Jack Reacher

The buzz from fans of the "Jack Reacher" novels before this first film adaptation was released was regarding the polarizing star Tom Cruise and how he’s too small to play the tough guy. After watching the film, that should be the least of their worries. Cruise’s turn as Reacher has him investigating a seemingly random shooting that leaves an ex-military sniper accused of the murders. But there is of course more to the crime than meets the eye. The film is equal parts action film and crime thriller, and both are done successfully. The mystery consists of twists and turns that expose characters we’ve already met. There’s nothing more frustrating in a mystery than when the villain turns out to be some random guy the viewer never seen before. Jack Reacher avoids that.

Even with a good performance by Cruise, the movie is not a showcase for star power like the Mission Impossible films. The (mostly) subtle development of Reacher is as much a mystery as the crime is. The character has no phone, no car and proves difficult to find. With Cruise’s signature soft spoken presence, the performance is the movie’s most memorable aspect. The supporting cast, led by Rosamund Pike’s lawyer, Helen does well even if they are a bit forgettable. That tends to happen when characters aren’t developed enough.

The odd car chase and beat down of bad guys proves very exciting among the criminal pursuit in the film. But at the end of the day, there aren’t enough unique moments for Jack Reacher. The books are successful because of consistency. The movie may not get the chance to build that kind of rapport with the movie going public, however. In the last few years Cruise has proven that he can still handily lead any film. The guy’s a good actor. That doesn’t necessarily translate to good box office numbers though.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.