Jack Reacher

 Bember Grade: Ben B+ & Amber B
  Jack Reacher: PG-13
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Produced by: Tom Cruise & many others

Bases off of the book series by: Lee Child

Cast of note: Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Werner Herzog, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, and David Oyelowo

What else was there to watch on this $5 Tuesday night at the movie theater? Not much of anything. So, Amber and I decided to go take in the new Tom Cruise adventure that most assuredly would over glorify his real talents and height. I was not let down. The short Cruise plays a retired Army Cop who is supposed to be 6 foot plus and in amazing shape, not for one minute did I believe the farce of Cruise being the intended Army Cop. I did however enjoy his character and I think Cruise stayed within his acting limits in this feature presentation.

The story revolves around five "random" shootings on the waterfront in Pittsburgh. A man is brought in on the charges of all five murders but Cruise and Rosamund Pike's character see it way differently, thus the hunt begins for the true shooter.

 Reacher grasps at the Bourne movies, but doesn't quite succeed in its storyline or cinematography. There are plenty of really great sequences of action and heart pumping thrill, but in the end we truly feel like we are left out of some serious aspects of the plot. I won't ruin it for you, but there are some serious gaps in the storyline that make you turn to the person next to you at the end of the movie and go "what was the point of that?"

Apparently Tom Cruise did his own car chase stunts for this movie. To be honest it shows. I hated the main car chase, it was slow, drawn out, and you could see and feel the cars slowing down so as not to demolish Mr. Cruise and his nice little car. In particular a moment in a tunnel when Cruise is driving into head on traffic and all the cars seem to have crawled to a snails pace to let him swerve on through.

The highlight of the film and it is a short highlight because it happens in the last 25% of the film is when we get to meet Robert Duvall's character. From the moment Duvall pops on screen the story feels like it has a pace and place. Duvall is comedic gold and plays a great grumpy old man. For Duvall's sake alone I say go watch this film, he does not disappoint.

Overall I would like to see a sequel to the film. Just for the purpose of tying up all the lose ends of the story and to see more of Cruise and Duvall working together.