This past week, the crime drama Jack Reacher, starring Tom Cruise, finally came out on DVD. Somehow, in the mad scramble to see all of 2012's Academy Award-nominated movies before the Oscars aired, I missed this movie in theaters. At the time, it didn't seem like much of a priority - especially compared to seeing Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook.
If you haven't read the Lee Child books, you'll probably like this movie a whole lot more than I did. This particular film is based on Child's 2005 crime thriller One Shot, for those of you who'd prefer to read, rather than watch.
Let me start by saying that I always have a clear picture of a character in my head when I read a book. Sometimes it is an actor, but not always. With the Jack Reacher character, well, I saw him as he's described by Child: 6'5", 250 pounds. In other words, a super intimidating presence. I didn't really see a specific actor in my head as I was reading, but I definitely never would've seen Tom Cruise. So, when Cruise was cast in the lead role, I (like many others) questioned the decision. I seem to recall some screaming and gnashing of teeth ("He's too short!" "He's too old!").
Once I forced my mental image of Jack Reacher from my head, I was able to enjoy the movie version a bit more. To be fair, this is not some huge Oscar-worthy movie. It's a decent, pretty formulaic crime thriller. I watched with someone who hadn't read the book, and he did guess the "twist" about halfway through. That's usually not a good thing, now is it?
Tom Cruise handles the Jack Reacher aloofness perfectly - almost too much so. At times he just seems to be phoning it in, and who could blame him? This is a character I suspect he could play in his sleep: A tough-talking drifter with lots of secrets who doesn't take any crap from anyone, ever.
Tom Cruise has played some version of the Jack Reacher role a million times, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just means that you'll feel like you're wearing your favorite old, comfy sweater watching Cruise as Reacher (never mind that the sweater might be just a little musty and slightly moth-eaten).
I won't give away the plot of Jack Reacher here, because I hate spoilers - even if a movie is fairly predictable. I will, however, offer up this brief summary:
Jack Reacher features some guns, some bad guys, a whip smart, gorgeous blonde attorney (Rosamund Pike), more guns, several fist fights, some absolutely wicked cars (a vintage Camaro! A Chevelle SS!) and car chases, at least one knife, a whole boatload of more guns (did I say that already?) and a fairly good amount of head-banging (literally).
Oh and the highlight of Jack Reacher for me? That's so easy: Robert Duvall, as a gruff gun range owner. I think all movies are better with Robert Duvall in them, especially when he gets to yell out "Suck it!" For that matter, Jack Reacher also stars Richard Jenkins and Werner Herzog. Not too shabby. I have this strange rule about Richard Jenkins, by the way: If he's in a movie, any movie, I almost always never hate it. Seriously, check out the man's filmography, you'll be a bit amazed.
And keep an eye out for a cameo of Lee Child (I don't blame these authors for wanting cameos...if I ever write That Big Novel That Gets a Movie Deal, you can bet I'm going to get myself in that film somehow). Child was a staunch defender of the decision to cast Tom Cruise, by the way. As he explains, sometimes you simply cannot find an actor who looks exactly like the character you created. I get that. I mean Daniel Day-Lewis isn't even tall enough for this role (not that he'd have taken it, mind you).
Does that help? I wasn't kidding about the awesome cars. If you're fan of classic 70s muscle cars, Jack Reacher is well worth your time. The film features some pretty nifty driving stunts. If fast, cool, vintage cars aren't your thing? Well, Jack Reacher is a decent enough way to pass an afternoon or evening.
Has anyone else seen the Jack Reacher movie? If so, what did you think? Are you a fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Photos courtesy of JackReacherMovie.com and Collider.com
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