Movie Review: Jack Reacher (2012)
Written by Anthony Sargon
“Jack Reacher” looked iffy from the start. Its trailers didn’t do much to differentiate the film from any other generic action flick, except that it’s starring Tom Cruise. Judging a movie by its trailer isn’t fair though, so how did the actual film turn out? Quite mediocre, sadly, and in this crowded holiday session, mediocre just isn’t good enough.
The story revolves around a sniper shooting that kills 5 innocent civilians. The suspected shooter is an ex-military man, but things aren’t as black and white as they seem. Jack Reacher, former army investigator, comes out of his self-imposed isolation to try and set things straight.
The problem with “Jack Reacher” is how déjà-vu everything feels. The directing is uninspired, the acting is mediocre, the story isn’t very interesting, and it’s easily about 20 minutes too long. Oh, and Tom Cruise was a terrible choice to play Jack Reacher; he’s just playing himself, which makes it hard to root for him.
Tom Cruise isn’t the only one phoning in his performance though. Rosamund Pike (Wrath of the Titans) gives an awful performance as the suspect’s lawyer, and she struggles to maintain an American accent throughout the flick. Even Jai Courtney (Varro from Spartacus) fails to make an impression, which really makes me question director Christopher McQuerrie’s talent. He’s set to direct “Mission Impossible 5”, which now sounds way less appealing.
Thankfully, there are some actors who make an effort, like David Oyelowo (Rise of the Planet of The Apes) and the always reliable Robert Duvall (The Godfather). Without those two gentlemen, the film would have been an even bigger bore than it already was.
The dialogue in the film is also quite atrocious. For a big-budget adaptation like this, you’d expect it to have a little gravitas, but there’s none of that here. One-liners constantly fall flat on their face, which can be painful to watch. There are a handful of cool action scenes, including a couple of brawls and a car chase (which goes on for too long), but you’ll forget all about them as soon as you step out of the theater.
Anthony’s Verdict:
All in all, “Jack Reacher” is not worth your time or money. There are much better films out right now, and any one of them is a safer bet than this generic mess.
Numerical Score: 5.5/10
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