Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, Werner Herzog, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: May 7, 2013
Run Time: 130 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Before this film was released, I had never heard of this ass-kicking ex-Army anti-hero created by Best-Selling Author Lee Child, Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise takes on this title role and really nails the role. I have to say I came into this film expecting a crazy action film like in “Mission Impossible”, but I was really surprised with what I got. This is a real slow-burn detective story mixed with some great action and one hell of a car chase scene. Besides Cruise, the rest of the cast is also phenomenal including Rosamund Pike (“Wrath of the Titans”); Werner Herzog (“Rescue Dawn”), who is usually behind the camera directing but he is quite a stunning villain; David Oyelowo (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”); Richard Jenkins (“The Cabin in the Woods”) and Jai Courtney (“A Good Day to Die Hard”). If you like Cruise then you should enjoy this for sure. Just don’t expect an all out action-fest. I would love to see this series continued in further installment but I have a feeling that this will be Jack Reacher’s first and last go.
Official Premise: Adapted from a novel in Lee Child’s best-selling crime series, the film sees Cruise in the title role as an ex-military policeman turned vigilante drifter who is called in to investigate after an expert sniper takes the lives of five random victims. When the authorities pull in former army sniper, James Barr (Joseph Sikora), they are certain they have the perpetrator, but Barr believes he’s been set up and asks that Jack Reacher (Cruise) be assigned to the case. At first, Reacher is weary of Barr but after some thorough investigation he is led to believe there is an unseen force pulling the strings of the investigation and he’s determined to get to the truth.
Paramount really went through the trouble of delivering a very nice presentation with this Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Also included is an UltraViolet digital streaming copy. The 1080p transfer is super sharp and top that with a very impressive (and unexpected) DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. At first I thought that this wasn’t necessary but it really worked with the car chase scene and Joe Kraemer score. The special features are pretty darn good. There are two commentary tracks, the first with Tom Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie and the second with composer Joe Kraemer. I am very impressed that Cruise lended his voice and it is worth checking out. “When the Man Comes Around” is a look into the film’s journey from the page to the screen. “You Do Not Mess with Jack Reacher: Combat & Weapons” focuses on that training and stunt choreography through the fight sequences. Lastly, “The Reacher Phenomenon” is a look into this series popularity around the world with Lee Child. Also included is a $10 off coupon for sports tickets at Ticketmaster and there is also a code for the first chapter of Lee Child’s next “Jack Reacher” novel “Never Go Back”. So if you are a fan of the series, this is a nice bonus!
