Jack Reacher (2012)
Certified: 14
Duration: 130 minutes
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, Werner Herzog, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Michael Raymond-James, James Martin Kelly
KRS release
Jack Reacher is the creation of British author Jim Grant. Under the pen name of Lee Child, Grant wrote about 17 books revolving around this character.
The film embodies the single-minded focus of its character
This film is an adaptation of the 2005 novel One Shot. Scepticism reigned with regards to Tom Cruise’s filling of the weighty shoes of Reacher who is supposed to be over six feet tall. However, the actor pulls it off admirably with the same earnest qualities that have kept him gracing movie posters since the 1980s.
Pittsburgh is shocked when a sniper shoots five people in what seems to be a random act of violence. Police detective Emerson (David Oyelowo) and district attorney Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins) think they have found the killer in the form of James Barr (Joseph Sikora), an ex-military sniper. When interrogated, Barr writes down “Get Jack Reacher”. After this, he gets beaten into a coma by other prison inmates. Reacher (Cruise) is a former military MP who had an illustrious career before leaving the military due to some problems.
Reacher has spent the last years wandering and drifting all over the place. One day, he meets Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), James’s lawyer and Alex’s daughter. She wants Jack’s help, he accepts and starts looking into the incident. This soon has tough guy Linsky (Michael Raymond James) on Jack’s trail. This brings him to the attention of Charlie (Jai Courtenay), Linsky’s boss and The Zec (Werner Herzog), who is Charlie’s boss.
Jack starts uncovering clues and this brings him into focus, almost making him seem guilty as to what happened. He receives help from former Marine Samuel Cash (Robert Duvall) who also owns a shooting range.
Jack Reacher takes no prisoners, its intensity exudes off the screen and leaves a heady effect on its audience. This film embodies the single-minded focus of its character and propels us forward. It is a film about the good guys and bad guys, where the good guy will stop at nothing to get the bad guy and we want him to be relentless in his pursuit.
In its own way the film brings us into a collision course with Jack Reacher with no polite introduction. There is little background to him and in this manner Cruise and Reacher meld smoothly into one.
The film has that sort of no-fuss attitude that the first Taken had and its sequel so sorely lacked. It also reminded me of The Bourne Legacy trilogy for its intense ride and focused energy.
Christopher McQuarrie, famous for the script of The Usual Suspects, keeps the film in fast motion and slips in some unexpected humour and tasty one-liners. The choreography is particularly creative in the way it handles the action sequences and car chases.
McQuarrie is not about over-the-top and overt layering of a story. He likes his film cooked medium rare and that is what you get – a film that is trimmed to deliver cinematic action. It goes beyond being just another Cruise vehicle even though it features one of his best recent performances.
Jack Reacher is one of those action films that defy the saying “they don’t make them like they used to!” and comes out smelling like roses.