Review of Jack Reacher (2012) by Chibistevo — 06 Jul 2013

In some respects, it's easy to see why Jack Reacher was never going to be a darling for the critics. Where in the Crime genre, you expect great success to only come from a riveting script, cajoled and simmered for years before anyone even thinks about directing it.

What you must remember, then, is that Lee Child knocks one of these books out every year. If anything, the story he provides is just a standard crime thriller. Such prolific output is usually fit for straight-to-TV drama series', so it's a surprise that Jack Reacher not only received the treatment it deserved, but also provides perhaps the most entertaining crime-thriller since The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Tom Cruise, hate him or love him, and forgetting the height issue, is definitely Reacher. Part of my respect for the film comes from solely how well he pulled the character off. As for the plot, it's standard Lee Child fare. You're provided with the general story, not so much a whodunnit as a whodiddit with them. There's red herrings, viewpoints from both the good and bad guys, and it is all paced at the same break neck speed as the novels.

My only gripe is that the reveals are all quite predictable and unexciting, which again, comes back to Child's original work. Although he can write great material and characters, the mystery side to his novels has, even after all these years, been rather amateurish. But what's important here is that everyone involved in the film makes it completely believable, right until the final scene, which, is hardly Bourne, but still a great finale.