10 Insane Movie Stunts You Won't Believe Tom Cruise Performed

By Scott Campbell /

8. Car Chase - Jack Reacher (2012)

Christopher McQuarrie's old-school thriller capitalizes on Tom Cruise's well-documented driving abilities with a crunching car chase that frequently features close-ups of the actor behind the wheel, and Cruise did in fact do all of his own driving in the movie. Undoubtedly Jack Reacher's standout set-piece, the realism only adds to the impact of the scene.Second unit director Paul Jennings called Cruise 'one of the best stunt drivers I've ever met', and the proof is there on the screen. Even though the car was reinforced for safety reasons, the visceral impact of metal on metal and the roaring sound design combine to create one of the best chase scenes in recent years. Interestingly, the moment where the car stalls wasn't scripted, but Cruise restarted the vehicle so quickly and roared off again the director left it in the movie for dramatic effect.