Jack Reacher

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 28th December, 2012
Time : 130 minutes
Director, Writer : Christopher McQuarrie, based on the book ‘One Shot’ by Lee Child; Music: Joe Kraemer
Starring : Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney, Alexia Fast, Joseph Sikora, Robert Duvall

5 random people gunned down in cold blood by a sniper. A man, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), who lives in the shadows. Who served with distinction in the various trouble spots and then simply disappeared off the grid. He had helped convict a troubled sharp shooter while in the military and when the same person is arrested for the shooting, strangely enough, he asks for Jack Reacher.

The DA (Jenkins) has a record for convictions, and combined with a super sharp detective (Oyelowo), it looks like an open and shut case. However, the DA’s daughter (Pike), also a lawyer, doesn’t approve of her father’s methods and takes up the shooter’s defense. And hires Jack Reacher as her lead investigator. And they both realize nothing is what it seems…

There is something refreshingly realistic about this film. The hero bleeds. He doesn’t behave like a hero, lives in grungy hotels, wears simple clothes, doesn’t want to fight unless absolutely necessary. The fights are mostly hand to hand combat, done without any special effects, where every punch is thrown old-school style, every kick is felt. Werner Herzog and Jai Courtney make for chilling villains, again making their presence felt without too many histrionics.

Rosamund Pike and Tom Cruise have an interesting chemistry, and Tom, sensing her idealism, makes a very interesting request when they join forces. Just to make her understand what the real world is like. There is also a funny joke about 'Mission Accomplished'.

The movie has a dark, grim, granular feel that enhances the storyline and helps keep you hooked. The atmospherics are superb, the plot interesting (wasn’t too happy with the end but it wasn’t bad), the acting great. After all the gadgets, fancy locales, gizmos, special effects of several recent films, this one is more back to basics and enjoyable in part just because of that.