Jack Reacher Reviews

Honestly, I think it is rather sad that Tom Cruise is still trying to convinced himself and the rest of the world that he still has what it takes to lead the box-office. I mean, come on, man, not only the guy is already over 50 years old but, beyond that those days are simply over not only for him but for all the big movie stars and it would be great that the guy could reinvent himself like Ben Affleck or Matthew McConaughey. Anyway, after this way too long introduction, what about the movie itself? Well, I thought it was fairly enjoyable and entertaining but, honestly, like most conspiracy thrillers, the plot didn’t hold up very well and maybe half of it was pretty much nonsense. But, still, Tom Cruise remains a charismatic leading man, Rosamund Pike was quite charming and convincing enough and this character definitely has some potential. Concerning Werner Herzorg, I wasn't really sure though. I mean, it was really neat and unexpected to have the great German director playing some strange and ominous villain but, honestly, the trick got old pretty quickly and he didn’t have much to do after all. To conclude, my rating might be a little too generous here but I still think it is a decent watch but don’t expect anything remotely mind-blowing from this movie.

Jack Reacher is a waste of two hours and 10 minutes, it might look like a standard shooting gallery but it managed to be even worse than that given the fact that the movie is slow, which is a surprise cause these type of movies tends to be fast, plot-less and stupid. this one is slow,plot-less and stupid.
i mean it's not a crime movie, diffidently not an action movie and most importantly it's not an enjoyable movie.

Jack Reacher baffled me. This has nothing to do with the plot being complicated (as it's insulting to the intellect) or a twist I didn't see coming (as any twists in this film can be seen from a mile away). Jack Reacher baffled me because it was moderately successful at box office, moderately successful with critics, and moderately successful with audience members. The fact that this head-scratchingly terrible film has had even the slightest success with, well, anyone simply confounds me.

A man named James Barr is accused of shooting five random citizens. Jack Reacher, a relatively unknown status confronts Barr's attorney, Helen Rodin (the last name sounds remarkably like "rodent" in the film), and convinces her to examine the evidence before attempting to defend Barr. In the meantime, Reacher is in charge of...I don't really know...investigating? The problem is, the plot is decidedly muddled. They serve little purpose other than to loosely string action scenes and weak one liners together to assemble a "film."

It is impossible for me to discuss every little flaw in this film, so I will only cover the most important bits.

For one, the film is plagued with predictability. Countless cliches and a familiar story means few (if any) surprising events occur. There is a twist or two in the film (after all, this is a mystery film, if a poorly conceived one), but I saw them coming long before they actually occurred.

The back-stories behind the shooter victims represent some of the most emotionally manipulative content I've ever seen in a film. I was actually insulted that the audience was supposed to be moved by these stories as they are hopelessly cliched and melodramatic.

I can't remember the last time I saw a film where I was so uninterested in the events on screen, and so unattached to the characters. The story is boring, the characters have no personality. Was any actual effort put into any part of this film? Even the actual scenes are often nonsensical and cheap looking. They lack suspense, and many of them don't seem to fit into the movie very well (the latter point is most noticeable in one of the most boring and poorly made car chases I've ever seen).

Jack Reacher also suffers from being way too much like a kid's film. Seriously. Numerous kicks in the crotch, bumbling henchmen, and quite a bit of slapstick eat away at the screen time. And speaking of screen time, I should mention that this film is over 2 hours long, and every minute seems like an eternity.

Part of the boredom is a result of terrible dialogue. It is drop dead boring, and there's a lot of it. And when the dialogue isn't boring, it's laughably terrible. Did someone really get PAID to write this script?

And then the acting, which is extremely weak. Tom Cruise delivers no energy to his performance as Jack Reacher, and Rosamund Pike as Helen Rodin does an excellent job at portraying a plank of wood. Seriously, I don't think she changed her facial expression a single time in this film. The rest of the cast is just as bad, and the performances are never among sub-par.

The score, composed by Joe Kraemer, can't even be defined as music. I don't recall a single moment in the film where the score had an actual melody. The score is also pretty sparse, as a lot of scenes don't have any music (though some scenes desperately needed some). It doesn't help that the little music that's there often sounds like Howard Shore's much better score for Hugo.

I have hardly scratched the surface of everything I hated about this film. Truly insulting in every respect, this is an unwatchably bad film. I almost want to say that it's essentially a made-for-TV thriller, except that's an insult to made-for-TV films and thrillers. Aside from one amusing line about the antics of cops (which provided one meager chuckle), Jack Reacher is a complete waste of time and a shocking mess.

Jack Reacher is entertaining and a solid film. It is a crime drama genre with some action and a little more humor. It is a story driven film with enough character development to make sense, but leaves some mystery about the main character Jack Reacher to keep it interesting. Having not read the books it is based on, the story was well done enough that I would want to see any future installments of the series. While the lead actor, Tom Cruise, is believable in the role he would not have to continue playing the lead character to keep the story interesting. He added to the film and made the character believable but the character Jack Reacher is interesting enough that other actors could do a decent enough job, as it is seen in the James Bond franchise.

It is worth adding that Tom Cruise did such a good job in the role it was possible to forget who the actor was, and enjoy and believe the character; though the character was given some of Tom's charisma, and it did work for the character.

As a whole, the film is reminiscent of a high budget TV crime drama but in movie form. The action scenes are there to drive the story along and not over the top but kept down to earth (i.e. obeys the laws of physics) as much as Hollywood can. It has a few plot twist in the revealing of the crime mystery. The acting is believably good (Robert Duvall is noteworthy in his small role that could be argued he equaled or did better than Tom Cruise's performance). Rosamund Pike also did a good job acting and making the character work for the film. The directing, cinematography, editing, soundtrack, and screenplay writing are all above average and better than the sum of their parts. Meaning there is positive synergy at work. It is refreshing to experience a film out of Hollywood that keeps me interested the whole time and not critiquing it during the viewing.

I would recommend this film to anyone who likes the crime/mystery drama genre or who just likes the actors involved. It is entertaining, engaging, and a good 2 hour 11 min of escapism... :D

"You think I'm a hero? I am not a hero. And if you're smart, that scares you. Because I have nothing to lose."

2012's Jack Reacher is not the type of film that most people will be expecting. Marketed as a pure action fiesta, movie-goers will likely watch the film anticipating an unofficial Mission: Impossible sequel featuring Tom Cruise the generic action hero. But, as those familiar with Lee Child's Jack Reacher books will be aware, the movie is in fact a mystery/thriller more concerned with intrigue and plot twists than outright violence. Though it falls short of its potential, Jack Reacher is a fun, handsomely mounted flick which delivers wholesome escapist thriller entertainment the likes of which we only occasionally see done well (it's a lot better than Alex Cross).

When unhinged Iraq War veteran James Barr (Sikora) is framed for a vicious sniper rampage that took the lives of five people, his one request is to get Jack Reacher (Cruise). A mysterious drifter now living off the grid, Reacher is a former army investigator, and he rides into town as soon as he hears of Barr's arrest. Though Reacher assumes Barr is guilty due to the vet's previous actions, he begins to dig deeper into the clues with Barr's lawyer Helen (Pike), revealing a more intricate plot. As he works through suspects and conducts his own investigation, Reacher soon comes up against brutal enforcer Charlie (Courtney) and his fingerless boss The Zec (Herzog).

Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie's screenplay is based on Lee Child's novel One Shot. The translation to the screen is for the most part successful, with plenty of engaging dialogue and with McQuarrie keeping the story interesting throughout. Pacing is a strong suit, as there are no unnecessary subplots to weigh the film down. Jack Reacher is very no-nonsense, with the titular character consistently moving from Point A to Point B, only occasionally slowing down to present Helen with his findings and thus let the audience catch up on all the evidence. However, the narrative is so sophisticated and dense that it would seem McQuarrie was unsure about how to handle it. Conspiracies are uncovered and shady company dealings are brought forth, but McQuarrie opts for the easy way out, eventually simplifying the equation down to people shooting one another. Those involved in the conspiracy end up dead, of course, but how much can be proved in court to justify the killings? Can the company behind the conspiracy be taken to task, or has Reacher done them a favour by eliminating the pawns who did all the dirty work? A lot needs to be wrapped up after the climax, and McQuarrie doesn't even try to resolve it, cutting the film off instead.

McQuarrie's regular day job is as a screenwriter extraordinaire, with credits like the Oscar-winning The Usual Suspects and 2008's Valkyrie to his name. Jack Reacher is only his second directorial effort; he first helmed The Way of the Gun twelve years ago. Despite his scratchy filmmaking credentials, his handling of Jack Reacher is slick and accomplished, building intrigue and staging action sequences with equal assurance. Most impressive is the opening sniper massacre, a harrowing and gripping set-piece that begins the film with no dialogue and utmost tension. Shot in 35mm film by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, this is a good-looking, old-fashioned action-thriller, with every fight and conflict captured through steady camera set-ups, smooth editing and several extended shots. Cruise did the majority of his own stunts, adding realism and excitement to the set-pieces. Of particular note is a loud, intense car chase, and a vicious showdown between Reacher and Charlie. The action may be out-of-place after so much patient build-up, but at least it's skilful and entertaining.

Internet controversy came thick and fast when Cruise was cast as Reacher. In the books, Reacher is described as a tall, muscular behemoth with short blonde hair, making the role appropriate for someone like Dwayne Johnson or Dolph Lundgren. It would've been interesting to see a more faithful screen iteration of Reacher, but Cruise makes it work; he's both brutal and charming. The role is gruffer than the characters Cruise usually plays, and the star embraced the chance to go against his typecast persona, replacing his trademark smile with steely determination and tremendous ferocity. Cruise is now fifty years old, but he doesn't look a day over forty. Anyone could have played the role of lawyer Helen, but Rosamund Pike is a good pick, beautiful and believable. The dependable Richard Jenkins also impresses as the District Attorney, while Jai Courtney makes for a credible brute. What really boosts the film, though, is the casting of German filmmaker Werner Herzog as The Zec. He gets limited screen-time, but he's memorably sinister. Also of note is Robert Duvall, who shares great chemistry with Cruise.

Jack Reacher entered cinemas at an awkward time for American audiences. Arriving not long after the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, many may feel uncomfortable watching the sniper slaughter, in which innocents are killed in cold blood. This is not a criticism of the film and it's not McQuarrie's fault at all, but sensitive movie-goers should be wary of the content. In the end, Jack Reacher is two-thirds of a great thriller and one-third of a standard, generic action film. It had the potential to be a more sophisticated, Oscar-grade flick, but the finished film is nevertheless enjoyable as popcorn entertainment. It's evident that Cruise is aiming for another film franchise here, as there are several other Jack Reacher books that can be adapted if Paramount deems this endeavour to be successful enough. And there's no problem with that - I would happily pay to see further adventures of Cruise as Reacher.

7.1/10