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Jack Reacher: Never Go Bac k-
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Movie Blurb by Shale
October 21, 2016
It was a beautiful cool sunny day to bike to the Cinema and see an action flick with Tom Cruise (who is still an appealing action hero at 54). He plays the character Jack Reacher from Lee Child's novels, an ex-Army policeman who is off the grid but shows up when needed.
I have read that Cruise does not fit the physical description of Jack in the books, who was just under six-and-a-half feet tall and Tom is just over five-and-a-half. However, since I never read the books it doesn't matter to me. Besides the camera angles seemed to have compensated for that because Cruise looked rather impressively large on screen and convincing in the hand-to-hand fights.
(The preceding was a recycling of the opening to my December 21, 2012 movie blurb for Jack Reacher)
This movie takes place about 4 years later and Jack is still wandering around as a vagabond investigator bringing bad guys to justice. The opening scene is at a diner, much like the scene in the last movie with 4 guys outside on the ground moaning and the first responder telling the sheriff that one guy took them all out. The guy, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is sitting at the counter. The sheriff goes in to harass this stranger in his town and this was the scene in a trailer where jack tells the sheriff he is about to be busted for human trafficking. Soon the feds show up in force the sheriff's cuffs are taken off of Reacher and put on the sheriff.
Jack Being Harrassed by Sheriff
Jack is in contact with a Maj. Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) who sent the rescuing backup and who has worked with Jack over the fone to clear several cases. Jack sets up for a face-to-face with the Major when he next gets to DC.
When he gets to her office he is informed that she has been removed from her position under suspicion of espionage. Of course Jack does not let this go and pursues the details. Soon enuf, he is being followed and set up for arrest. But, this is Jack Reacher. He not only manages to escape but takes the major with him. They are both on the run, while trying to get to the bottom of a mystery that involves shady military contractors in Afghanistan (Not Haliburton but some other fictionalized name) with some ppl in the Army complicit.
Jack & Major Turner on the Run
Oh, a side element that plays well. When Jack gets back in touch with the Army he discovers there is a woman claiming his paternity for her daughter, but Jack has never heard of her. Anyhow, the young woman, Samantha (Danika Yarosh) is targeted by the bad guys so she gets drawn into the deadly chase.
Maj. Turner, Samantha & Jack
Of course, it all gets resolved by the end of the movie.
This movie was not too well received by the critics or audiences. The aggregate critics on Rotten Tomatoes give it a rating of 38%, their consensus being: "Monotonously formulaic, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is one action thriller sequel whose title also serves as a warning." Also, only 53% or audiences liked it. However, I liked it as an action adventure, most of which are formulaic. It is not so film noir as the first movie so it would appear more a typical action adventure without the "art film" elements reminiscent of "Sin City."
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Movie Blurb by Shale
October 21, 2016
It was a beautiful cool sunny day to bike to the Cinema and see an action flick with Tom Cruise (who is still an appealing action hero at 54). He plays the character Jack Reacher from Lee Child's novels, an ex-Army policeman who is off the grid but shows up when needed.
I have read that Cruise does not fit the physical description of Jack in the books, who was just under six-and-a-half feet tall and Tom is just over five-and-a-half. However, since I never read the books it doesn't matter to me. Besides the camera angles seemed to have compensated for that because Cruise looked rather impressively large on screen and convincing in the hand-to-hand fights.
(The preceding was a recycling of the opening to my December 21, 2012 movie blurb for Jack Reacher)
This movie takes place about 4 years later and Jack is still wandering around as a vagabond investigator bringing bad guys to justice. The opening scene is at a diner, much like the scene in the last movie with 4 guys outside on the ground moaning and the first responder telling the sheriff that one guy took them all out. The guy, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is sitting at the counter. The sheriff goes in to harass this stranger in his town and this was the scene in a trailer where jack tells the sheriff he is about to be busted for human trafficking. Soon the feds show up in force the sheriff's cuffs are taken off of Reacher and put on the sheriff.
Jack Being Harrassed by Sheriff
Jack is in contact with a Maj. Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) who sent the rescuing backup and who has worked with Jack over the fone to clear several cases. Jack sets up for a face-to-face with the Major when he next gets to DC.
When he gets to her office he is informed that she has been removed from her position under suspicion of espionage. Of course Jack does not let this go and pursues the details. Soon enuf, he is being followed and set up for arrest. But, this is Jack Reacher. He not only manages to escape but takes the major with him. They are both on the run, while trying to get to the bottom of a mystery that involves shady military contractors in Afghanistan (Not Haliburton but some other fictionalized name) with some ppl in the Army complicit.
Jack & Major Turner on the Run
Oh, a side element that plays well. When Jack gets back in touch with the Army he discovers there is a woman claiming his paternity for her daughter, but Jack has never heard of her. Anyhow, the young woman, Samantha (Danika Yarosh) is targeted by the bad guys so she gets drawn into the deadly chase.
Maj. Turner, Samantha & Jack
Of course, it all gets resolved by the end of the movie.
This movie was not too well received by the critics or audiences. The aggregate critics on Rotten Tomatoes give it a rating of 38%, their consensus being: "Monotonously formulaic, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is one action thriller sequel whose title also serves as a warning." Also, only 53% or audiences liked it. However, I liked it as an action adventure, most of which are formulaic. It is not so film noir as the first movie so it would appear more a typical action adventure without the "art film" elements reminiscent of "Sin City."
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