Jack Reacher

If you are old enough to remember the Dirty Harry movies, you know the feeling of meeting a character that is ALWAYS in control of the situation.  I would think to myself :  I would like to be that guy. Fearless, Calm, Unrattled, and Assured.  Pretty Cool.

Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is that guy.  He has a reputation as an ex-military investigator who seemed to have disappeared.   The movie opens in a horrific way given recent events:  A sniper kills 5 innocent people from a perch in a parking garage and is soon caught.  In police custody he says he needs "Jack Reacher".  Mr. Reacher appears and we hang on for the ride.  He is the character like Dirty Harry that we just grab our popcorn and watch.  The young punks smart off to him and we think:  "You shouldn't have said that."

It is a PG13 joy ride.  Robert Duvall has a short role backing him up and is of course perfect for the job and the part.

I enjoyed this Christmas blockbuster.

I give it *** stars.  2012 Movie 43