Jack Reacher (2012)

Jack Reacher (2012)

 Tom: "If I hear one more Xenu joke..."

Stupid name for a movie and the character, but the movie is actually entertaining. The movie is based on a series of by British writer Lee Child and they based this movie on the book One Shot in the series. Part John Grisham, part detective story, part action movie; the movie handles both aspects well. There are a few clichés here and there that tend to be annoying, but it doesn’t overshadow the movie or take you out of the story.

When a sniper shoots up a bunch of people, the man accused of the crime asks for Jack Reacher to show up. Reacher is a former MP Before Reacher can talk to him; the suspect ends up in coma. Jack and a defense lawyer must piece together what happened that day. What was the real reason behind the crime?

I may hate Tom Cruise for his involvement in that kooky church, but damn he does put a lot into many of his roles. He actually gives a shit about his character. I truly think Tom got into role of being an anti-hero. Reacher isn’t exactly a good guy. He is more in tune with Wolverine when fighting. Plus, he beats people up and lies to get answers. These were some of my favorite portions to watch.

There is one great action set piece that is worth the price of the movie. Jack rides around in a stolen muscle car while cops are chasing him as he’s chasing down the bad guys. He gets tracked down while tracking down the bad guys. It feels like a chase scene out of a 70s and 80s movie. It is pure fun to watch and the conclusion the chase is funny and neat.

The musical score is fairly strong with a nice central theme. Joe Kraemer has this smooth main theme played through some French horns that is very distinctive. I loved the score a great deal.

Probably the weakest part of the story is the weak main villain played by Werner Herzog. Herzog mainly sits and talks on the phone the whole time, so it doesn’t make him a compelling villain. Don’t get me wrong the henchmen are entertaining though. The final boss just isn’t that scary.

Despite the weak main villain and the uneasiness of sniper attack, Jack Reacher is an entertaining little movie that surprised me how good it turned out. And, the car chase is worth watching period. Well played, Tom.

Grade: B-