Jack Reacher (2012 Tom Cruise Film)

Saw this today and I must say it was much better than I thought it was going to be. Based on previews, I thought it was just going to be an average and typical violent action flick, but it was actually more than that.

This film is the best Tom Cruise movie in a long time and I thought he did a great job. I never read any of the Jack Reacher novels, so I can't comment on how Cruise portrays the character with respect to the books. The only thing I read going in is that some people (critics) thought Cruise was the wrong actor to portray the character based on physical size. If you can overlook Cruise's size, I thought he was convincing in portraying a character like that (assuming the demeanor, personality, intelligence, etc. were portrayed like the books.)

Without giving away anything, if you like violent movies with a lot of action that require not-by-the-book "police" investigating to track down the bad guys, I think you will like this movie. Robert Duvall and Richard Jenkins have supporting roles also.

The movie was definitely worth the price of a matinee admission.

Edit:

If you are queasy about mass killings, in light of what happened in Connecticut, you might want to stay away from this movie.

 

My dad liked it. Not a glowing endorsement since he likes a lot of crap. I might check it out as a rental.

 

I've read all of the Lee Child Jack Reacher books - and Reacher is a tall man in the novels (6'2" if I recall).

But I'm looking forward to the movie.

 

Reacher is 6' 5" tall with a 50-inch chest, and 250 pounds. He has ice-blue eyes and dirty blond hair. I have read all the Reacher novels and this is THE worst piece of miscasting in the history of film IMO. For anyone who has read the novels, imagining Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is farcical. Maybe Michael J. Fox wasn't available? When I heard a film was going to be produced of 'One Shot' (the novel this is based on) I was thrilled for exactly 20 seconds until I heard Tom Cruise was cast. There is no possible way I could enjoy this film because of this so I have to pass. The thing that REALLY bothers me is that if this film does well, there will be more and if it bombs, we may never get further film treatments with an actor that is right for the role. It's lose lose.

 

Every bus in Melbourne has ads for Jack Reacher on the back. I think it starts here on boxing day (traditional blockbuster movie day downunder)

 

Surely Tom should be given the benefit of the doubt until the movie is actually seen?

 

I don't have any particular dislike of Tom Cruise but he is ALL wrong for this role. If I hadn't read the books perhaps I'd feel differently.

 

I still think if the movie is getting decent reviews, it is worth watching it once - perhaps on DVD.

 

We live in Pittsburgh. My wife had a job at the time the film crew was in town that involved her making arrangements for them to shoot in various locations around town. She met the director a couple of times, said he was a really nice guy, never met Tom Cruise... But she was informed that no one was allowed to refer to him by any name other than "TC". One must not (apparently) ever call him, or even name him, as anything except his initials.

This confirmed my opinion that he must be every inch (all 62" of them) the jagoff that I figured he was.

What a complete tool.

 

There's only one 'TC'

 

the coolest cat ever!

 

love Tom...looking forward to anything new.

 

Horrible casting. Anyone that reads the books will find it difficult to reconcile what Reacher is supposed to look like compared to TC. Also in some of the previews TC is talking kinda tough and rude...Reacher wasn't written like that...he would kick your a## if you wanted a fight but he didn't go out of his way to act like a tough guy. I guess this new character trait had to be added since TC isn't physically imposing so he had to be verbally imposing??

Pass.

 

Sort of like Sahara....the Dirk Pitt character could have been good on the big screen and had many sequels but they screwed the movie up so badly that nobody in Hollywood will ever do another Cussler novel again.

 

I have read all the Reacher books also. When I heard Cruise was playing the role of Jack Reacher I laughed. No way that can work. who the hell made this casting decision?

I will admit that I am hard pressed to come up with an actor that actually matches the physical description of this character. Any thoughts?

 

Physically, at least, Dolph Lundgren:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolph_Lundgren

 

Howie Long is 6'5". I remember him trying to make it in the movies.

 

Thanks. Agree completely.

 

Lifts?

 

Stilts.

I've read all the Reacher novels and this is worst casting than Marky Mark as Bob Lee Swagger for the movie "Shooter", an adaptation of "Point of Impact" by Stephen Hunter.

 

I should read "Point of Impact" - I felt there was a good story hidden in that film.

 

If you like the Reacher series, you will enjoy the Bob Lee Swagger/Earl Swagger writings very much. You can read them in order or not, but like the Reacher books, I assume they are better to read in order. As with Lee Child, Hunter's books are hard to put down once you start.

 

The only way this works is if the rest of the cast are midgets.

 

You realize you said 62", I think hes a good bit taller than 5'2".....maybe im wrong.....

 

yeah, he's taller than that - 5'7"