First, the Recap:
The lone wolf hero. A common enough theme in both literary and film worlds, but there is no denying certain characters can be pulled off better than others in this way. Ex-Army Major, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), continues his journey as a solo soldier, this time finding himself embroiled in a government-run conspiracy involving a falsely accused Army vet, Major Turner (Cobie Smulders), and a shadowy military contracting organization possibly guilty of killing two American soldiers in order to hide even larger, illegal deals. Bent on proving this and clearing both his and Turner’s names, Reacher also discovers a potentially life-changing secret involving a young girl, Samantha (Danika Yarosh), all while attempting to avoid a relentless MP officer, Espin (Aldis Hodge), and an unhinged mercenary, The Hunter (Patrick Heusinger).
Worth Seeing: Yes
Prolific director Edward Zwick, who worked with Cruise on “The Last Samurai”, delivers this dramatic, high-intensity sequel to 2012’s “Jack Reacher” and does so with the kind of straightforward, uncomplicated sense of focused entertainment one would expect from this style of narrative and themes. Cruise still makes the film with his no-nonsense, action-fueled approach and appeal, which actually allows co-star Smulders to showcase why she was the perfect choice to be opposite him here, more than able to fulfill her own level of action and acting chops well-suited for her character Turner. Supporting performances from Yarosh, Hodge, and Heusinger add necessary and well-done elements to the proceedings. Having never seen the original, this reviewer feels it’s not necessary really in order to enjoy this appealing romp.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
