Jack Reacher begins with a sniper target-shooting random folks outside PNC Park. Ummm, so, nobody thought this material might be a little insensitive given the recent news? Nobody? Nobody at all? OK, I shan’t belabor it. Let’s move on. The legendary Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is summoned to investigate. Who summons The Reacher? The accused. Got a last request? Sure, Tom Cruise would be my one and only choice, too. When the prosecuting brain trust decide seeking Reacher is both a priority and an impossibility, Reacher strolls right in the door. And thus we begin an aggravating tug-of-rope with comedy pulling one end and drama yanking the other.
Five people shot dead to open a film? Decidedly drama. Two thugs braining each other in a small bathroom because baseball bat/crowbar swing radius limit is reached? Comedy. One-eyed, three-fingered Werner Herzog? Drama. Cruise knocking a bad guy unconscious by using the head of another bad guy? Comedy. This isn’t exactly Die Hard, where Bruno wise-cracks while doing dramatic hero stuff. In Jack Reacher, we’ve mingled Syriana-type violence with Stooge-type violence. It works to a point.
Has Tom Cruise come full circle with his acting career, because I feel like we’re back to Vince from Color of Money? Doesn’t really matter who Cruise is supposed to be, he’s cool. For the love of Thunder, are we really back to Tom Cruise playing Tom Cruise? Here we have Jack Reacher – ex-MP elite creature of myth, a man capable of executing justice regardless of barrier, but with Cruise at the helm, the overwhelming feel is quasi-smug invulnerability. You can’t kill him because he’s the only guy around worth following. Rosamund Pike? Richard Jenkins? Please. Werner Herzog was the only invitee who can chew scenery quite like Cruise. Thank you, Werner. I respect you taking time out of your busy schedule creating unpopular documentaries to participate in this schlock.
Jack Reacher is the kind of film in which the DA and the defense attorney are father/daughter and the type of film in which escaping from multiple police by vehicle is cake, and yet we the audience are still required to maintain an air of foreboding triggered by the subsequent murders of key players in the investigation. On paper, the elements here don’t add to a winner, but I’m not complaining … yet. Aside, of course, from a silly speech on self-restricted freedom Cruise delivers mid-film. What are you, channeling dianetics for this tripe? Giving you a pass because I loved MI4, but don’t do it again.
♪Christmas time has come
Cruise is not quite done
Kate Holmes doesn’t fear the Reacher
Nor do Nicole or miss Mimi
We can be like they are
Come on Django… Don’t fear the Reacher
It’s just two hours… Don’t fear the Reacher
We’ll be able to shop… Don’t fear the Reacher
You won’t have to think… ♫
Rated PG-13, 130 Minutes
D: Christopher McQuarrie
W: Christopher McQuarrie
Genre: Adult cool
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Vigilantes
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Sniper victims
