Jack Reacher

The idea of Tom Cruise portraying Jack Reacher was laughable to my late mother, a fan of the novels. Cruise’s relatively diminutive physical presence is apparently not a match for the character on the page, but, as this film demonstrates, it’s not really an issue once the longtime star makes the role his own. The bedrock of Cruise’s success in movies has been confidence, the possession and projection thereof—and as usual, Cruise brings his A-game essence to this story. You get the sense, when you’re watching his portrayal of the ex-army investigator, that Cruise’s Reacher really can take out five or so dudes of bad intention without any help. You also believe the more contemplative aspects of the tale—for an action thriller, this film has a lot of quiet and talky (but not boring) scenes—and that Reacher is not just a bundle of writhing muscles, but a substantial brain, too. The mystery requires that sort of thinking; while some pieces of the puzzle may seem (or are) simple, how the picture resolves offers a worthy challenge to even the most seasoned whodunit fan. Put all that together with strong supporting work by Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins and David Oyelowo, as well as the city of Pittsburgh in all its glorious grittiness, and you end up with a perfectly respectable thriller that doesn’t, um, fall short of expectations.