It wasn’t like anybody asked for a sequel to 2012’s Jack Reacher, which wasn’t all that good, to be honest with the exceptions of the main protagonist and a few action set pieces. But, it’s Tom Cruise in an action film that can’t be that bad. Besides, he can never go back. But that should be right from this franchises by now. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is one of those sequels that didn’t gain all the momentum in being better than it’s predecessor.
The story is confusing and just had no idea what’s happening. For a plot involving espionage, it could’ve been entertaining but it isn’t the duration of the film. this Just the script alone wasn’t very convincing or just doesn’t know what’s being told to us. Cruise is without a doubt the best action star today, but it’s difficult to say where it looked like he phoned it in with his performance, which is something I should never say about him. He does still own his stunts, which are still good.
He and Cobie Smulders didn’t have the chemistry but not just their characters, in general. Also, there’s a side character that might be Reacher’s daughter and she was a nuisance throughout. Why did she have to tag along? Because she ends up screwing everything up for them. Could’ve been written out. Even the villains were bad. Should’ve been like Werner Herzog but the main villain is almost like Jai Courtney. Even the action is very forgettable when it’s over. There isn’t one scene like the car chase in the first movie that’s going to be remembered after it’s finished.
Though well-directed for the most part, it wasn’t exciting. But the problems that occur to me, this didn’t feel like a sequel to Jack Reacher. This could’ve been a different Cruise movie for all I care and it wouldn’t make any difference. If Christopher McQuarrie, the original director, did this, it wouldn’t be better but it might have been executed a lot different from this. Even the subtitle, “Never Go Back”, doesn’t even make sense.
This could’ve been better because it’s directed by Edward Zwick, who re-teams with Cruise after 2003’s The Last Samurai and he just wasn’t the perfect guy to helm a sloppily directed action movie. Just a fact that not every action movie doesn’t need a sequel even if the first one is just okay. Leaves wondering if the original movie as actually good or not.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back made me not want to go back. This was a formulaic and conventional sequel that had no fun to be found.
Grade: C-
DC's Take 