Jack Reacher (AKA Jack Reacher: One Shot)

Dir: Christopher McQuarrie

2012

****

The loudest piece of criticism I’ve heard about 2012’s Jack Reacher is that Tom Crusie is far too short to play the fictional character who is described as 6 foot 5 inches in Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. I can think of a few actors who could have played Jack Reacher just as well as Tom Crusie (and many who are taller) but to be honest I thought he did a great job. I've not read the book so I can't make a comparison but I thought the story was thrilling and rather intelligent. People who read my reviews will not be surprised at what I liked about it most though. I’ve been saying it for years and finally someone has listened - Werner Herzog is the ultimate movie villain. His performance in Jack Reacher is all the proof you need, the ‘Chew your own finger off and I’ll let you live’ scene is a million times more villainous then any Bond villain and his chilling creepiness puts most contemporary bad guys to shame with little effort. Every scene he's in he chills to the bone and you believe in him and believe the horrible things he's done and is going to do. Cruise and Robert Duval have a rather nice buddy thing going on, I actually liked Rosamund Pike’s performance for a change and David Oyelowo is great in his supporting role. Nothing is ever too over the top and the plot, action and script are always believable. The ending is very clever and very well written. I found it to be a very pleasant surprise and should be used as a reference for action/thrillers going forward.  They got the mood right, avoided many a cliché and have produced my favourite screen villain for a decade. It’s not often that subtlety is the key to an action/thriller, so I’m rather glad there are 17 books for far (as of 2012) with more already in development averaging at around one a year. Long may the novels and the films continue (if they remain this good).