Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

User Review

• 

  TheMovieDiorama

  5 / 10

  The sequel that not many people wanted but we got anyway, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is about the titular character getting involved with an Army Major who has been framed for espionage and they try to find out who is behind these false accusations. The first film was a pleasant surprise, I wasn't expecting much but it turned out to be a decent action film. A lot of people did not like it as they believe Tom Cruise wasn't the perfect Jack Reacher in height and build, but I don't read books (ain't nobody got time for that!) so I won't be making comparisons. Evidently it did well, hence why we now have a sequel that just isn't as good as its predecessor. Firstly Tom Cruise brings his game as usual, I have to admire his career and the fact he does all of his own stunts, he truly is a dedicated actor and you don't get many of them anymore. Cobie Smulders was good, she finally has some good screen time and hopefully she'll be in more in the future. The rest of the cast were adequate, they did their jobs fine. Edward Zwick (who directed The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond and Defiance) partners up with cruise again and is excellent, his direction was clear and thankfully some well done action scenes where I can see what the hell is going on. Speaking of said scenes, the fighting was brutal...and I put that lightly. You can hear bones snapping, you can feel every punch and there is a great scene where Smulders strangles someone with a hose. A good action film is where you feel the violence and damn, I felt it. Then we get onto the story, which is where the film falls. It is completely unmemorable. A weak villainous organisation, a weak subplot with the potential daughter of Reacher and no good car chase scene! The first film had such a good car chase! The script doesn't know which route to take and mixes the plot involving the potential daughter with the plot of the military espionage and it just loses focus so many times which really is a shame. Jack Reacher is unpredictable, we've seen it in the first film...but he is entirely predictable in this with a ridiculous cliché at the end. Overall, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is an adequate sequel with plenty of brutal fights and good performances but an unfocused plot and forgettable story means you won't be remembering this anytime soon.

  Like?

  1 member likes this review.