Jack Reacher

Movie: Jack Reacher

Genre: thriller

Synopsis: This is based on a series of novels by Lee Child.  Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is a retired Army officer who was a military investigator.  He retired after becoming disillusioned with the Army.  He now does his best to stay of the grid.  He has no bank accounts, no cell phone, no mailing address, no email address.  He receives his retirement by wire transfer.  He wanders around the country by hitchhiking or bus.  He has only the clothes that he wears.  When a trained sniper shoots and kills five people, an arrest is quickly made.  The suspect will not talk.  All he will do is write a note: “Get Jack Reacher”.  Oddly enough, Jack soon shows up.  He soon comes to the conclusion that the man is innocent.  Jack then starts helping the defense attorney (played by Rosamunde Pike) find who is behind the killings.   

My two cents:   I had misgivings about Tom Cruise in this role.  In the books, Jack Reacher is something like 6’5” and 250 pounds.  Tom is a bit smaller than that.  Not to worry – Tom Cruise does a bang-up job as Jack Reacher.  My favorite scene has five tough-guys hired to work him over.  He calmly faces them and says calmly that he will give them one more chance to change their minds.  I don’t want to give too much away – so I will just say that Jack prevails.  I hope that this is going to be another Tom Cruise franchise series of movies.

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