Action stars have always been the most popular ones on the global scene. They are often shown as larger-than-life characters who can make the impossible, believable. And more recently, their popularity has risen even further due to the rise of the market for action film franchises.
Among the list of most popular action stars, two names that are most likely to be at the top are Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves, thanks to their Mission: Impossible and John Wick movies. Deciding who is superior between the two has always been a topic of debate, and one director’s comments seem to fuel it further.
Michael Mann Believes Tom Cruise’s Action Is More Real
It is very well known to everyone how Tom Cruise became the action star. He has reached a point where he is known more because of his actions and stunts than his acting. His unrealistic stunts are now a part of Hollywood legends.
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Cruise is not just a star of action movies, he is a perfectionist. He does heavy training to do the scenes realistically, as he does his own stunts. Cruise has flown jets, held his breath underwater for more than 6 minutes, jumped from a high altitude and now, he is even willing to go to space.
This dedication to realism and attention to detail is the reason why Collateral director Michael Mann once kept Cruise’s gun skills higher than Keanu Reeves’ Gun Fu. In an interview with Deadline, he said,
John Wick’s are not real techniques. What Tom did, those are real techniques and there was a lot of training with my friend Mick Gould, who was the head of close-quarter combat training for the British SAS.
Mann also talked about the one-shot scene where Cruise ties Jamie Foxx to the steering wheel and how Cruise prepared for the role.
There was nothing he was doing that wasn’t established close-quarter combat moves that came from months of training. That included blending in.
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He even trained to be a FedEx delivery guy to understand the mind of his character. Cruise always makes sure to add something beyond the usual choreography, whether it is the HALO jumps in Mission: Impossible- Fallout or gunfights in Collateral.
Comparing Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves’ Action
So is Tom Cruise more of an action hero than Keanu Reeves? Reeves has his own kind of action, which combines martial arts and gunfights, and it is commonly termed ‘Gun Fu’. This style of action is seen in his John Wick series.
Although Reeves’ action is different, he can’t be considered less than Cruise. He has trained in several martial arts like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, and Kung Fu, which helps him perform his action sequences more authentically. The Matrix franchise perfectly showed this by blending his martial arts skills and special effects.
Reeves’ action looks more aesthetic with proper technique and choreography. On the other hand, Cruise’s actions are grounded and are presented in a realistic way most of the time. It lets the viewer feel what Cruise might have been through while doing the scene in real-time, with little to no CGI or extra aesthetic shots.
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Mann’s words might upset some Reeves fans, but it all depends on personal preferences. Both styles of action require training and planning. While some may want to experience the adrenaline rush of the fast-moving, raw action of Tom Cruise, others might like Reeves for his stylish gunfighting and well-choreographed fight scenes.
Collateral is available to stream on Prime Video.
The John Wick series is available to buy/rent on Prime Video.
The Mission: Impossible series is available to stream on Paramount+.
Frequently asked questions
What did Michael Mann say about Keanu Reeves’ Gun-Fu in John Wick?
While discussing Tom Cruise’s gunfight scenes in his 2004 film Collateral, director Michael Mann reportedly contrasted them with Keanu Reeves’ John Wick choreography, saying: “John Wick’s are not real techniques. What Tom did, those are real techniques.” Mann argued that Cruise was performing established close-quarter combat moves rooted in genuine training, whereas Reeves’ stylized Gun-Fu sequences are designed primarily as cinematic choreography rather than authentic combat application.
Who is Mick Gould and how is he connected to Tom Cruise’s training?
According to the article, Mick Gould was the head of close-quarter combat training for the British SAS. Michael Mann identified Gould as a friend who trained Tom Cruise for Collateral, crediting that work for the realism of Cruise’s gunplay. Mann said “there was nothing he was doing that wasn’t established close-quarter combat moves that came from months of training,” adding that the training even included learning how to blend in.
What martial arts did Keanu Reeves train in for John Wick?
The article frames Reeves’ “Gun-Fu” as a heavily choreographed, aesthetic-driven style and contrasts it with Tom Cruise’s grounded, minimal-CGI realism. For the John Wick films, Reeves’ documented training centered on Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as base styles, supplemented by sambo, shoot wrestling and Kali (Filipino stick fighting), alongside hundreds of hours of 3-gun firearms training. Both actors are noted for investing substantial preparation in their action roles.
