Review of Jack Reacher (2012) by Jonathan W — 07 Feb 2014

I can't help but laugh at how knowingly "Jack Reacher" indulges in its audiences perceptions of Tom Cruise. It takes his persona (as an action star and producer,-- the apex of the kind of guy who has the lead role of "Mission: Impossible II" custom-designed for him) and ramps it up to the highest degree possible. Reacher is the best fighter, the best shooter, the best tactician, the best detective, the best driver... He's a caricature through and through, but boy is Cruise--and we, as an audience by allowing the indulgence to proceed-- having a good time as Reacher does what he does.

As a result, the only reason why "Jack Reacher" as an entity works is because of Christopher McQuarrie deftly balancing every other element against the larger-than-life title character. While advertised as an old fashioned action romp, the material rather unfolds at a measured pace; a relatively straightforward procedural mystery with quick bursts of action to punctuate the rising danger.

The opening sequence is absolutely chilling in its slow, methodical execution. There's not a moment of CGI to be found in the film. Actors do their own stunts. The fight sequences aren't overly choreographed, but build naturally and tell their own story. Perhaps strangest of all is Werner Herzog's delightfully creepy-yet-understated (and brief) performance.

Reacher himself is a right-wing fantasy that triumphs at every turn too easily (and I can't help but roll my eyes a bit at the hat/bus gag), the ultimate plot solution is too convoluted to be remotely sensible, and the whole thing is just too darn testosterone-fueled (including two rather helpless female characters doesn't help; and there's one especially sexist line that is downright nasty rather than the clever retort it was meant to be)... but I genuinely get the sense that there's a lot more subtly being played out below the surface than one would expect. A modern action film that resists the urge to simply blow-out a massive budget on wanton destruction and computer-generated excess has no choice but to shine a light on it's storytelling, and "Jack Reacher" has a kind of back-to-basics approach that feels remarkably fresh.