Jack Reacher is based on the popular Lee Child novel ‘OneShot’, and follows the title character as he investigates the murders of five
random victims of a sniper shootout. The movie begins with a sharp-looking sniper,
selecting his victims through a sniper scope and then quickly eliminating them
in one brisk shot. The police investigate and arrest the suspect, who they
believe is the shooter. During his
interrogation he says nothing, but on a notepad he writes ‘Get Jack Reacher’.
The following scene has two police investigators reading up
on Reacher with the conventional dialogue of a tough as nails guy, served in
the military, brilliant investigation skills, numerous awards and the ever so
clichéd, “Can’t find him, unless he wants to be found”. This marks the entry of
Jack Reacher, portrayed by a younger (note that he is now 50 years old!) looking Tom Cruise with a
broad physique and a no-nonsense look on his face, who’s there to learn why the
man he despises the most has asked for his help.
Watch the Trailer, Jack Reacher
If I go on anymore, it would be a spoiler of a review. Just know that there's a huge conspiracy at play, shrewd
detective skills and hardened military training - that gives you a couple of good fights to watch and like a Christmas present wrapped in a bow, this film has a brilliant thundering car chase
sequence that ultimately leads to uncover the truth.
The supporting cast although credible in their performances
somehow fell flat and redundant half way through the movie. Rosamund Pike
started off very motivating, but her character lacked the anxiety and urgency
once the plot started to thicken. The addition of legendary German film-maker WernerHerzog as the film’s spooky villain seemed quite intriguing at first, but he
was reduced to nothing more than a shadowy figure simply lurking in the
background.
Although quite late into the movie, a magnificent special
appearance from the seasoned Robert Duvall as Reacher’s sidekick provided
excitement and thrill to a climax that was quickly losing its momentum.
Lastly,
a splendid performance by Jai Courtney as the master assassin is proving he has
the mettle to grab a foothold in Hollywood. He put up a tough fight against Tom
Cruise in the finale and next spring he will rub shoulders with another
Hollywood heavyweight - Bruce Willis in ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’.
Jack Reacher is Tom Cruise’s show from the very first moment
he enters the frame. His performance as the judge and executioner to those who
think they are above the law pays homage to a modern age persona of HarryCallahan aka Dirty Harry.
The film clearly does have its flaws with underused
performances and unexplained sub plots, but these can easily be overlooked due
to the movie’s thrilling momentum and Tom’s onscreen persona. It’s not the
usual over the top movie audiences have come to expect from Cruise’s previous
films, but a rather down to earth execution makes Jack Reacher a first-rate
action thriller.
By Ashford Fernandez
The writer is a second year postgraduate student pursuing MA Media and Communications and specializing in Television and Video Production.
The writer is a second year postgraduate student pursuing MA Media and Communications and specializing in Television and Video Production.
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