This is one of the finest movies I've ever seen. I don't even know where to begin with this picture. It's a piece of art in cinematography. The dialogue is profound. The plot is entirely unpredictable. This is not a non-stop action flick. This movie is like a patient roller-coaster. Very long slow climbs to the top of a steep drop again and again.
I won't try to describe this. It's something you have to see. I had no idea any major Hollywood studio could be capable of producing an action flick of this calibre. But then, most or all of the credit would probably have to go to director Michael Mann, whose obvious intrigue and understanding of LA makes the city a virtual character in this movie.
While Tom Cruise is an arrogant and self-centered bastard in real life, I have to admit, he's always been very appealing to me on screen, though never in this type of role. Here, he's a nihilistic, sociopathic and highly effective killer.
(I never finished writing this review, but so be it)