Directed by:
Edward ZwickCinematography:
Oliver WoodComposer:
Henry JackmanCast:
Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Robert Knepper, Aldis Hodge, Danika Yarosh, Patrick Heusinger, Holt McCallany, Christopher Heskey, Jason Douglas (more)VOD (5)
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Jack Reacher returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. When Army Major Susan Turner, who heads Reacher's old investigative unit, is arrested for Treason, Reacher will stop at nothing to prove her innocence and to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy involving soldiers who are being killed. Based upon Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, author Lee Child's 18th novel in the best-selling Jack Reacher series, that has seen 100 million books sold worldwide. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
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The first installment struck me as a jacked-up, anachronistic, infantile, moronic bore in which nothing happened half the time. The reason I found the second part to be a successful and entertaining albeit silly adventure surprised me myself, so I'll write it out here as therapy. Because it's the added quasi-family aspect that finally confronts Reacher with some sort of problem that makes him have no time to just wink grandly into the camera at the viewer, who knows nothing can happen to him anyway because he's exactly what he always wanted to be in his fantasies. Whereas the first film threw problems in the hero's path that he is used to solving and was always the boss on his own turf, here his need to solve situations on his own and be responsible only for himself clashes with the need to push the cart together with his supposed daughter and the runaway major for whom he has an emotional weakness. So suddenly he is not the master of every scene, but rather a somewhat unhappy asocial whose whining that it can't be like this, that he is used to being a lone wolf, is actually a necessary apology for the macho first installment, where he gave everyone and everything a hard time. Despite this, he's still that conservative, dreamboat hero of dads raised on Bond movies, whose disjointedness and James Dean-esque loneliness as an American wanderer hitchhiking in a white T-shirt along Route 66 is inspiring in such a distant way that he belongs more in the realm of guy dreams than appealing to a change in lifestyle. Perhaps that's why the film received such unkind reviews around the world when two women and a kind of need for responsibility suddenly intruded on this purely male escapist concept. However, with Reacher still retaining its concept of old-fashioned retro, and therefore appealing to the 40+ audience more than any other contemporary mainstream film, some images of gender progressiveness must be appreciated. Namely, the most intense defusing of an adversary with a rubber hose is entrusted here to Cobie Smulders. Or the scene in the hotel room, where these beautiful, fit people move around in their underwear without arousing any interest, which no one even comments on, it's just taken for granted. A shocking situation for a post-Bond audience. A pretty boy and a pretty girl can be friends or partners. The last positive I need to highlight is the cleverly constructed script. It doesn't really matter what the movie is about, of course, but for example, almost every scene works with more than just one piece of information used to move the plot forward, but usually brings in two or more that will be capitalized on later. For example, the disarming of the two mercenaries outside the diner not only brings the hero information about the organization they work for, but the bruised knuckles from that conflict also serve as major evidence later on to get him arrested. The bond between the Major and Reacher's "daughter" is also built through one teaching the other how to dodge a bullet, both of which we know will eventually be capitalized on later in the story.
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In my case, the fact that Cobie Smulders appears here helps a lot, as I really like her and always enjoy seeing her. It's quite action-packed, Tom Cruise doesn't seem to lose anything with age, or at least it's presented in a way that it looks like he doesn't lose anything. However, it is still a nice thriller mainstream.
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After the previous installment, a descent into mediocrity. Granted, in addition to the standard running race, the viewer is also offered parkour, but also a stinking pile of action movie clichés on top of that. In order to beat the main villain, the hero must first get his ass kicked properly, the only move you know how to do will get you out of a tight spot, et cetera. I was also annoyed by the family play on emotions and the filmmakers’ attempt to convince me that after a head-on collision with a wall, all it takes is to clear your throat twice and your body instantly regenerates. I had to double-check if the film wasn’t directed by Jean-Claude van Damme.
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A decent sequel. It’s obvious that Reacher is Tom’s favorite character. Rough as sand paper, a bit of a bull in a china shop, but a clever vet who always has the situation under control. Seeing part 1 encouraged me to read the series of books, so the much denied height disparity really bothers me, but also I’m surprised that he only makes films according to the inferior books in the series. I thought Never Go Back was just average (it disappeared from my mind terribly fast), and the only interesting storyline was with the kid. This made the movie an even more pleasant surprise. The brisker story, loads of old-school type action and great lines. Even the road trip moments work excellently. A pleasant return to the nineties. Tom is beginning to show his age, so he’s a bit puffy after the Men, but he convincingly walks all over the younger competition in fights, beating them hands down. A really fine ending. In terms of acting, well done. I hope Reacher earns enough for another sequel. These movies are evergreens, not box-office hits, but the type of movie you can watch more times during your life than many an Oscar-winner.
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The first film definitely has its issues (the first half without tension, a number of unexplained things at the end), but so does this one, so I did not really notice any major qualitative drop. Perhaps only Kreamer's musical motif was a bit lacking for me, and the main villain could have been more charismatic. However, Tom Cruise is still convincing, Edward Zwick knows how to do the action and the other scenes, and that made me like the final restaurant unraveling in addition to the night shootout.
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