Jack Reacher

"Look at the people. You tell me which ones are free?"

Based on the novel series by Lee Child, Jack Reacher is the story of an untraceable man who has no ties and knows no bounds.  When evidence indisputably pins James Barr as a serial-murderer, he calls upon the untraceable Reacher.  As Reacher is drawn into the investigation, he finds himself pulled deeply into a dangerous world of deceit.  The storyline plays out confidently by balancing action with conspiracy, which produces suspense and intrigue.  The use of altering flashbacks allow the plot, and our perceptions, to be continuously manipulated and twisted.  

Tom Cruise stars as the title character, who is ironically famous for his tall and imposing presence throughout the novels.  It is therefore difficult to overlook the incorrectness of Cruise's physicality for the role.  However, he delivers the character well: perfectly capturing the mannerisms and character of Reacher, so that by the end he has constructed a character whose presence is imposing, regardless of his stature.  Rosamund Pike co-stars alongside him as the female lead, Helen, whose character is flawed by inconsistencies.  Representing the contemporary strong woman, a beautiful and intelligent defence attorney striving to achieve success, she finds herself suddenly torn back into the archetype of a damsel in distress, who is helplessly lost the presence of Reacher and ineffective.  The other fleeting, yet perhaps more intriguing, female character is Sandy, who becomes an ironic symbol of fragility and manipulation within a corrupted world.

With a clever story, the film makes for a good action-thriller.  The undoubtable ambition of it spawning a new franchise of film, however, is a less than promising prospect.