DVD Review: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Lee Child hit on to a phenomenal success when he created the character of Jack Reacher. He’s the every-man good guy, the old school beat up the bad guy whilst protecting the little guy kinda guy. And whats more, Child’s books were easy to consume. Easy to pick up and hard to put down. And with the success of Reacher there was always going to be a film at some point.
But then the movie gods decided that such a huge hit as the book series is, the film had to have an even bigger star to make it work, and this is where the Jack Reacher train started to come off the tracks. Tom Cruise was cast as Reacher. In a Hollywood full of tough white guys who could nail the role in their sleep, Hollywood choose the smarmy, short arse Scientology toy boy Tom Cruise to be the titular imposing figure of Reacher. My pick would have been Statham.
But no, we get Cruise, whose boyish charms may have worked in Top Gun, and who admittedly has nailed quite a few roles in some of my favourite films, just doesn’t cut the mustard in my vision for Reacher. So the second film in the Jack Reacher juggernaut was already on the back foot in my mind, but nonetheless I went ahead a watched Never Go Back.
But Tom isn’t the only issue when it comes to writing a review for this BluRay release, the other issue is that I already know exactly whats going to happen, as like millions of other people, I’ve read every single book. And knowing whats going to haappen kinda kills the suspense a little bit.
The opening scene that was pretty much used as the film’s trailer is supposed to allow Cruise to own the character of Reacher, but this pivotal character making scene just seems to be a run by the number affair. It’s not until Cobie Smulders comes on screen as Turner that the film gets interesting. Finally a character we care about, and want justice for.
The fact that I’m hoping for most of the film that she and Reacher don’t hook up but only because Reacher is Cruise is not distracting at all. But as you can see, I’m digressing, it’s almost as if I don’t want to review this film because I’m scare my own Cruise prejudices will affect the score, so here goes.
To sum up, Never Go Back is an acceptable popcorn film that has the ability to entertain and does a good job of moving through the story at a decent pace. True fans of Reacher may still balk at Cruise, but if you’ve joined the Reacher train from the original film rather than the paperback fiction, this is sure to be a pleasing second outing for short stuff.
Rating: M Violence.
FILMGUIDE rating:
