Excellent, intelligent action thriller

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2013)

If you can get over the fact that Tom Cruise is no Jack Reacher in stature (in the novels, the character stands out in a crowd, at 6'4' and 240 lbs.), you will enjoy this film. It has a well crafted plot, is expertly filmed and edited, and resists the typical over-the-top shaky-cam effects we see far too often in such movies. I almost didn't go see this film based on many negative reviews I'd read on Rotten Tomatoes....I'm very glad I decided to see it after all. What a pleasant surprise. I believe the political biases of many reviewers turned them off...if you don't believe justice should be merciless and swift, you are probably going to have a problem with this film. But if you enjoyed, say, the Dirty Harry series, then get out and watch this!