All the Right Moves is one of Tom Cruise’s early films, and despite not being a mega star yet, he still did a lot of running. Despite what the title says, I felt he made a whole of wrong moves in the film. Whether it was pressuring his girlfriend Lea Thompson into premarital sex, trashing his coach’s (Craig T. Nelson) front lawn, or getting booted from his high school team, he dug a deeper hole every time he got a chance to get out.
Cruise’s character is an elite player, who has the skills to get a scholarship to any college. He dreams of getting out of his blue-collar town because he doesn’t want to work in the coal mines like the rest of his family. His ego is the only hurdle in his way and he runs straight into it every time. It’s takes courage to admit you’re wrong and he lacks all the knowledge to be that guy. Just by the grace of God and his coach is he able to savage the situation.
I didn’t like or hate this movie, but now I can say I’ve seen it. Was this movie really about football, not really. It just happened to be a football player who has the right tools for the job he wanted, but lacked the skills for the job. Stories like this are a dime a dozen, with many sticking with you after the credits hit. Unless you are a major Cruise fan, you can skip this one and still feel good about it. 2/10
Ten Stars or Less 