[yasr_overall_rating]
Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name. On the run as a fugitive from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever.
“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” is a worthy follow-up to its 2012 predecessor, simply titled “Jack Reacher.” Although the character of Reacher, at least in author Lee Child’s books, stands at a towering 6 foot, 5 inches tall, and is described as half-Rimbaud, half-Rambo, Tom Cruise has made Reacher his own. While nowhere near the imposing height of the book’s protagonist, Cruise has charisma and onscreen appeal and is physically just as impressive. For a man approaching 55, he puts much of his younger co-stars to shame with his physical endurance, both onscreen and off. With over 20 Jack Reacher books to date, and more on the way, it’s a safe bet that Mr. Cruise will have his plate full in the foreseeable future, with both this franchise and the “Mission: Impossible” series, both still going very strong.
Having just aided in the arrest a crooked small-town sheriff, guilty of human trafficking, Jack, a former Major in the United States Army Military Police Corps, makes his way to Washington, D.C. to meet Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), the new commanding officer of his old unit. Because of her assistance, he was able to apprehend the unscrupulous sheriff and wants to take her out to dinner as a way of saying thank you but once he reaches D.C., he is informed that she herself has been arrested on the charge of treason. Unwilling to believe the allegations, he does some digging of his own and quickly ascertains that she is innocent but before he can do anything about it, he is arrested for allegedly committing murder. While incarcerated, he makes his escape and takes Turner with him, both now fugitives from the law. As the two make their way to New Orleans, on a tip Reacher uncovered before his arrest, they soon determine that this case reaches into the corridors of power, and beyond, and in order to clear their names and prove their innocence, they must first take down one of the most powerful men in the U.S. military.
Edward Zwick directs the movie at a brisk rate, leaving little time for the audience to catch their breath. Having worked with Cruise on “The Last Samurai,” and helmed other films such as “Glory,” “Blood Diamond,” and “Defiance,” he proves adept at combining authentic action scenes along with believable dialogue and the ability to acquire impressive performances from his cast. Where 2012’s “Jack Reacher” moved at a slower but steadier pace, allowing the audience to get to know Reacher and his unpredictable but efficient methods, “Never Go Back” assumes that you have already seen its predecessor and moves forward with no holds barred. It is an adrenaline rush from beginning to end and while it does occasionally get a little convoluted, the sight of Cruise taking on his antagonists, and expediently and unapologetically annihilating them, one at a time, more than makes up for it.
In theaters Friday, October 21st
