Tom Cruise reprises his creation of Lee Child's invincible, hard-man, quick-thinking, violent character - righting wrongs and saving the world in the process.
His earlier position as army major leads to his being a useful target for framing and put out of the way as part of a government conspiracy involving opium trading with fighters in Afghanistan. All too complex for me to want to remain engaged. It involves his freeing from detention of a female military general (Cobie Smulders - a name I'd never heard of, just like all the rest of the cast) and both go on the run as two wanted figures, along with a 15-year old girl (further complications I can't be bothered to explain - heigh ho!).
Action starts in Washington then moves down to New Orleans, culminating in (guess what?) yes, fleeing during one of the city's grand costumed parades!
Many fights both with fists and weapons with the couple's pursuers, all very violent, all very predictable.
Edward Zwick's film as director ought to be best appreciated by those who aren't familiar with this kind of film, and how many of those can there be?
Will there be a third Jack Reacher film? I do hope not, but if there is it had better have something more to say than this one............5.
I will never go back... to a theatre to see anything with Tom Cruise. And having at first enjoyed the Jack Reacher books (I DID finally tire of the plot lines), I was shocked when Tom Cruise decided HE was Jack Reacher. Napoleon Complex a little?
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember your antipathy towards little T.C., Mitch, and am confident that if you just HAD to watch this film it wouldn't win you over. In effect, Reacher is a superman character, immense physical strength which belies his lack of visible muscle, and unerringly accurate intuitive powers that never fails to keep him ahead of the game. Bah!
DeleteI despise tommy girrrrl cruise, so he ain't getting any of my hard-earned money!
ReplyDeleteIf you'd said anything different, W.Q., that WOULD have been a shock. But with Tiny Tom this seems to be the only kind of film he ever makes now (though the 'Mission Impossible' series hasn't been at all bad, I must say). I'm not wishing him to be in a romantic comedy, for example, though I wouldn't want to see it, but for some years he's been stuck in playing the same character under different names. I wonder what his next project will be? Don't tell me......!
DeleteI used to really like Tom Cruise but the older Ive got the more weird I think his religion is. Plus also is his face changing? And not in the getting older way... it could just be me
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting and hoping (though vastly against the odds) that he'll make an exit from the cult and dish the dirt on it - sorry, MORE dirt. But they're masters in not allowing that to happen having honed their methods from dealing with so many such minded former members, so I'm not holding my breath.
DeleteYes, I get the impression that his face is indeed changing and He's starting to show his true age, but one can never tell how much of that is film make-up. However, there comes a point where even they are defeated and I suspect that point has now been reached.
I'm still waiting for him to make a film that's markedly different from these gung-ho 'thrillers' - and I don't think he's done even one since 'Eyes Wide Shut'.
Ray,
ReplyDeleteI forwarded your review to my Canadian pal Pat. He LOVES everything Jack Reacher including this latest movie installment. Me? I'm a "Downton Abbey" fan which Pat is not.
Ron
I knew, just KNEW that Pat would like this one, Ron. Oh well, as it's his kind of film....... but there he and I have to part company.
DeleteBtw: I think my rating of '5' was over-generous. For me the negatives outweighed the downsides.
I do not watch movies with Mr. Cruise in them for he says mean things about me.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember. I think there must be at least as many anti-T.C.s around than pros.
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