movie choices revolve around two goals: elevating my mood and revisiting things I should know better. This would certainly be the later, and the “comedy” label on the packaging promised the former. I’m not sure how successful it is.
We all know the famous “Old Time Rock and Roll” scene from this movie. If there’s anything you know about it, it’s that. Turns out, that’s not very indicative of the overall vibe of the film.
Tom Cruise is left alone for a few days in the lavish family home, and he goes his own version of Kevin McCallister on it. He hires a hooker to come visit, and things start spiraling from there, and before long he’s having to resort to some pretty insane antics to restore his parents’ belongings to their former state before they return. It’s billed as a comedy, and it’s got it’s moments (I mean this ain’t no melodrama) but the tone is kinda weird. Just a little too serious and not enough of those moments like the lip sync scene to really make it feel like a true comedy.
I just didn’t really like it. I wanted what that lip sync scene promised. Although it did give us a brilliant moment on The Tonight Show (just watch the whole thing, it’s pure gold)