Book and movie review: Jack Reacher

As you no doubt know if you regularly read this blog, I began reading Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels after it was announced that they would be adapting one of the books into a movie. I wanted to read them in order and vowed not to see the movie until I had gotten through the book the the film was based on (which was the 9th in the series). It was a bit of fortuitous luck then that I recently bought myself an iPad and have been reading the books at a faster pace on there. At the same time, the film just happened to come onto Netflix instant viewing this past week. Now that I have read the book and seen the movie, here are my quick reviews for both.

Book: At times I've struggled with the Reacher series. I've found some of the stories to either have obvious twists or go too far with Reacher's approach at serving his brand of justice. However, this 9th book that the film was based on, titled One Shot, was one of the best in the series to this point. The best aspects of Reacher's character (his intellect, his steely resolve, his nobility) are emphasized and some of his weaker or more cliched qualities are only hinted at. The story itself moves very well with few slow points. It helps that this time there are plenty of compelling characters, both good and bad. I also enjoyed the fact that its location was a small town in Indiana. I've never enjoyed when one of the books takes place in a larger city where Reacher is constantly butting heads with big time bureaucrats. While there is plenty of action and violence, it's not drawn out in the same way that it has been in some of the other novels. This one is much more of a detective story and for that reason, One Shot is a solid page-turner. Grade: B+

Movie: Many people griped before the film was even released when it was announced that Tom Cruise would play the titular character. Given that the character is described as 6'5", muscular, with blond hair and blue eyes, the last person you would picture in that role is Cruise. I was willing to put that physical disparity aside for the sake of enjoying the movie. However, I ended up still believing Cruise was miscast because of the way he portrayed the character. Reacher is a loner by choice, but Cruise still uses his movie star charm that draws people in not tell them to stay away. Reacher also has a grouchy disposition most of the time, but Cruise still cracks wise and never treats this with the seriousness that he should. The movie also falters like most book adaptations do by taking shortcuts when it comes to delivering the complicated, intricate plot within a two hour timeframe. Three major female characters from the book have been completely removed from the film, leaving the burden on Rosamund Pike, who plays a lawyer who helps Reacher. While Pike can be good, she offers nothing of interest here. The film does a nice job of bringing in some A-list talent for the supporting roles including Robert Duvall, Richard Jenkins, and Werner Herzog as a deranged Russian villain (is there any other role for him?), but they do not do enough with their respective characters (at least in contrast to the way they are developed in the book) to justify their presence here. Despite some adaptation problems and Cruise being miscast, the film is not a total loser. The core story remains intact for the most part and is still interesting on the screen (it's understandable why they chose this one for the adaptation). Director Christopher McQuarrie also does some nice directing, particularly in the opening sniper scene and with an extended car chase sequence. While no doubt a disappointment for fans of Lee Child's books, the film offers some pulpy intrigue for those looking for some escapist fare in a movie. Given that a sequel has already been announced, I'll be interested in both reading the books that lead up to the next adaptation and to see if they address some of the problems that plagued this film. If you're a Netflix subscriber, this is probably worth a watch, especially if you're trapped inside by the weather over the next few days. Grade: B-

2014 Movie Preview: #14 - Edge of Tomorrow

Release date: June 6

Plot summary: The epic action of "Edge of Tomorrow" unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

My take: The previews for this suggests there's a lot going on in this latest Tom Cruise film. There appears to be some kind of alien invasion that our planet is fighting by equipping our soldiers with over-sized robotic armor. But there's also the issue of Tom Cruise's character seemingly re-living the same day over and over again. It's a futuristic Groundhog Day. Why that is happening is just one of the questions I am curious to hear the answer to in this film. As an added bonus Emily Blunt co-stars and she's usually engaging in everything she's in.

Tomorrow never dies

Somehow I forgot to add this one in my posting bonanza last weekend. Here's the first trailer for Tom Cruise's new sci-fi thriller, Edge of Tomorrow, which is set to come out next summer.

Expanding their Reach-er

So after the announcement that they were adapting one of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels into a feature film, I began reading the books. I decided I would not see the movie until I read the book that the film was based on. Considering that they chose to adapt the 9th one in the series, it has taken me quite a while. Now that I have finally begun reading the book that the Jack Reacher film was based on, news comes out that they are moving forward with a sequel. This one will be based on Child's latest book, the 18th. Looks like I've got some more work to do. Here's some more details on the sequel from Deadline.com:

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions are moving ahead with a sequel to Jack Reacher, the 2012 film that starred Tom Cruise and is based on Lee Child’s bestselling novel series. A rumor went around that the studio might be trying to squeeze in a Reacher film before Mission: Impossible 5. Paramount has denied that, but I’ve learned it’s trying to fast track another installment. This one will be based on Never Go Back, which was published earlier this fall. In it, Reacher heads back to his old military base in Virginia to take a woman to dinner who is now the commanding officer. By the time he gets there, she has been arrested, and Reacher finds himself being charged with pummeling one guy and fathering a child with a woman. He can’t remember either transgression but gets to the bottom of it with cunning and sometimes brute force.

The studio is out to writers; Jack Reacher director Christopher McQuarrie adapted the first one, but is too busy prepping MI5 for a summer production start. Cruise and the studio hope McQuarrie will direct the sequel. Why are they making a sequel? The original cost around $57 million in production costs, grossed $218 million worldwide and has done well in ancillaries. Before studios got tentpole crazy, trying to launch franchises with massive-budget originals, that was exactly the kind of numbers that made studios go back for more and try to grow a franchise, particularly when there is popular source material like the Child novels.

Cruise’s new film, Edge Of Tomorrow, will get its first trailer this week, one that will play this Friday on all prints of the Peter Jackson-directed The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug. While Cruise most certainly won’t do the Reacher film before MI5, it is possible he might squeeze in one of the other films he has percolating, including Go Like Hell. He’s going to play Mustang designer Carroll Shelby in a film about the battle between Ford and Ferrari for sports car supremacy at Le Mans in the 1960s in what shapes up as The Right Stuff for sports cars. Oblivion helmer Joseph Kosinski is prepping to reteam with Cruise in that film.

RBR: Oblivion

If you look at the evolution of the public's perception of the space program, you see how those first few missions had audiences utterly captivating. We were seeing something we had never seen before and that we never thought we would ever see. Over time, those missions became so routine and familiar that we stopped caring. That is basically how I felt as I watched Oblivion, the recent sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise. Cruise plays Jack Harper, one of the few remaining people left on Earth after an attack left the planet inhabitable. He's tasked with fixing the drone machines that scour the planet to eliminate any remaining alien threats. Jack's memory of the attack and his life before it have been wiped clean, yet he keeps having flashes to what he believes is moments from his past life. Things get more complicated when a woman (Olga Kurylenko) he sees in those dreams crashes onto Earth. There's also a secret group of humans, led by Morgan Freeman (between this, Olympus Has Fallen, and Now You See Me, I'm beginning to see this guy in my sleep) who try to assist Jack in understanding the truth about what is going on. I won't give away any of the film's big twists here, but I would imagine that by the description I have already given you, you can draw comparisons to this movie and several other more famous sci-fi films. From a story perspective, this film offers you absolutely nothing new. The movie initially hooks you in because it has a tremendous look. Director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy) has a great knack at creating worlds that have an impressive visual aesthetic. It's fun watching Cruise fly around in unique looking spaceships across a barren Earth that still looks somewhat inviting even if no one can live on it. But once the thrill of the film's look is gone, you are left with an empty story that plods along to its inevitable conclusion. With a decent TV, Oblivion still has some value on home video for its visual effects, but if you're looking for a decent story, you're better off renting one of the dozen classic sci-fi films that tell these tropes much more effectively. Rating: ***

2013 Movie Preview (#12 - 7)

#12. This is the End (June 14)

Plot: The comedy "This is the End" follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Once they discover that they are experiencing the Apocalypse, they must come to terms with why they were left behind. Eventually they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.

Personal Opinion: This has been in the cooker for a while now and I had actually made a post several years ago of a short that fueled the inspiration for this film. While the cast isn't perfect (I could have done without Danny McBride), but it does feature a lot of very funny people. If the movie is as crazy as the trailer I posted a few days ago, then this may be the surprise comedy of the summer.


#11. Oblivion (April 19)

Plot: Tom Cruise stars in "Oblivion," an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of "TRON: Legacy" and the producer of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man's confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind. Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack's mission is nearly complete. Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

Personal Opinion: Tom Cruise has proven time and again to always choose the right parts for himself. This latest sci-fi flick where he seems to play a human version of WALL-E seems like it has a lot of potential. Based on the trailer I saw, Joseph Kosinski, who directed TRON: Legacy has once again proven that he's got a flair for the visuals. With this, Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro's latest that just missed my list, and Elysium (yet to come on my list), 2013 could be a very big year for original sci-fi films.


#10. The Hangover Part III (May 24)

Plot: This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

Personal Opinion: A lot of people were disappointed with the most recent effort of the Wolfpack claiming it was nothing more than a carbon copy of the first one. While I agreed with those complaints to a certain degree, I can't help but still be interested in seeing the next adverture of this gang. My hope is that this film is being made as a make-do for the second one, similar to the way Ocean's Thirteen tried to erase the bad taste left in audience's mouths by Twelve


#9. A Good Day to Die Hard (February 14)

Plot: Since the first "Die Hard" in 1988, John McClane has found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the skills and attitude to always be the last man standing, making him enemy #1 for terrorists the world over. Now, McClane faces his greatest challenge ever, this time on an international stage, when his estranged son Jack is caught up in the daring prison escape of a rogue Russian leader, and father and son McClane must work together to keep each other alive and keep the world safe for democracy.

Personal Opinion: There are very few other franchises that I love more than the Die Hard films. Even though they vary in their quality, Bruce Willis simply IS John McClane and inhabits that role so nicely with each film. By coming out in February, this should be the perfect cure for the winter blahs. My only hope is that the filmmakers learn from the mistake of Live Free or Die Hard and make sure that this one is rated R. No one wants to see another muted version of McClane's signature line.


#8. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (March 15)

Plot: Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt's growing ego. But lately the duo's greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they've grown to loathe each other. Facing cutthroat competition from guerilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show looks stale. But there's still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act, both onstage and off, if Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place.

Personal Opinion: As I mentioned yesterday, I'm always excited for movies that feature magic. I don't this one to be overly smart or clever, but that's all right because I fully expect to make up for that with plenty of laughs. Expectations are high considering the cast inlcudes Carell, Buscemi, Carrey, and Alan Arkin. Having just one of them typically guarantees hilarity, so all four should be simply magical. Yes, I'm embarassed by the pun, but I couldn't help myself.


#7. Thor: The Dark World (November 8)

Plot: Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's "Thor" and "Marvel's The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Personal Opinion: After the huge success of The Avengers, the big question will be whether the members can go back to being successful on their own. While someone like Iron Man has already proven himself in solo ventures, the jury is still out on the Asgardian. The first film was solid but sagged under the weight of simply trying to introduce the character to mass audiences. I want to like the Thor character, so my fingers are crossed that this one is able to showcase the character's true potential.

Jack of all trades

Tom Cruise's next movie, Jack Reacher hasn't even hit theaters yet and we already have a trailer for another film featuring him playing a character named Jack. This one is a sci-fi film called Oblivion that is being directed by the guy that did TRON: Legacy. This looks to be pretty epic and will no doubt be on my 2013 movie preview list later this month.

2012 Fall Movie Preview (December)

DJANGO UNCHAINED (December 25)
Plot: Set in the South two years before the Civil War, "Django Unchained" stars Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles - dead or alive.

Quick thoughts: I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Quentin Tarratino's work (I'll admit I still haven't see Pulp Fiction) but I absolutely loved Inglorious Basterds, so I'm excited to see what he does for a follow up. Having a pair of Oscar winners as the leads and Leonardo DiCaprio in the mix hamming it up seems like a recipe for success to me. This isn't the most conventional Christmas movie, but it seems like it'll certainly be a nice gift for all moviegoers.


THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (December 14)
Plot: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Quick thoughts: While three of the four movies on this month's list were no-brainers, I struggled with the final one. I ultimately chose The Hobbit because it will no doubt be the 'biggest' of all the movies I considered. While I admired the filmmaking of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the story did not capture my interest like so many other people. While I doubt I would be rushing out to see this on my own, I have friends who are huge fans of anything Tolkien, so I'll no doubt be checking this one out as well later this year.


JACK REACHER (December 21)
Plot: Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. Sure enough, ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter, a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right, and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning, and then beat him shot for shot.

Quick thoughts: After last year's fourth Mission: Impossible film, I learned never to question Tom Cruise's ability when it comes to action films again. So even though he doesn't exactly match the description of Jack Reacher as author Lee Child has established him in his series of novels, I have all the confidence in the world that Cruise will be able to pull the role off and deliver another terrific thriller.


THIS IS 40 (December 21)
Plot: Writer/director/producer Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Funny People") brings audiences "This Is 40," an original comedy that expands upon the story of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) from the blockbuster hit "Knocked Up" as we see first-hand how they are dealing with their current state of life.

Quick thoughts: It's been three years since Judd Apatow directed a film and even longer since he directed a good one. I'm anxious to see him return to greatness and based on the trailers, he's got a shot with this one. 40 was a lucky number for him when he did Virgin with Steve Carell, and Rudd and Mann were the best part of Knocked Up, so let's hope that all adds up to a winner here.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Les Miserables (December 14)
Monsters Inc. 3D (December 19)
Zero Dark Thirty (December 19)
The Guilt Trip (December 25)

Jack and thrill

Jack Reacher is a popular character in a series of books by author Lee Child. Upon hearing that the series was receiving a film adaptation, I decided to start reading the books. I've finished the first two and while I can't say it's my favorite series of books, they are good reads, particularly for the summertime. Reacher is a former military policeman who now just travels around the country and always seems to find himself in the thick of someone else's problems. The character has a lot in common with 24's Jack Bauer with his sense of patriotism and violent tendencies. For the film adaptation, Tom Cruise has actually been cast as Jack Reacher. This has angered a lot of fans of the franchise as they feel Cruise does not resemble Reacher in any way. While I would agree with their assessment, I won't care too much so long as the film is good. We'll have to wait until December though to make that determination. In the meantime, you can get your first glimpse as to what we can expect with the recently released trailer, which I'll post below.

Mission statement

In the original Mission: Impossible film Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt had to break into a room with floor sensors undetected. That meant nothing could touch the ground, not even a bead of sweat. If audiences today were watching the fourth entry in this series, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, on such a floor it would not take long for them to be detected. This hard-boiled, pulse-pounding thriller may be the most action packed one yet.

There are several well crafted scenes in this film that tickle your fancy while playing off your biggest fears in the same moment. Most notably involves Cruise trying to climb the outside of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building in Dubai. What is so remarkable about that scene and so many others in this film is the way they hide how exactly they filmed them. Too often in today's action films scenes that heavily rely on CGI or other visual effects come off as phony looking and take you out of the moment. Here there's no sense of that. Hell, you hardly even can detect if they are using stuntmen even. As a result, you become more invested in having these characters succeed in their efforts to once again save the world.

The realistic nature of these scenes is even more surprising when you learn that they were directed by someone who's background had previously been exclusively in animation. Director Brad Bird, who had previously helmed The Incredibles and Ratatouille does a remarkable job of taking the flexible reality of cartoons and making it come to life in this live action thriller. It's a tremendous efforts for someone's first live action film and I expect more good things to come from him down the line.

With that said, it's one thing to film the action, it's another thing to actually do it, which is exactly what Tom Cruise does again. The guy gets a lot of flack for his personal life, but there's no doubt that he still knows how to bring it when you put him on screen. Cruise, who reportedly did most of his own stunts for the film, is an adrenaline junkie who excels at making the impossible look possible. He thankfully did not have to carry the load all on his own, though, as he was surrounded here with a solid group of partners. Paula Patton, who plays Jane, does an excellent job of seamlessly blending physical action with sex appeal. She more than holds her own in a couple of fight scenes to validate her presence on the team and shows that she wasn't just cast solely because she's easy on the eyes. Simon Pegg is also back as techie, Benji. He offers some good comic relief that is played perfectly so as to never detract from the seriousness of the stroy. Lastly, Jeremy Renner, plays an analyst who unwittingly gets roped into the mission. At worst, his presence merely adds some gravitas to the cast, but he also could be positioning himself as the heir apparent once Cruise is done with this franchise.

The only real strike against the film is the lackluster villain and his plan to conquer the world. Hendriks (played by Michael Nyqvist) does not have enough screen time to establish himself as a character and his decision to start a nuclear war feels played out. This has often been an issue with these M:I films, however. Their appeal is more in the elaborate nature of stopping the villain, regardless of who it is or what they're trying to do.

In a year where so many films, particularly action films have fallen flat or failed to live up to expectations, it's refreshing to see this one raise the bar and offer viewers something truly special. While I did not have the luxury of seeing this movie in IMAX, everything I've read suggests that is the way to go. If I was left breathless watching these scenes on a regular screen, I can only imagine how heart-stopping they must be in that format. If you're looking to avoid the heavy dramas or prestige pictures that often dominate the cineplexes at this time of the year, this is the movie for you. Cruise and company have proven that it's not 'impossible' to still feel fresh four movies into a franchise. Grade: A-

Following Protocol

Here's the latest trailer for next month's new Mission: Impossible film...