Paul Newman walks through it

Rating: 3/10 (10 July 2017)

It's not necessary, but you'll probably want to watch The Hustler before you watch The Color of Money. In 1961, Paul Newman played "Fast" Eddie, a pool hustler who took on a master player before he was ready. In 1986, he plays "Fast" Eddie, a pool hustler who teaches and trains a younger version of himself. Basically, in the remake he's Paul Oldman instead of Paul Newman. Oh, and he won a make-up Oscar.
So, if you liked The Hustler and it won't break you up to see "Fast" Eddie with gray hair, getting made fun of by a cocky, young upstart, you'll probably be able to sit through The Color of Money. But the original is so much better; there's tension and drama rather than comic relief jokes. Tom Cruise plays the younger version of Paul Newman, but he's not as likable as his predecessor. And in this version, Paul Newman doesn't even try to act. He walks through it, as if he knows he's going to win an undeserved Oscar and he's ticked off about it. My advice: just watch The Hustler twice instead.