Tom Cruise SPEAKS!!!!!

TOM CRUISE SPOKE TO US!!! TOM CRUISE SPOKE TO US!!! TOM CRUISE SPOKE TO US!!! TOM CRUISE SPOKE TO US!!!

Yes, it's true ... this afternoon outside Taverna Tony in Malibu, our photog asked Tom how he was doing ... and he said, "Good."

It's not much, but it is the first time Tom has talked on camera since his split from Katie Holmes ... who just last night topped Tom by uttering three words to our photog in NYC.