Jack Reacher
After training for years to be a sniper in the U.S. Army and serve in Iraq, only to never be activated, a soldier is returned stateside to lead a “normal” life. The issue, he still hungers to fire his weapon and see the action he prepared for. Now accused of the murder of 5 innocent civilians, Barr (Joseph Sikora), doesn’t stand a chance against the District Attorney (Richard Jenkins), and then there’s Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), a former military police investigator that already has a vendetta for Barr. But, as Reacher digs into the details surrounding Barr’s case the bigger picture becomes evident, a masterful framing. Now for justice to prevail and what of defense attorney Helen’s (Rosamund Pike) case? What lengths will Reacher have to go in order to stop the powers at the top?
Despite the heavy lacing of machismo, Mission Impossible, Bourne-esque thrills Cruise can muster, an enjoyable watch is still contained within. Formulaic? Yep, it is, but the raw nature, and gritty timbre gives us a slightly different vantage point than the expected polished Hollywood thriller. Confident Cruise carries the role as one would expect, and smaller roles from Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, and Robert Duvall all fit the bill nicely. Although, leading lady Pike seems to have had her character written hastily, not her fault, but never let it be said chauvinism is dead, at least not in this film. Regardless, you’re looking for action, car chases, guns and explosions? Well you’ve come to the right place, just consider it all of the above with close to no nutritional value. Jack Reacher is rated PG-13.