First Take: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back- another very good action flick from the Cruise

SYPNOSIS:

Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name. On the run as a fugitive from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever.

I went into this film with a very open mind, and I have to say that even though I’m a relative newcomer to the Reacher franchise, I really enjoyed this adaptation of Lee Child’s novel.

The direction from Edward Zwick is very good, as he is able to pace the action elements of the film in a way that keeps the emphasis on plot development, a skill that is very difficult to master in the modern film industry. Add to this a script that is very well written by Zwick, Richard Wenk and Marshall Herskovitz and you have an action film that really keeps you on your toes for its near 2 hour running time. The performances are good, with Tom Cruise putting in yet another solid performance as Reacher, with Cobie Smulders putting in some excellent work as ever. However, the film feels forgettable- this isn’t a bad thing, as the action is choreographed very well, but the plot as a whole feels a little bit weak at points. It’s only a minor quibble, but apart from that it’s a really tight film.

THE VERDICT

While it may not be the perfect action film, Jack Reacher 2 is a great piece of work from the cast and director Ed Zwick, however as a result of a predictable plot, it suffers a little from cliché fatigue- but that doesn’t stop it from being a decent action film.

RATING: 4/5