Jack Reacher: Never Back Down (2016)

Even though it was a bit of a toss-up, Tom Cruise's surprisingly successful hit from 2012 (Jack Reacher) finally got its sequel... interesting, I guess, because while the first one pulled in decent cash and actually managed to win over more critics than anyone expected, the studio was still pretty hesitant about doubling down on the franchise. Anyway, Tom is back at the helm, with Cobie Smulders joining the cast, and this time Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai, Glory) is calling the shots behind the scenes. The gist of the story is that Reacher—basically whenever he’s out of anything better to do—decides to head back to his old military police stomping grounds to meet up with a new commanding officer... though there's a little logic gap since the movie doesn't mention they've already been chatting on the phone through the two books prior to this, which would have made his arrival make way more sense... but he quickly realizes she's been thrown in jail on some totally bogus charges. So, naturally, it's just a whole lot of running and action from there.

So, the movie turned out pretty much how I expected... 😁 It’s not quite as gritty as the last one—it feels like they gave Reacher a bit more of a human side by throwing in this whole thing about him possibly having a daughter he's never met. The plot is decent enough, even if some parts feel a little fuzzy—you know, that whole illegal arms smuggling angle—but there's plenty of action and enough fight scenes to keep everyone happy. Like I said, it lacks that raw edge from the predecessor since the story is a bit more polished, though the directing is solid and Cruise is totally on his game again. Honestly, probably one of the better flicks we've seen all year.

I’m definitely planning on catching this in theaters sometime this summer or fall—I think I've already seen a few snippets of the trailer.
It looks pretty solid, though I really hope they make up for the fact that we don't have Herzog playing the villain this time around—honestly, I might even do a quick rewatch of the first movie before I head out to see this one, just to get my head back in the headspace of the characters and the world itself.

Honestly, this movie doesn't even come close to the first one. It’s easily the worst thing Tom Cruise has ever done. A total letdown. 👎

To me, the movie was just a decent, standard action flick.😬

It’s okay for mindless entertainment, I guess, but honestly? A total letdown.
Maybe I just set the bar too high because that first movie was actually decent.

The only thing that worked was how cold things were between Reacher and the Brigadier.
There’s basically zero "chemistry" there,
and honestly, those kinds of "realistic" vibes are pretty rare in movies like this,
it was cool how they both just seemed to get that there wouldn't be any kissing or smutty scenes,
so they didn't even bother trying.

Everything else was just a mild disaster.
The directing was... wtf. Just random shots thrown together. And if you're gonna have someone smash through a wall with a car,
show me the wreckage and the damage! Don't just cut to a close-up of Reacher's face instead.
I feel like there could've been a deeper, warmer bond between him and the "daughter" figure,
since it's obvious they're on the exact same wavelength,
but for some reason, they didn't really go anywhere with it,
other than ending on a hug that (once again) leads absolutely nowhere.

The main catalyst villain is some mysterious lady who barely gets three minutes of screen time,
while the actual big bad is just "another hitman" who spends most of his time running around.

The rest isn't even worth mentioning.
Film is a 1.5/5

Jesse Sullivan2 said:there was definitely some potential for a deeper, warmer connection between him and the "daughter" figure—you can just tell they were totally on the same wavelength...
but for some reason, they never really leaned into it,
other than that final hug at the end which (once again) doesn't actually lead anywhere...

The thing is, she isn't even his daughter. In the book, he barely even acknowledges her because he knows there’s no blood relation, so what the movie shows feels way overblown compared to their actual dynamic. The bigger issue for me, though, is how they left it completely unexplained why her mother would even bother filing a lawsuit against him in the first place...

Between Cruise and Reacher, they’ve both got that whole "good guys on the run" thing going for them, and while I was hoping to dig a little deeper into their actual motivations—something more substantial than just the usual tired cliché about arms dealers...
neither the first film really hit the mark for me, though it certainly looks different when you view it through the lens of the second one being an absolute masterpiece.

It wasn't exactly a disaster for me, I suppose; nothing truly spectacular happened, though I did find myself somewhat entertained. It feels quite a departure from the first film, which, if I recall correctly, leaned more toward being a crime thriller with a bit of action, whereas this one felt much more like Jason Bourne. It’s also a different beast entirely compared to the book, which was decent enough, I guess.
It probably could have been better, I suppose, but I don't really find myself regretting the time spent; it’s perfectly fine enough to watch while you're just sitting there with some popcorn.

briskhound2 said:Aside from the fact that she isn't even his daughter. Throughout the entire book, he barely acknowledges her because he knows there's no blood connection, so what they showed in the movie actually exaggerates their bond way more than it was in the source material. The bigger issue for me, though, is how they left it totally unexplained why her mother would even bother filing a lawsuit against him in the first place.

Caught it last night, honestly nothing special...
the kid filed the lawsuit against her uncle, not her mother...

wanderingcrane82 said:The kid filed a lawsuit against Uncle Sam, not her own mother...

In the movie, the guy explains that his mom sued Reacher's army. I don't see how the kid could have done it since she's a minor. Either way, it's still pretty vague why they went after him specifically...

briskhound2 said:The guy in the movie mentions his mom sued Reacher's army. I don't see how a kid could pull that off when she was still a minor. Either way, it’s never really spelled out why they went after him specifically.

just go back and watch the scene from the 57 to 60-minute mark again... 🍿

I almost passed out... literally, right in the middle of the movie🤦

A bit dull and repetitive, honestly. It felt pretty hollow too, which is saying something since I actually almost drifted off—even with all that "tension" during the final showdown. Haven't felt that since the last The Expendables installment. 😁
Just your typical Tom Cruise fare. 1.8/5

wanderingcrane82 said:Kid filed the lawsuit against her Uncle Sam, not her mother....

briskhound2 said:The guy in the movie explains that the mom sued Reacher's army. I don't see how the kid could do it since she's a minor. Either way, it’s still unclear why they targeted him specifically.

wanderingcrane82 said:watch the 57 to 60 minute mark again... 🍿

Kid probably talked her mom into suing someone at random just because of an app 🤷

Given the absolute garbage they usually put out, this is actually pretty decent. It feels almost old school—like those movies they used to churn out back in the late eighties and through the whole nineties. I dig how the story plays with that triangle of their relationships. You think something big is gonna happen, like sex or some paternity test reveal, but that tension just keeps dancing right on the edge without ever landing...

And honestly, it’s better that way.

👍👍👍:👍👎

Honestly, this was even worse than the movie
I really wasn't out here expecting anything groundbreaking, but somehow, it still managed to let me down completely.

As far as I’m concerned, the movie was just mediocre at best... I found the first installment to be significantly better than this one..

I caught a screening of it the other day—nothing groundbreaking, mind you, but perfectly serviceable 🙂 I’ve always had a soft spot for this genre; they serve as excellent ways to kill a few hours when you're looking to switch your brain off 🙂

Honestly, I found the whole thing to be a complete letdown... the movie is just riddled with these incredibly childish action sequences that felt totally unearned.

Great movie, flew by in two hours before I knew it. They integrated the kid into the plot pretty well. Guess Thomas still knows how to pull off a good action sequence.
The only thing that didn't sit right was him hitchhiking without even a bag, just wearing a jacket.
Maybe the book explains why he's traveling without a car.