Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher, based on best-selling novelist Lee Child’s popular character, translates very well to film under the direction of Christopher McQuarrie.

Tom Cruise plays Jack, a former army investigator, who is, now, living underground, moving from place to place righting wrongs.

Here, he shows up in Philadelphia where a mass-murder has taken place and a sniper Jack once arrested for a mass-murder in Iraq has been quickly caught.  Politics had interfered with the sniper’s military incarceration, but Jack had warned him that, if he ever got in trouble as a civilian, he would come after him.

 

 

But, surprisingly, when the suspect was asked to sign a confession, he had written, “Get Jack Reacher,”  before, then, being beaten into a coma by other inmates, while being transported to prison.

What seems like a slam-dunk case, Reacher suspects may not be.

 

Rosamund Pike, who I’ve enjoyed in Pride & Prejudice, An Education and Wrath of the Titans, admirably plays the Public Defender, who is pitted against her D.A. father, also well-played by Richard Jenkins.  The great Robert Duvall brings in some humor as the owner of a shooting range.

 I’ve seen some devastating reviews of this film, condemning the filmmakers and the distributor for bringing it out at this time.  I think that type of review is unfair.  Just as the entire sports world is based on fans being able to see athletes doing what they would like to be able to do, watching an action hero kicking ass allows viewers to vent their anger, especially at a time like this.  Theater provides catharsis and that takes many forms. 

I, also, don’t get the vitriol spewed by some reviewers at Tom Cruise.  I might not like some aspects of his personal life, but I, also, don’t like some aspects of David Petraeus’ life, either.  Does that mean I have to dis his job as a General?  Let’s take your meds, fellas.

Jack Reacher is not as big a budget film as the Mission Impossible franchise, but it still is a good action film and Tom Cruise is right for this character and does right for this film.

If you’re an action film fan, you’ll enjoy Jack Reacher.  I give it a 4 out of 5 for this fan base.