I wanted to shower after this

Rating: 2/10 (29 December 2012)

Released within days of the Sandy Hook massacre, this opens with the apparent random shooting of innocent people by a lone gunman in a car park. At the very best, that's tasteless in the extreme. The 'hero', Jack Reacher, then sets about beating up and killing bad guys. Shooting is too good for one, so he throws aside his automatic rifle and stamps the man to death. The film ends with him executing a crippled, unarmed man. I'm no prude, and like an action film as good as the next man, but the theme of this film played down to the very worst of American culture. It celebrates violent death. At one point Reacher tells the bad guy he's no hero, and I have to agree with him. He's a psychotic killer, although, of course, he only kills bad guys.
This is quite aside from the ridiculous miscasting of Cruise in the role. At one point the detective asks a receptionist if anyone is staying there who could kill a girl with one punch. She singles out Cruise's room. Why? He may be a fine actor, but does he really look like someone who can kill with a single blow? I feel dirty for having sat throw this.