Film & TV

Film Review: Jack Reacher

Tom Cruise‘s latest movie Jack Reacher is a great example of how to get it all right. Director Christopher McQuarrie (received Oscar in 1995 for his screenplay of The Usual Suspects) adapted his smart screenplay from Lee Child‘s book One Shot. Yet he has spiced up the old genre of a police related action thriller with constant surprises that keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Five pedestrians are shot by a lone sniper and the evidence points to James Barr (Joseph Sikora) a retired Army sniper, who is quickly arrested. But before signing a confession to DA Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins) he scribbles three words on a sheet of paper: “Get Jack Reacher.” As Rodin and the detective in charge (David Oyelowo) wonder aloud why Barr has asked for a former military policeman who has fallen off the grid, Reacher walks through the D.A.’s office door. (This is almost a joke that continues through the film, that this team are not really taking the lone hero stuff too seriously!)

Reacher (Tom Cruise) has seen the news and he has history with Barr from the Afghan warzone. Barr’s defence attorney Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike) is, by typical movie coincidence, also the DA’s daughter. She is beauty and brains personified and there is a nice vibe between her and Reacher as he surprises her with his unique technique and forensic detective work. She does what the law allows her to do; he does what is right. So even though they reach things from different directions, they connect and understand each other.

Boys will love the action and excitement of Jack Reacher. Particularly the extended car chase in the suped up red and black Monaro driven by Cruise. The vibrant speeding, screeching, revving and crashing action sequences which definitely catch their attention. As will the humour, which plays a big part too, revealed through dry wit dialogue, perfectly delivered by Tom Cruise.

Cruise has picked well here. He has screen authority and the talents to play the action hero. He is credible as a tough ex-army special ops operative with no public profile. Yet beneath the killer skin, he also injects a sense of decency.

 

You’ll like this if you liked Double Jeopardy or The Client

I’ll give this a surprising 3 1/2 stars!

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