Review of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) by Ola G — 14 Apr 2017

After accomplishing the assignment of dismantling a human trafficking organization, the former military and drifter Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) goes to Washington to invite his liaison, Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), to have dinner with him. However, he meets her substitute, Colonel Sam Morgan, who explains that Major Turner has been arrested and accused of espionage. Jack seeks out her veteran lawyer, Colonel Bob Moorcroft, who explains that Major Turner has also been accused of the murders of two soldiers in Afghanistan. Further, he also tells Jack he is being sued, accused by a woman of being the father of her fifteen year-old daughter, Samantha (Danika Yarosh). When Moorcroft is murdered, Jack is accused of being the killer and sent to a prison. He sees that Turner and he have been framed and also that Turner will be killed by two assassins. However, he rescues her and they flee. Soon, they realize that there is a conspiracy involving military people from the army and a government contractor that is a powerful arms dealer...

While "Jack Reacher" from 2012 was an ok action thriller based on Lee Child´s character, the fact is that the sequel "Jack Reacher - Never Go Back" is a missed opportunity to take the character further on the movie screen. The story is simply not that intriguing and by adding Reacher´s fifteen year-old daughter Samantha to the plot, the grip of the story becomes too lose and you don´t really care if Reacher and Turner manage to get away alive and prove their innocence. The film also struggles with a stiff dialogue, not that much sparks between the lovely Smulders and Cruise and a bit over the top scenes. "Jack Reacher - Never Go Back" is a lot weaker than its predecessor and if we will see a third Jack Reacher film, I hope the script is better.