‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’ review: “An exciting, solid action film…”

Jack Reacher Never Go Back review: Tom Cruise returns in the second adaptation from Lee Child’s much-loved bestsellers.

Jack Reacher Never Go Back review, Luke Ryan Baldock.

With studios focused on universe building, multiple franchises, prequels, spin-offs, and so forth, it’s hard to sit down with a franchise entry and not feel like a procrastinating schoolboy who hasn’t done his homework. Were there webisodes to catch up on? A reference in a pretty unrelated film? Or perhaps a lot of backstory was covered in a comic book tie-in. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, returns to sequels of old, where preexisting knowledge is surplus to requirements. I’m sure having seen the 2012 original would have added to the character, but just 10 minutes into this second instalment in the adaptations of the Lee Child novels, it’s clear we can enjoy it for what it is.

Tom Cruise returns as the titular hero. An ex-MP: that’s military police and not a member of parliament. Breaking down a corrupt sheriff and his human trafficking ring early on, Jack Reacher hikes across the US making occasional phone calls to Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders). Eventually deciding to meet, Reacher is perplexed to find that Turner has been arrested for espionage and is being held prisoner. Launching his own investigation, Reacher uncovers deadly truths and must take the law into his own hands making himself a fugitive, while also protecting teenager Samantha Dayton (Danika Yarosh), a girl who may be Reacher’s daughter.

The most refreshing thing about Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, is its old fashioned charm that is not reliant on CGI or over-elaborate action set-pieces. There is still plenty of hard-hitting adrenaline, but it focuses on the dramatic elements, such as which character is in danger, rather than trying to awe you. Some may be disappointed by the lack of huge stunts on Cruise’s part, no hanging off an actual plane here, but it also makes Reacher more human. Even the fight sequences are instilled with such truths, as two combatants fall from a great height, only to engage in a disjointed and flustered fight that captures the shock both characters must have gone through.

Cruise can’t quite shake his stardom to fully disappear into the role, but his Reacher is a more silent and solemn creation than his other roles. Sometimes it feels too forced, with many long and uncomfortable takes of Cruise face-acting, with eyes darting back and forth, lips pursing, etc. But such techniques make him a bit more frightening too. Smulders and Cruise have brilliant chemistry, with surprising moments of levity that are incorporated well. The idea of Reacher also dealing with a daughter may seem cheesy, but again it is worked into the plot well and puts the character in a position he is fully uncomfortable with.

With previous Cruise collaborator Edward Zwick behind the camera, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is a solid action film where the fights, chases, and shoot outs are clear, while we’re never inundated nor confused by explosions or needless computer wizardry. It could be argued that put any other ageing action star in the title and you’d be left with a straight to home entertainment film more suitable for Netflix than the big screen, but as it goes for simplicity in an overblown CG world and is all the better for it, it’s certainly worth your time. Cruise sells himself in the role and his love for the franchise it clear to see. It may not stand out, add anything new, or blow you away, but it’s still an exciting action thriller with a punchy pace that leaves you winded.

Jack Reacher Never Go Back review by Luke Ryan Baldock, October 2016.

Jack Reacher is released on 21st October, 2016.