Cruise like Thunder', in the ultimate movie for rev-head fanatics!

Rating: Null/10 (10 April 2003)

I want to come out and say, that I am not the biggest fan of Hollywood star, Tom Cruise. I find him to be an arrogant kind of character onscreen, with some of his movies just bad'. Yet I can understand why people like him, he is a star and does do some great films. Well I still say to people that my favourite Tom Cruise movie is the NASCAR racing hit, Days Of Thunder'. But public opinion is divided as to whether it is a great film or not. Here is what I think.
Engines roar and fever pitch of professional racing is alive and well. Meet race car driver Cole Trickle, whose talent and ambition are surpassed only by his burning need to win. Discovered by businessman Tim Daland, Cole is teamed with legendary crew chief and car-builder Harry Hogge to race for the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500. However a fiery crash nearly ends Cole's career and he must turn to beautiful doctor, Claire Lewicki to regain his nerve and the true courage needed to race, to win and to live.

When it comes to Days Of Thunder', I look at it as a film which can be viewed by either the head or the heart. My head' feels that DOT' is a clichéd and standard Hollywood movie that follows a standard and overused plot. The main star is always playing a hot-headed character that finds it hard to take direction. This movies success has to partly come from what a successful movie Top Gun' was. I have to also ask: are movies that follow the same format good for cinema? My answer is yes and no. Yes, because they bring movie-goers and the bucks in, and can be thought of as a classic. Then the answer could be no, as these films are nothing new and do not make cinema experiences fresh and exciting.
Yet what my heart says about DOT' gives quite a different spin on it all together. It is an exciting movie that not only shows the competitive side of racing, but what lengths a race driver will go to be behind the wheel. I also like the relationship that Cole (Cruise) has with his crew chief Harry (Robert Duvall). Then with all Jerry Bruckheimer films, if you have an enjoyable experience, then that will last with you for alongtime to come.

So with all that in prospective, DOT' is a great film in my opinion. The racing sequences are well incorporated into a story about a racer that is pushed, and once he is, you will not like the reaction that you get. Tom Cruise's performance is pretty good. I like how we see him go from being one sort driver to the other. However my favourite character has to be Harry, as Robert Duvall is great in what he says and does. He gets Cole through many races with clever and intelligent moves, that many experienced crew chiefs would not even think of.
Other roles that need to be highlighted include Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker), who is the driver that brings the best out in Cole, with the pair's competitive streak and friendship just great for the film in my view. The role of Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman) has been praised and criticised by fans. I personally like what she brings to the film, as her character brings great sexual tension to the story and makes Cole realise that everything is not quite right for him in life. Of course it is common knowledge that DOT' was the film that sparked the 11 year relationship for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, which unfortunately fell apart in 2001.
DOT' was directed by Ridley Scott's brother, Tony. Tony really brought out the important racing themes well for us all to see. I understand that some people might not have liked the direction Scott took us on, but all the themes are brought out in such a way that I simply enjoyed. Also, the way Scott focused on the many characters in the movie, which was well done from where I see it, as this definition helps to make the movie all the greater.

This has been a challenging review to write as I have tried to be as impartial on the film as I can be. Cole Trickle was right he can do anything in a race car' and this attitude is what I like about Cole. Like other Tom Cruise movies such as Top Gun', The Colour of Money' and Cocktail', Days Of Thunder' does follow a stock standard plot. Yet I am a racing car fan of sorts, and thus, this movie has and will remain memorable for me for many years to come. It also points out to me, that a movie really can be viewed differently by the head and the heart.
CMRS gives Days Of Thunder': 4 (Very Good Film)