Time: 130 Minutes
Age Rating: M – contains violence and offensive language
Cast:
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
Rosamund Pike as Helen Rodin
Richard Jenkins as District Attorney Alex Rodin
Werner Herzog as Zek Chelovek
David Oyelowo as Pittsburgh Police Detective Calvin Emerson
Jai Courtney as Charlie
Robert Duvall as Martin Cash
Director: Christopher McQuarrie

I had previously watched Jack Reacher around the time that it was released, but decided to come back to it after seeing director Christopher McQuarrie’s work with the Mission Impossible movies. The first adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels was better than I remember it being, despite its mixed reception.

On the surface it looks like a typical Tom Cruise action movie. It definitely has its larger scale thrilling sequences, but at its core it is more of a modern crime thriller than an action movie. It is appropriately steadily paced, and the mystery story was interesting and entertaining.

Jack Reacher also benefits from a great cast. Tom Cruise plays the title role, and yes, as many fans of the books have said, he definitely doesn’t have the imposing stature and figure that Reacher is written to have. Putting that aside though, he is still really good here. Smaller height aside, Cruise is effectively mysterious, cold and intimidating. Rosamund Pike is decent enough, even if her underwritten character felt like it could’ve been played by anyone. Werner Herzog is only in a few scenes but makes a memorable impression as the main villain, and Jai Courtney is really good as the main henchman. Robert Duvall, Richard Jenkins, and David Oyelowo are also solid in their parts.

Christopher McQuarrie’s direction is solid. Jack Reacher is well shot with gritty cinematography, and the action is brutal with some great stunts. The action is relatively restrained for the most part, but works very well whenever it’s present.

Jack Reacher is an underrated, solid and entertaining crime thriller, well directed, and with really good performances and action.