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Days of Thunder had always been one of those oft-mentioned Tom Cruise movies that lingered on my radar for years before I ever actually saw it in real life. The mythos around it had me feeling like I’d seen it: Intensely private Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman met cute in real life! He got to drive race cars! She wore her naturally curly hair!
Recently, though, I was able to grab a copy of the flick – on DVD – and put it on for a watch. I was expecting a nice little sports movie with some epic chemistry between Cruise and Kidman, but as a millennial who was barely born when this movie came out, I did not have a nostalgic connection to this movie and I had some big struggles with the way it was written and executed. In fact, I had no idea why the actor would even choose it as he starts to branch out into more classic sequel roles… until now.
What It’s Like To Watch Days Of Thunder For The First Time Nearly 25 Years Later
As I noted, I watched Days of Thunder via DVD, though I have since found out you can streaming the 1990 film with a Paramount Plus subscription.
The movie kicks off with an “epic” nineties score and shots of a young hotshot race car driver played by Michael Rooker. The conceit is a car dealer is trying to get into the big leagues and he hires Robert Duvall’s Harry Hogge to help him achieve the role. Hogge first looks at Rowdy Burns (Rooker), but ultimately chooses to build a car for Tom Cruise’s Cole Trickle, a newcomer on the scene.
Watching 25 years later, if I’m being honest Days of Thunder feels dated –and not in that fun way movies like the OG Top Gun are dated. Yes, the racing in the movie is flashy, but the pacing of the film can be off-putting; it definitely feels like a movie of its era. And that extends to the soundtrack, which hops between classic rock and a very silly electronic-y score.
It’s chock full of one-liners which include comments like “rubbing son is racing,” “you can build a driver like you build a car,” and “we ended up looking like a monkey fucking a football out there.” This tact recently worked for Twisters, so I’m not blaming this movie for diving into the realm of ridiculousness with some of its lines, but it was a little surprising to me the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced flick is mentioned by some as among the best action movies.
Recently, though, news broke that Paramount Picture was eyeing a sequel to Days of Thunder, and I tried to get a feel for why this might be a good thing. As it turns out, people really do seem to have fond feelings for the 1990 movie.
The Fans Have Cleared This Up For Me
So what is it? Is it the Duvall/Cruise banter? Is it the idea of Tom Cruise actually racing? Is it the feeling he inspires as a young maverick on the track? Or do we all long for the easy nostalgia of the ‘80s and ’90s? I’m personally putting money on people simply wanting Tom Cruise to do more sequels.
I did some sleuthing, and whatever the reason, people have been champing at the bit, for sure, for another performance from Cruise as Cole Trickle for years, with critic Mike Ryan noting back in 2023:
I’m imagining myself at an early screening of DAYS OF THUNDER: COLE and trying to explain to people why it’s better than the original and that it will get a Best Picture nomination and no one believes meJanuary 29, 2023
Of course, he was tickled pink by the Days Of Thunder 2 news. Fans of the film have also really focused in on the late, great Tony Scott and the cinematography choices the film made:
here are a few of my favorite images from Days of Thunder in honor of Tony Scott’s birthday pic.twitter.com/yi5fI8b3zJJune 22, 2016
Still, some fans seem to love it precisely because of how over-the-top it is, particularly during scenes in which Nicole Kidman‘s doctor character goes after the young race car driver. Or scenes in which Duvall is really going hard in the paint.
The thing I really like about Days of Thunder is that Robert Duvall totally overacts in the style of a great actor who has found himself in a totally pointless movie. pic.twitter.com/w45AKt0UwsNovember 4, 2024
So there seems to be an appetite for another film, and it would give Tom Cruise the chance to be near an adrenaline-pumping activity like car racing again…
Some Problems With A Potential Days Of Thunder 2
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note a lot of the magic that apparently spellbound the audience would probably not happen if Days of Thunder does return. I can’t imagine Nicole Kidman would be enthusiastic about starring in a romantic movie with her ex-husband when she could be putting together another Big Little Lies season or Season 2 of her Netflix hit The Perfect Couple.
This is easily remedied, however. In fact, Cruise did much the same with Top Gun: Maverick, a movie in which original lead Kelly McGillis was replaced by Jennifer Connelly. McGillis wasn’t even asked to return.
Robert Duvall is still alive, but he’s 93 this year, and I doubt would be keen to play a pit crew boss. Rumors of health issues have persisted, though a cameo might not be out of the question. And director Tony Scott unfortunately left us in 2012. So many things would have to change if this project moves forward.
I think if we do get this movie, it’s might just be an excuse for Tom Cruise to get behind the wheel of a large automobile again. Though at 62 himself, I almost wonder if he’d flip the script to be more of the mentor that Duvall was this time? We’re still in the early stages, but at least I’m finally understanding why fans are bullish about Days of Thunder 2.
And if Top Gun: Maverick is any indication, Cruise and co. have shown a penchant for turning fun-but-not-spectacular older movies into more of an art form. We’ll have to wait and see.
Speaking of Maverick, outside of the long-running Mission: Impossible movies, Cruise had shied away from sequels. Now that Days of Thunder is coming along, is that rapidly becoming a trend? I know one thing. If I could pick any movie Cruise should do a sequel to, I’d be picking Edge of Tomorrow 2.