Jack Reacher Review

Jack Reacher

2 stars out of 4

By Brett Takeshita

Is Jack Reacher the new big action hero that we've been waiting for? Is he the one that's going to launch a mega movie franchise? Based on this first film, I'm not convinced.

Jack Reacher is based on the novel One Shot of the popular Jack Reacher series. It begins in a rather shocking fashion: five innocent people are gunned down in the city. The prime suspect (Joseph Sikora) is arrested, but instead of admitting to his crimes, he simply writes "Get Jack Reacher" on a notepad. Now comes Jack (Tom Cruise). He is a man of mystery- a dangerous human being with an obscure past. Barr's defense attorney, Helen (Rosamund Pike), wishes for Jack to become her lead investigator. She is in desperate need of help, for she finds it nearly impossible to save Barr from the death penalty. So begins Jack's investigations. Jack has his doubts as to whether or not Barr is actually a guilty man, and Jack will do anything to find answers. However, the closer to the truth he gets, the more dangerous things become. Soon, Jack finds himself in an extremely complicated case, with danger lurking around every corner.

Jack Reacher is a film that could have been an excellent, involving thriller. Instead, it falls flat. It moves slowly and is rather clumsily executed. I found myself confused for a lot of the film. Maybe it's just me, but I definitely couldn't track along the whole time. What's worse is that I found myself not caring. I didn't really care what happened to these characters or how this film resolved. I just wanted to know how was actually the culprit of the crime, and that's about it. Sadly, I think this lack of caring is a result of unmemorable characters. Jack is sorta interesting in that he is an unpredictable enigma, but the rest of the characters are boring. It's a shame that we are supposed to be invested in these characters, but the writing doesn't allow them to be interesting.

In addition to flaws in characterization and execution, Jack Reacher does not have enough action. I know how awful and boyish that sounds, but it's true. The few action sequences in this film are spectacular. Christopher McQuarrie is excellent with directing action. He doesn't rely on seizure-inducing editing or glitzy camera movements. Instead, he lets the scenes breathe. We can see the action fully from medium and wide shots. He doesn't feel the need to "glitz" them up. And yet, there is still excitement and suspense in McQuarrie's naturalism. However, it's such a shame that we are left with so many "procedural" type scenes that lack excitement and drive. Throughout the film, I kept hoping for more action to come, but unfortunately, it came way too infrequently. 

Not all is bad with this film. The main reason why Jack Reacher isn't a complete train wreck is because of Tom Cruise's performance. You'd be surprised at how convincing of an action star he is. He is dark, charismatic, and at times, threatening. He brings a stillness to his character that is always intriguing. And what's most surprising is that he is quite good at selling the humor in the film. The rest of the supporting cast is filled with many talented actors, but unfortunately, they aren't given much to do. This is Tom Cruise' movie, and he tries his hardest to sell this movie. "Try" is the key word here.

Jack Reacher isn't a terrible movie, but it could have been so much more. If you are looking for a sleek and suspenseful action thriller, Jack Reacher isn't it. If Paramount wishes to make more Jack Reacher films in the future, I hope they deliver more thrills in the subsequent installments than there were in this first installment. Two stars out of four.