Jack Reacher

Ultimately not my biggest "Retro Review", I know.

There's always been something about the film, Jack Reacher, that has intrigued me. It came out during a busy Holiday season a few years ago and I just couldn't seem to make the time for it which, as a fan of most of Cruise's work and the action genre, I still find odd. Since its release I've heard several friends and fellow critics talk about it, not in an "Oh-em-gee you have to see this!" fashion, but more suggesting that it was a solid film that surprised them with its quality. Over the past year or so I've been saying that I need to make time to watch it (not to mention start reading the Jack Reacher novels). 

Well, a couple Sunday's back I found myself with some extra time to kill, noticed it was on Netflix, and decided to give it a go. 

I have to say that, I too was pretty impressed, and while I wouldn't need to watch it again (yeah, it's one of those "one-time views") it was a solid film that plays out more like a mystery investigation than a straight forward action film for most of the proceedings. 

"Wait so how do you do this 'hugging'
thing again?"

The film starts out with a riveting and attention-grabbing scene of a sniper scanning over a busy sidewalk and park through his scope. He slowly glances at several targets, and then begins firing away. It's a breathtaking and terrifying scene, and probably the film's best. It immediately demands that the audience pays attention and sets up the premise for the rest of the film which basically leads to: find who the killer was. As always, this plot objective is easily complicated when it's discovered that there might have been a hidden motive in the seemingly random attack and the film goes from there. Tom Cruise's Jack Reacher, who, from my understanding, is pretty much nothing (physically) like the novel counterpart, is a man who lives off the grid and has a long list of military experience and background. He comes in to help solve the crime and quickly establishes himself as a cold, smart, badass. Cruise's portrayal of him is strong, even if they don't match up physically, and it's no secret that Tom can lead a movie as well as any other actor. Even at around 50 years of age, Cruise has still got the demeanor and ability to look and act like a badass, including during fist fights and gun fights, and he still has that special charm to demand the screen during dialogue. Also in the cast is Rosamund Pike who does well as a strong female lead until she turns into the damsel in distress (a far cry from her Gone Girl role). Jai Courtney, of Spartacus fame, is the main badguy here and he is decent, but for how serious the tone of the film is most times, I would say he hams it up a little too much with his wry smirks and over exaggerated sunglass-removing. Other than that though, he is a fine villain and he definitely has a physical presence. 

"Hey Girl. I need you to get Gone before I kill
this dude. See what I did there?"

"I am Tom Cruise! Bow to me, mortals!"

The film's action isn't all that inventive or spectacular, but it's well filmed and choreographed (and apparently Jack Reacher loves to fight baddies with his elbows...). As I stated, the best "action" scene comes with the sniper at the very beginning and there are a few fun ones afterwards. It's a shame then that the final 20 minutes or so dive into the super generic hunt-the-badguys-and-save-the-girl finale, complete with the film's least exciting action sequences. Still fun to watch, but the pace at which the film was moving forward originally is greatly altered here.  

With regards to its accuracy as an adaptation, I cannot say as I haven't read the book, but I imagine it did it justice. The script is strong and the screenplay keeps the intrigue alive while offering some moments of humor. I think many were surprised with just how much of an investigation-based film Jack Reacher ended up being, myself included, and the film does a solid job at making it fun. 

At the end of the day, I'm glad I took the suggestion of many friends/peers and watched Jack Reacher. It doesn't reinvent the action or mystery genre wheel in any way, but one cannot deny the fact that it's still a solid wheel. We don't need something entirely new every time we go to the theaters and Jack Reacher is proof that a genre being done right is perfectly capable of being more than adequate. 

CONS: 

• It loses steam once it becomes more generic than it already was (during the climax/finale)
• The film brings nothing new to the table in regards to its villain, action, or plot
• As I've stated before, it's not a CON, but this is a good example of a one-time view
• The film would have been helped by a better original score and/or soundtrack

PROS:

• It's a fun, solid action and mystery film
• Speaking of mystery, I was pleasantly surprised by how much focus there was on the investigation
• The first scene with the sniper scoping out its targets is a fantastic attention-grabber
• Cruise is a strong lead and proves, as he often does, that he's still got the necessities for these types of films
• The rest of the cast does well based on their respective roles
• An interesting plot with a sufficient amount of mystery and plot twists

Retro Rath's Review Score: 8/10