JACK REACHER is your usual run-of-the-mill Tom Cruise action film/ crime thriller.  It makes a decent rental as Tom Cruise enjoys another series of stunts in what may be the first of a new action franchise in this adaptation of the ninth Jack Reacher novel, One Shot.  Reacher comes into the investigation of James Barr, an ex U.S.Army sniper accused of killing five people at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA (after Barr writes a note to the police that says "Get Jack Reacher"..  He goes to work for the defense attorney, Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike).  Helen's father is the prosecuting attorney against Barr.  Jack believes Barr is guilty until he finds it is a too perfect frame and he soon tries to uncover the conspiracy as the same people responsible for the deaths in PNC Park want to stop Reacher.

JACK REACHER is a solid crime thriller with a good cast and competent directing from Christopher McQuarrie who also adapted One Shot into the screenplay.  Lee Child agreed to have Tome Cruise play reacher knowing it would be impossible for someone to fit the description of the novel Reacher who is six foot and five inches.  The movie is all about pushing the plot and crime investigation forward with Jack Reacher remaining an enigma who wants to remain off the grid.  They wisely don't have Reacher and Helen hook up while Robert Duvall plays a nice addition to the movie about halfway into it and Werner Herzog is scary as the Russian criminal who would do anything to survive.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary by Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie

Audio commentary by composer Joe Kraemer

WHEN THE MAN COMES AROUND- 26 making-of featurette that goes into how the project was made, how One Shot was chosen as the novel to adapted, convincing author Lee Child that Tom Cruise wanted to play Jack Reacher (despite the height difference between the novel Reacher and tom Cruise), casting, the production choices, and Lee Child’s cameo.

YOU DO NOT MESS WITH JACK REACHER: COMBAT AND WEAPONS-

Behind-the-scenes with the fight sequences in the film

THE REACHER PHENOMENON- an interview with author Lee Child as he discusses the origins of the character and why the character never gets boring in addition to how he has the character not get as old as fast (two prequel novels and having the last few novels taking place within days and weeks of each other)

FINAL ANALYSIS:  JACK REACHER is your entertaining Tom Cruise crime thriller.  Not as good as the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films, but it still packs the punch for a decent one time rental.   The featurettes are quite good and provide a good look at the making of the film and a look at the character of Jack Reacher.  I hope another Jack reacher movie is made whether or not Tom Cruise plays the character again.

This review is (c)5-8-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com