Though fans of the popular book series by Lee Child have been critical of the casting of Tom Cruise as the towering blonde haired hero, the argument is quickly forgotten as Cruise returns to his bread and butter, delivering a stellar performance as the ex-Army investigator.
Opening with a haunting random sniper attack on five seemingly unconnected people, Christopher McQuarrie's Jack Reacher is a fast-paced adventure that is able to maneuver through its predictable qualities to bring forth a fun and exciting story.
But the film isn't without its obvious hiccups. Cruise's sidekick, a defense attorney for the sniper accused, is a tired two-dimensional character played by the gorgeous Rosamund Pike. Her drab demeanor is exhausting as she struggles to ever find her place within the story, often sitting three steps behind the mighty Reacher.
Additionally, the ending leaves much to be desired as Reacher takes on a slew of villains, showing the ice that runs freely in his veins as he faces fear without so much as a blink of an eye. But mixed amongst the badass-ness is an immense amount of clichéd stereotypes, including the frustrating moment where Reacher throws down his gun to even the playing field and create the perfect opportunity for a hand-to-hand combat sequences"”a moment where I let out an exasperating breath of pure irritation. It isn't that moments like this make the film bad, but it does prevent it from becoming something great.
In the end, the good far outweighs the bad, and Cruise proves that, regardless of the character, he does know how to do high stakes action. The supporting cast could have been better, and the story could have been a bit rougher"”but it appears a PG-13 rating was a bigger priority. As a result, Jack Reacher proves to be a solid film but one that could have been a bit better.
