It looks like Digger might not be the movie to launch Tom Cruise into the next phase of his career now that the Mission: Impossible franchise is officially finished. Or at least that’s what the box office suggests. So far, it’s brought in only $8 million in ticket sales, and while critics and big-name publications are currently loving to hate Digger (it’s only earned a C- CinemaScore and a 51% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), fans say it’s not nearly as bad as their professional counterparts suggest.
But Digger, which centers on oil tycoon Digger Rockwell (Cruise) as he tries to keep his ancient cat alive while also saving the world from the disaster he created, faces serious competition among Cruise’s worst movies. There’s Vanilla Sky, which managed to earn an even lower CinemaScore. And then there’s Lions for Lambs, the 2007 political epic that centered on two young men (Michael Peña and Derek Luke) who were so inspired by their idealistic professor, Dr. Mallery (Robert Redford), that they joined the military and received orders to deploy to Afghanistan—all in the hopes of doing something meaningful. Meanwhile, Dr. Mallery tries to reach a struggling student, while in Washington, D.C., a presidential hopeful (Tom Cruise) prepares to give a journalist (Meryl Streep) the ultimate scoop. To say that Lions for Lambs did poorly would be an understatement.
And while it was Andrew Garfield’s film debut alongside a powerful cast, that wasn’t enough to save it in the eyes of either critics or audiences. “Strong acting and sharply scripted characters are unable to disguise Redford’s opinionated brand of current events, which often teeters dangerously close to Army recruitment,” said critic Mike Massie. Tony Medley added, “I’m not sure why Producer-director Robert Redford and writer Matthew Carnahan thought this was cinematic, but they were wrong.” Fans’ reception wasn’t any better, with no one appreciating the dry lecture they received about what it means to lead a meaningful life in Robert Redford’s eyes.
Though Digger might be getting dragged by critics for its loud, often brash, beat-you-over-the-head messaging, it’s not getting the same treatment from audiences, who appreciate its larger-than-life satire and over-the-top antics. Summing up the casual viewers’ response the best, one audience member said, “This film took some divisive choices, but it is one I will be thinking about for days. I loved it. Tom Cruise was fantastic, as was everyone. The absurdity of it works on many levels and when the lights turns on and the credits rolled, I felt unlike I have ever felt in the theater. Elated. Guilty. Hypocritical. Angry. This is something else. I loved it. Stop reading reviews and go see it for yourself.”
