Jack Reacher, distributed through Paramount Pictures, hits Australian cinemas January 3.
When a shooter fires six shots from a parking station into a crowded
bayside park, killing five innocent civilians, a former army sniper,
James Barr, is quickly picked up. All of the evidence (the van used, a
fingerprint on a quarter, the custom bullets) suggests that he’s the
wanted man. To the surprise of his prosecutors, Barr immediately
requests to have Jack Reacher, a ghost who is only ever found if he
wants to be, work for his defense. It doesn’t take Reacher long to
figure out that Barr has been set up; setting out to uncover who’s
really responsible.
The casting of Cruise as Reacher, originally written by Lee Child to
be an unstoppable force of nature (an imposing 6’5, 200 plus pound
figure, I believe), has garnered controversy since the announcement.
Cruise certainly doesn’t have this sort of size, so this disdain is
understandable, but he makes up for that by oozing this focused and
confident intensity. His compelling presence exceeds his stature. He is
physically capable and convincingly pulls off the demeanour reminiscent
of such a decorated career. What is terrific about Reacher is that his
intelligence and his ability to unravel the case and coerce alternative
theories without even a second look at the evidence is more essential
than his physical prowess. His punches sure leave an impression, but
Cruise is also given some killer lines, and his fast wit and cheeky
delivery consistently provoked laughs.
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