The best picture of the past 5 years!

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2003)

I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this movie, but every scene is done to perfection. I was literally stunned walking out of the theater. Even the romantic subplot, the bane of any decent movie, was in this case spectacular. I would say that I was a mild Cruise fan before this, and a much bigger one afterwards. This is by far his best movie. I would rate Top Gun as his previous best, but don't let that or the military theme confuse you. This movie is nothing at all like Top Gun in any way. It seems to me that the "cocky, fall, humility, redemption" theme that was the centerpiece of virtually all Cruise's movie's up to Jerry Maguire has been put out to pasture.
Ken Watanabe was better than magnificent.
I have refused to buy a DVD player, as DVD's are more expensive than VHS, and I resent that given that I believe the manufacturing costs are about the same. When this movie comes out on DVD, I think I will be forced to end my resistance.
10 out of 10.