Rating of
2.5/4
"Jack Reacher" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/12/16
When an army sniper who seems guilty of a random killing spree asks for the services of a secretive military investigator called Jack Reacher, he uncovers a conspiracy of silence and murder.
Despite its flashy appearance, this film has a very generic, almost old-fashioned feel to it. The idea of a lone tough guy who acts as judge, jury and executioner and deals out his own brand of justice with guns and fists - even to the point where he throws down his weapons to beat the bad guy to a bloody pulp with his bare hands - seems like a throw back to the 1980's. I would also have to say that some of the gender politics on display here seem to be on similarly dodgy moral ground. At the same time however, the film delivers everything required of an entertaining action thriller; Christopher McQuarrie's visuals are slick, it has nicely staged set pieces and the "old school" feel actually works to its advantage in places, particularly during the exciting muscle car chase. But it never fully recovers from the off-note tone and the fact that the character of Reacher seems more like a smug, judgemental bully rather than a hero quite a lot of the time; something that could've been rectified with a little humour, but the attempts at joviality misfire completely.
Not a bad thriller, but there are many, many others that are far better.
