Review of Jack Reacher (2012) by Mike D — 26 Jan 2014

There's a long litany of films that have been mis-marketed in order to tap into a more interested audience, particularly when a film is not so great. This tactic was used in the promotion of 'Jack Reacher,' one of Tom Cruise's most recent efforts, as the film is a lot more 'crime drama' than it is 'suspenseful adrenaline rush.

' In 'Reacher,' Cruise portrays a mysterious ex-Army criminal investigator who is called on by an up-and-coming defense attorney (portrayed by Rosamund Pike) to help clear an alleged mass murderer, accused of sniping five seemingly random people in broad daylight.

To add to things, the attorney's father (Richard Jenkins) is none other than the district attorney, who will stop at nothing to retain his streak of legal successes. Talk about an involved plot. In terms of execution, 'Reacher' falls pretty flat.

The film suffers from a major identity crisis, as there are dramatic sequences, then car chases that were taken directly out of the 'Fast and the Furious' franchise, followed by a finale that takes place at a construction site reminiscent of those B-movies from the 80's.

The disjointedness of 'Reacher' is hard to ignore, and even harder to look past is the acting. Cruise delivers one of his weakest, least believable roles, and the supporting cast does not do much better (save for a nice little cameo by Robert Duvall).

It's clear that 'Jack Reacher,' while a semi-popular book series, got off on the wrong foot with its film adaptation, and it's debatable whether it can make a comeback.