Directed by Edward Zwick (Legends of the Fall; Pawn Sacrifice; Blood Diamond) and starring Tom Cruise (Jack Reacher; Born on the Fourth of July; Top Gun; Jerry Maguire; Mission: Impossible...), Cobie Smulders (Avengers: Age of Ultron; Captain America: The Winter Soldier; The Lego Movie), Danika Yarosh (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series); Shameless (TV Series)) and Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton; A Good Day to Die Hard).
Action adventure, 118 mins, 12+
In the second outing of the Jack Reacher novels of author Lee Child to reach the big screen, Tom Cruise (Jack Reacher) continues his portrayl of the former US Army soldier who is now an interstate drifter. He turns up in Washington DC intent on meeting - hopefully over dinner - his replacement Turner (Cobie Smulders) with whom he has only talked over the phone. However, by the time he arrives, there, she has been arrested on charges relating to the killing of two US soldiers in Afghanistan.
He tries to track her down despite the blockages put in his way by Espin (Aldis Hodge) and others. A sub-plot is then introduced and he rescues a street-wise teenager Samantha (Danika Yarosh) whose mother has filed a paternity suit against Reacher.
Reacher sniffs a government conspiracy and, like most of Childs' books, the details only start to emerge towards the end as the mystery unravel while Reacher is a fugitive from the law.
The by-now-customary (in the novels, at least) meals in diners and nights in motels, as well as his sole possession - a toothbrush - make fleeting appearances in this predominately action-cum-suspense thriller which makes a statement against corruption. Despite his lack of height, Cruise continues to portray Reacher excellently as a tough guy on the right side of the law. With a strong supporting cast and a very good script, this film has the hallmark of an excellent action film that is more realistic than over the top.
