Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Starring Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders
Directed by Edward Zwick
In Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Tom Cruise returns as an ex-military investigator and, yes, he spends a lot of time running around like no one else can.
Picking up four years after the first installment, Reacher is now attempting to clear the name of his friend, Army major Susan Turner (Smulders), who has been accused of treason. Sensing something is awry, he goes on a mission to prove the head of his old unit is innocent while uncovering a government conspiracy involving the death of two US soldiers and a private security contractor. In an attempt to add some depth to the lead character, our intrepid hero must also aid a teen on the run (Danika Yarosh) who may be connected to Reacher’s past.
Much of this sequel’s action, though mostly well-staged, is fairly middling. At 54, Cruise still proves a formidable physical star, and Smulders takes command with many of the sequences, acting not as a simple sidekick but an equal player. In fact, an emphasis on strong female characters permeates the flick. There’s also something methodically refreshing about Never Go Back’s plot. The somewhat straightforward story doesn’t rely on tiresome twists but does contain plenty of mystery-thriller tropes; this works to both help the movie and slightly hinder it.
In the end, Jack Reacher’s second big-screen adventure is silly and formulaic, but manages to stay afloat thanks to Cruise’s stoic paternal performance and a genuinely engaging climax during Halloween in New Orleans.
