The Sequel to 2012’s Sleeper Hit Is a Disappointing Let Down That Lacks Energy
Director: Edwin Zwick
Starring: Tom Cruise, Colby Smulders, Alden Hodge, Danicka Yarosh, Patrick Heusinger, Holt McCallany and Roland Knepper
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG
Running Time: 1 Hr, 58 Mins
When Jack Reacher, the film adaptation of Lee Child’s recurring book character, appeared on the big screen 2012, both audiences and critics were pleasantly surprised by how good it was. As a result of its surprising box office success, we now have the sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, which faces a unique problem. The original Reacher film did well because it was a strong action film that wasn’t facing any expectations. As a result, the sequel now has a rep to live up to. Unfortunately for fans of both the books and the movie, Never Go Back invests little energy in trying to be a decent follow up to the original. Instead it comes off as a textbook case of movie making mediocrity that lacks energy, humour and passion.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTBcGQWmQ1c&w=560&h=315]
Video: Paramount Pictures
While hitching across the country righting random wrongs, former army Major Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) strikes up a long distance telephone rapport with Major Sophie Turner (Colby Smulders). When Reacher finally makes it to Washington D.C. to pay her a visit, he discovers that she’s been arrested for espionage and is awaiting court martial. Reacher’s suspicions are immediately provoked and prove to be warranted when his initial investigative digging ignites a powerful response from both the powers that be as well as some shadowy figures. Complicating matters further is the fact that he may have a newly discovered daughter in the mix, a fiercely independent, anti-authority teenager (Danika Yarosh) who proves to be a vulnerability for Reacher and leverage for the assassin tasked with hunting the fugitives down (Patrick Heusinger).
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back isn’t just a flat movie; it’s a piece of flat movie making. It feels as if the effort was just never there and everyone involved was either killing time or merely satisfying a contractual obligation. The story is supposed to involve a complex conspiracy but it can be unraveled in three minutes or less by anyone paying attention. The plot depends on characters making Olympic sized jumps of faith and the movie stumbles along while everyone, both hunter and hunted alike, frequently make bone headed decisions.
The movie flirts with Reacher’s background, explaining his lone wolf attitude and life, and then it forgets that avenue entirely. Its such a complete dismissal that you have to wonder why what little it does contain was included to begin with. It plays with the idea of contrasting Reacher with his brutal pursuer, constructing an interesting comparison that could have covered for the movie’s otherwise pedestrian plot. But then it simply gives up on the idea. In fact it gives up on it so quickly that you wonder if the filmmakers had any sincere intent to pursue it to begin with. While it’s amusing watching a surrogate family of refugees form while on the run, the movie doesn’t even try to seriously explore that dynamic. It doesn’t even seem interested. And the entire daughter angle is resolved some pretty lazy writing, raising a few questions it doesn’t even bother to answer.
Cruise is decent as the man of few words but lots of action Jack Reacher, but even he can’t entirely sell Reacher’s unerring instincts. Unlike other action heroes (or even Reacher in the original 2012 movie), you just can’t buy him as a guy who knows everything, can outfight, outshoot and outthink every opponent and is essentially infallible. This is the high tech age of Jason Bourne and James Bond, and having someone without a car or a cell phone solving in depth conspiracies just doesn’t fly anymore. Smulders plays driven career officer Turner like Agent Hill from the Avengers minus the humour and joy. While she deserves kudos for exceeding the physical demands of the role, she falls short of selling the intensity. Aside from the two leads, there is very little worth commenting on performance wise.
Reacher’s biggest shortcoming is its enthusiasm and energy. It doesn’t have any. It’s emotionally tone deaf and lacks soul. There’s precious little chemistry between Cruise and Smulders and the movie doesn’t inspire any sort of emotional investment from the audience. Simply put, it has no passion.
In the end, Never Go Back isn’t an exercise in wasted opportunities because it doesn’t feel like it was that committed to them to begin with. It’s very average and mediocre across the board. It isn’t terrible but it isn’t memorable either. There’s nothing that stands out about it except it’s obvious lack of heart. It goes through the motions of being an average movie with no ambition. If you’re a fan of Lee Child’s popular character and his stories, you’re probably better off sticking with the original 2012 movie and the books. If you absolutely must see it, it’s a half price Tuesday trip.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
