Saturday, January 12, 2013

Movie Review: Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher was neither original nor particularly groundbreaking, but it had a perfect mix of well-executed action sequences, witty script and a decently written - if slightly absurd and unbelievable - story. The cast was uniformly good and while Tom Cruise might not look like a young action hero anymore, he pulled this one quite impressively. There were a couple of silly moments of near-slapstick humor that seemed out of place, but I digress. Jack Reacher wasn't perfect, but it was made purely to entertain, and it certainly accomplished that mission. 7.5

Posted by DAM at 3:35 AM
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1 comments:

Dosti said...

The film opens with a shooting scene which is disturbing since it reminds you of the current gun violence issue plaguing USA. From the suspect claiming innocence to Reacher getting tangled in the conspiracy crime himself, the 'whodunnit' drama keeps you engaged. For those who are unfamiliar with the books, the film does give you a brief backgrounder on Jack Reacher. He's a drifter, an ex-army guy who 'prefers to be left alone' when he's not investigating tough cases. Highly skilled, possessing extreme intelligence, photographic memory and raw strength, he is a man who lives by his own code of honour. Does Tom Cruise fit the bill? In the books, Reacher is described as 'big and tall' with ice-blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. Tom Cruise bears no physical resemblance to the character. He does not look intimidating or menacing enough for the goons. Thus, much has been said about Cruise being a misfit for the title role. In Cruise's defence, he sheds his movie-star image remarkably, to play the stoic fictional hero who may not be as 'exciting' as his contemporaries. Reacher knows who he is unlike Jason Bourne, does not have fancy cars, clothes and gadgets like Bond, nor is he a wise-cracking, fast-talking guy like Sherlock. Cruise, who is otherwise super-expressive as an actor, underplays impressively to portray Reacher. He does justice to the role but on the flipside, you constantly miss Tom Cruise's charisma. Without it, the film borders on being bland in certain portions. The villain (played by director Werner Herzog) with his German accent and coloured eyes is creepy. Certain one-liners are impressive while some unintentionally funny. Action scenes look authentic. There is no loud background score. The highlight is one of the suspenseful car chase sequences, where Reacher is chasing the bad guys while being chased by the cops. It's been shot brilliantly. The film is more of a cerebral drama than a fast-paced, modern action flick. The suspense is satisfying and so is Cruise's 'true to character' performance. A lot depends on whether you like Jack Reacher, the pragmatic investigator. The film is more of a cerebral drama than a fast-paced, modern action flick. The suspense is satisfying and so is Cruise's 'true to character' performance. A lot depends on whether you like Jack Reacher, the pragmatic investigator. The film is more of a cerebral drama than a fast-paced, modern action flick. The suspense is satisfying and so is Cruise's 'true to character' performance. A lot depends on whether you like Jack Reacher, the pragmatic investigator. The film is more of a cerebral drama than a fast-paced, modern action flick. The suspense is satisfying and so is Cruise's 'true to character' performance. A lot depends on whether you like Jack Reacher, the pragmatic investigator. The film is more of a cerebral drama than a fast-paced, modern action flick. The suspense is satisfying and so is Cruise's 'true to character' performance. A lot depends on

January 16, 2013 at 10:40 PM

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