⏩ Genre :- Action/Crime
⏩ Runtime :- 1hr 58 mins (2 minutes to 2hrs, really?)
⏩ Cast :- Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Aldis Hodge, Danika Yarosh, Patrick Heusinger, Holt McCallany.
Jack Reacher : Never Go Back is an adaptation from a book, 'Never go back' by Lee Child.
⏩ Plot :-Reacher after helping in the arrest of a crooked Southern Sheriff heads to D.C. to try to land a date with a (apparently pretty) military officer he has assisted, but never met. Upon his arrival, he learns that she has been arrested for corruption, or something. So, Jack begins 'investigating' the corruption case, the Reacher way. He gets framed too, has to escape from jail with his intended girl friend, elude the bad guys, and get to know his alleged 'daughter', all in short order. That's a lot for a guy who usually talks less than Jason Bourne. *Winks*
⏩ Direction and Screenplay :- As far as the direction is concerned, 'Blood Diamond' director Edward Zwick does his best to fill the gap Christopher McQuarrie left but fails to do so in most of the action scenes. The movie would have been a lot better with McQuarrie on board. Edward Zwick (Director) alongwith Marshall Herskovitz and Richard Wenk has given the screenplay for this film. The story was weak and incoherent at times. You will be left with silly questions like :-
How did they get here?
How did they get out?
How did they not see them?
And many more...
⏩ Editing and Cinematography :- The cinematography by Oliver Wood is strictly average with warm undertones of maizey hue for the day and midnight blue for the night. Some low light shot are so poorly shot you can hardly figure out the people in the frame. Although the editing by Billy Weber is good, it seems confused as to which scenes to chop off and which to keep, thus leaving us with unexplained scenarios.
⏩ Music :- Henry Jackman's music is okayish and does nothing in the first half, but amps up it's mettle by the second half.
⏩ The Highs :-
▶Unlike the first one from this franchise, this one is a fast paced thriller. It's always throwing something at you, both good and bad, necessary and unnecessary. And believe it or not, it'll keep you on the edge.
▶ Tom Cruise again as Reacher pours his typical charm potion into the character and entertains you.
▶Certain action scenes are well choreographed and so Cruise does not have to fight every five minutes and is running around the whole flick, but they are well-dosed and then brilliantly calculated.
▶ The thrilling climax is worth the wait.
⏩ The Lows :-
▶The villain was intimidating at times but lacked motive. There were plenty of things that were left unexplained at the end. So, the villainy factor was not at all enough.
▶This is another of those movies in which the tough bad guy is always trying to tell the tough good guy how much alike they are so the good guy can say something to the effect that they're nothing alike as he puts a spike through the bad guy's neck or pushes him off a skyscraper. Lack of originality.
▶ Some of the romantic exchanges between Jack and Susan is rather funny. You'd even believe if I told you they were siblings. *Chuckles*
▶ The fact that after a brutal fist fight, the actors, especially Tom Cruise, present a face without any trace of the fighting. That's bullshit, isn't it? Even the director of soft movies could have put some make up on Cruise's face to simulate the harm, the result of the ferocity of the fight. But no, Cruise's face is as smooth as a baby's butt.
⏩ Performances :-
▶Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is still very impressive for a 54 year old, but you can see it. You can see that he is not even giving us the full frontal of his chest anymore. You can see how his running chase sequences are being edited out. But still, he is the saving grace of the movie. With his charming one liners to his cute looks and intensity while performing stunts or action sequences, he saves the film from falling flat.
▶Cobie Smulders (best remembered as Robin from 'How I Met Your Mother') as Susan Turner is the highlight of the film. She absolutely stole the show and will definitely leave you speechless with her kickass moves. Literally, this lady kicks ass!
Though it's fair to say her character is massively underwritten, else you would've been more hooked to your seats.
▶ Danika Yarosh as Samantha, a miscast, is quite annoying.
▶ Patrick Heusinger is good as the antagonist "The Hunter," who won't stop till Reacher is dead. And he does this by means of words and effective action. What pulls us back, is that the character doesn’t have a backstory or even a name (His name is never revealed in the movie; not even in the end credits.), only a black leather jacket and some well-maintained scruff.
▶Aldis Hodge as Espin, the military police commander, is excellent and leaves us wanting for more.
⏩ Watch or Not ? Uhmm... Not so worth on the big screen.
⏩ Verdict :- The film is a good sequel, yet doesn't quite live up to the thrill-ride of its predecessor, 'Jack Reacher'. I feel that this film followed a bad trend that is rising in action movie sequels, where the main character is attempted to be given a much deeper persona, while also trying to be the same person from the first film. Yet it comes out in a very odd, strange blend of who we knew from the first film, It was troubling to have to accept this new introduction to the Reacher, when we have already been identified with him from the first film.
If you come to watch this movie expecting deep mystery or mind-blowing action sequences or superb dialogues, you will be disappointed.
But if you come to just getting entertained for two hours, you will have REACHED your goal. (Sorry. Couldn't resist the pun.)
⏩ Ratings :- 2.5/5
Moon is the best
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