I do think that Tom Cruise is doing a better job of acting over all, BUT, this entire movie is nothing but clichés. The dialog is more like an SNL skit. The first mach 10.3 flight and the plane disintegrates and somehowTom just walks into a cafe', really ? Aren't his rescue crews looking for him, is it smart to just walk off from a crash landing ?? The flying sequences were very good indeed, but flying loosey goosey is very unmilitary. Many flying stunts were way too close for any training scenarios. These Tom Cruise movies seem more like a vehicle for his showing his dare devil exploits, then a serious drama about pilots and their usually unknown adventures, both success and failures.