Me too. I resisted watching it because of Tom Cruise. It was however a good movie that described the problems people have with change.
That same phenomenon is responsible for the uprising of Islamic fanatics. They resist the change occuring in their world.
That's a great take on the movie. I guess I enjoyed it mostly for the warrior ethic it portrayed. It was similar to Brave Heart in that respect to me. Tom Cruise is one weird duck (and I'm sure a liberal) but he is a good actor.