Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

The first installment of Jack Reacher didn’t dazzle me in any way, even though the action scenes were one of the best I’ve seen in the last few months. I tried the second installment to see if anything had improved. And it didn’t. Quite the opposite. There is less action and Jack Reacher is still the same unavailable guy and the worst character Tom Cruise has ever portrayed. And that’s despite the fact that the screenwriter invented a supposed daughter for him and tried to make the second installment a little more personal. It didn’t work and truthfully, it was worse than I thought. (06/28/2017)

This is a confirmation of the preconception that Zwick has a mastery of kitschy, visually-based, epic stories, but in terms of the thriller genre, he pretty much misses the mark with everything. The first half-hour is pure goodness, as Jack Reacher rides the wave of comedy, with Cruise acting with gusto and outdoes every genre film of recent times with his wit. But when everyone gets serious, when the parental dilemma and the criminal plot take over, Zwick proves pretty clueless, making it look like a bargain-basement spy drama that sort of carefully takes from everywhere but fails to find its own image all the way to the end. The first film was not great in terms of plot, but it captivated me with its unique old-world guy feel. This is filmmaking timelessness that would have fallen into the average in any decade. Much is actually saved by Cruise himself, who for perhaps the first time in his career is seen to have really aged. And surprisingly, also by Cobie Smulders, who has broken free from the snares of television and the comic book cult and projects a surprising amount of feminine charm and military charisma into an interchangeable character. I want a more distinctive director for the third film. PS: The airport check-in is a unique filmmaker lapse of logic. (10/19/2016)

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. (04/13/2017)

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. (04/18/2017)

Zwick took it differently and badly. He seems to have abandoned the main strengths of the first one and serves us a second story of an agent with a mysterious past with a minimal portion of insight, which, however, does not so much play the main role, but only in details dilutes the damn serious note, which is itself the biggest criminal cliché in recent times. Unfortunately, even the screenwriting and framing of the story is first-rate Hollywood cynicism and dullness. In other words, you get all the ills that scripts for ordinary action films have, and as a result, all the twists and attempts fizzle out in the end. It's partly saved by the usually top-notch action Zwick has always been good at, but you'll still miss the slow, frantically unedited brawl from the first episode. Cruise is great, the family element is questionable and brings down the overall rating. After the first one, which caused a solid fan breakdown and there was talk of another agent like Bond and Hunt, came a cold shower and who knows what will happen with the third film. (10/23/2016)