Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) - Theatrical Review

Director: Edward Zwick

Cast: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Robert Knepper, Danika Yarosh

Country: United States

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 118 min

Note: This review was originally written for a different website that shall go unnamed. However, the editor of the website refused to post my review because they disagreed with my opinion, stating that they would not post a review of mine unless they agreed with me. In honor of the freedom of speech and truthful journalism, I chose to post it here on my own blog. 

Movie star Tom Cruise has typically only partaken within one long standing franchise of his, the fantastic Mission: Impossible series. However, it’s nice to see him spread his legs and take a stab at another one by expanding 2012’s Jack Reacher into his latest franchise. It’s been a long standing opinion of mine, as well as many other action fans, that Christopher McQuarrie's Jack Reacher is a hugely underrated and masterfully crafted action thriller that deserved more attention and box office than it scored. It was far from a failure, but not nearly as successful as it could and should have been. 

Fast forward four years, and now we have the franchise’s first sequel, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, directed by Edward Zwick, who previously collaborated with Cruise on 2003’s The Last Samurai. While the original film will continue to be lauded and praised by action fans alike, Never Go Back is unlikely to gain anyone’s admiration, as it is nothing more than a mediocre, but mildly watchable, studio actioner that fails to conjure up the same sense of craftsmanship imbued within the first film.

Jack Reacher: Never Turn Your Back

Never Go Back finds Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) helping military police solve crimes as he works his way across the country. When Reacher decides to visit Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), the military officer he has been helping solve cases, he stumbles upon a conspiracy in which she is framed for a crime that she did not commit. Matters are further complicated when Reacher discovers that he may also have a daughter that he never knew about.

Never Go Back is significantly weaker than its predecessor, almost to the point where it more closely resembles the DTV equivalent of a Jack Reacher film, although it does feature the budget and name value of a cinematic release. Whereas the first film was a throwback to the stylistic sensibilities of the gritty and patient action films of the 1970s, the sequel is more representative of post 2000s actioners with its dull exposition, needless plotting, and incomprehensible action sequences that reinforce its bland stature. All of this can be blamed upon the script and direction by Zwick, who fails to reach the heights that McQuarrie reached within the first film. It’s a shame that Zwick failed so hard, as he has built a respectable career upon dramatic and epic pieces of entertainment like Glory, The Last Samurai, and Blood Diamond. While Never Go Back is one of his smaller scaled films to date, it’s a hugely disappointing effort when held up to both its previous installment and all of Zwick’s other features.

Besides being an overly plotted film in which every single character only talks about the plight at hand, Never Go Back is barely a reintroduction or honorable representation of its titular character. After a small opening scene, that plays out far weaker than Zwick must have intended it to be, we are immediately thrust into the plot of the film with little time to get to know Reacher again. He is simply used as a vessel to carry us along a plot that we don’t care about while also providing us with some brutal beat downs and savage shootouts that don’t thrill us nearly as well as they could. While I have not read every single one of Lee Child’s ‘Jack Reacher’ novels, even I can tell that Never Go Back is a poor representation of the character. This film could have been about any action character, as there is very little to it that is distinctly ‘Jack Reacher’ about it. When you compare the charismatic, witty, and bad ass hero established in the first film, to this cold, morose, but still bad ass character from the second film, you’ll see a strong difference that reflects Zwick’s mishandling of the character and Cruise’s laziness as a performer and producer.

Mardi Gras Reacher

Speaking of Cruise, this might just be one of his weakest performances to date. He’s clearly going with the motions here, appearing bored and emotionally stagnant throughout, hardly demonstrating the charisma and energy of the movie star that he can be. Cruise joins the ranks of Liam Neeson as a superior movie star who has settled for less with straight forward action affair. While it’s great to see talented actors like Cruise tackle more straight forward action affair like this, as he has been doing for many years now, his disinterest in the genre, or specifically this project, is apparent. In all honesty, he has my permission to leave action behind and return to the more dramatic and comedic affair that made him a star.

On the action side of things, Never Go Back is a letdown, although not a complete failure. Whereas Jack Reacher featured crisp and inspired car chases, shootouts, and fist fights that benefited from their smooth cinematography and punchy sound design, the sequel is leaps and bounds weaker. It’s clear that Zwick doesn’t understand how to shoot a fight scene, let alone craft a fight scene within a plot that we care about, the way that McQuarrie does. The fights within Never Go Back are shot, edited, and scored to appear exciting, but simply aren’t so. They’re decent, thanks to some memorable moments such as a bloody take down within an airplane restroom and a kill upon a roof top. But overall, they suffer from weak coverage that reveals the production’s inability to produce visibly comprehensible action. I am glad to say that the shootouts fare better, although there are even less of those than the physical brawls. All in all, the action is far from insulting or cringe worthy, but Cruise and this franchise know and deserve better, and this is hardly their best.

On a final note, Never Go Back doesn’t feature a stellar supporting cast like the first, as it only has Cruise going for it, and even he is a let-down. The first film featured an absolutely fantastic supporting cast of major Hollywood players that made it more than just a Cruise super-show. Besides Cruise, who was at his best in the first, it also featured Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Jai Courtney, Robert Duvall, David Oyelowo, and Werner Herzog of all people. That cast alone raised it above the ranks of its similar B-movie ilk to A-movie heaven. 

However, Never Go Back’s DTV/B-movie stature is reinforced by its weak supporting cast who barely leave an impression. Smulders, who most will recognize from her turn as Agent Maria Hill in The Avengers movies, is stern and dull the entire run time. Other notable players include Robert Knepper, previously seen in this year’s Hard Target 2, as a corrupt general, although he is unfortunately denied much screen time. Patrick Heusinger acts as the film’s despicable right hand man, simply named “The Hunter,” but can’t hold a candle to Courtney’s time in the first, as he aims for a more over the top and insane performance that clashes with the rest of the film’s tone. However, it is Danika Yarosh, who plays Samantha, Reacher’s potential daughter, who gives the weakest performance of the bunch. If anything, Never Go Back is a reminder of the old days when Cruise was the main draw for most of his films.

Stuff like this doesn't matter if there isn't a feasible story to latch it onto.

In conclusion, Never Go Back, which should never be seen again, is a lackluster sequel that fails to reach the heights of the first, or even come out a commendable action effort. The first film, as well as many other of Cruise’s ventures, are far more memorable, and feature plenty of unforgettable and iconic scenes. Unfortunately, Never Go Back is as forgetful as they come. It’s nothing more than a bland studio actioner with decent action, a woeful plot, and Cruise doing his tough guy thing. If anything, the film will forever be damned to repeats on TNT, where it might as well have premiered due to its artistic pedigree. Fans of the first film, the long running book series, and competently made old fashioned action thrillers will probably come out severely disappointed. 

What was originally one of my more anticipated action films of the year is unfortunately nothing more than an average studio actioner that might be bad enough to prevent a third entry from ever happening. That being said, and if box office numbers prove to be good, a third entry from a better filmmaker and a more dedicated Cruise would be enough to make up for the mishap of this lackluster second entry in the series. Here’s to next time, Cruise. I look forward to when you fully return to the screen charismatic and determined.

Rating: 4.5/10 - Decent action is not enough to save this dull and morose sequel to one of the decade's finest action thrillers.

Reviews In This Series:
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (Edward Zwick, 2016)