2016's "Jack Reacher: Never Go
Back", directed by Edward Zwick.
Starring Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders,
Aldis Hodge, Danika Yarosh.
2012’s “Jack Reacher” brought the author
Lee Childs’ series about a travelling U.S. military ex major to the silver
screen. At the time, there was a public outcry about the enraging and
criminally oppressive casting of Tom Cruise, that resulted in the film grossing
more than 3 times it’s $60 million budget. The studio was so intimidated by the
public’s visceral reaction to the casting of everybody’s favourite couch
jumping scientologist, that they made another film 4 years later.
“NGB” features Cruise back, employed as
a freelancer for the military. An old military friend (Smulders) is framed, and
Cruise has to investigate deeper without getting framed as well, by the
conspiratorial powers that be. Complicating things, is the discovery of a possible
daughter, a teenager whom at this point wants nothing to do with him.
This
is a disturbingly borderline Made for TV Movie territory.
Despite this sequel possessing a larger budget of 90
million, “NGB” appears very cheap, with 2 stars and a literal army of extras,
combined with plenty of locales that often are used by more “fringe”
productions. Very little of that money appears to have been used on the script (co-written
by 3 people), with cliché being the modus operandi as our hero continually
reminds baffled army personnel that it's, "Ex-Major". Cruise is no
nonsense and seemingly immune to appearing his age (the film’s greatest special
effect), but his borderline flirting with Smulders is odd and disjointed, the
paternal instincts unrealized, and the final conclusion to the story’s corrupt
military hullabaloo feels like something out of a Bazooka Joe comic strip. How it
all ends I won't spoil, but it's nice to know celebrities are still willing to
ride with Greyhound.
2.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment