I want more.

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2013)

I remember seeing the trailers for "Jack Reacher", last year. They sold it as a badass Tom Cruise muscle care beat 'em up. So it probably turned some off when the move wound up being part crime thriller, part '70s action film (no caffeinated editing or shaky cam), methodically paced, and tension that runs at a slow burn. You can always blame the chimps in marketing.
Size controversy aside, Tom Cruise brings all that is necessary to the role, making you believe that he can actually beat the shít out of 5 other guys in the middle of the street. And as an action film, "Reacher" subtly delivers, with a nail-biter of an opening sniper scene, an ending quarry shootout that is surprisingly tense (happily so), and a well-done car chase that leaves one righteous cherry-red Chevelle in a tragic state (heartbreaking, that one). The fist fights are raw and brutal, well-choreographed with Cruise delivering a plethora of groin shots and bone crunches. It's a sight to behold.
What's disappointing about this movie is that it's a one-off. It didn't do well at the box office, and I'd love to see more of this character. He's hard-nosed, brutal when pushed, and when the case is solved, he drops off the grid. Is it even possible to do that in today"s hyper- connected world? The ability to just quietly recede just floors me. But even more than that, it's his code of doing what's right that makes him someone to root for (that fist-pumper of a closing shot really brings it home).
Like "Dredd", "Jack Reacher" is a thoroughly pleasant surprise of 2012 ... and probably the last we'll see of both.
7.5/10