Starring Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Antihero Jack Reacher may not play by the rules but the film bearing his name is strictly by-the-numbers. And while not everything on screen adds up, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie cracks the equation for some serviceable entertainment. Just dont expect Tom Cruises latest action figure to return for a second tour of duty. Movies dont come much more disposable than this.
When a sniper takes out five Pittsburg civilians, a disturbed Iraq vet (Joseph Sikora) is arrested in what seems to be an open-and-shut case. However, rather than signing a confession, the suspect demands the summoning of Reacher (Cruise), a military cop turned vigilante. Teaming with a defence attorney (Rosamund Pike), Reacher digs for the truth and burrows his way to an underground figure (Werner Herzog) whos so hardcore that he once chewed off his own fingers to combat frostbite.
While much has been made of Cruise failing to measure up to the 65 frame attributed to Reacher in Lee Childs novels, its actually his bearing that proves more problematic. Radiating confidence and competence, Cruise deprives us of the enjoyment derived from discovering what a character is capable of. Instead, were left to get our kicks from Reachers old-school methods which see him shunning cell phones and refusing to resort to Google searches when cracking skulls can elicit the same results.
Its fitting then that the highlight here is a time-honoured car chase. And as Reachers vintage American muscle car rumbles along, repeatedly picking up speed only to crash into an obstacle and emerge a little wonkier, its apparent that this sequence is also the perfect encapsulation of the film as a whole.
