Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher… that’s if you’re standing 90 yards away and try squinting a bit. Paramount released the second trailer and a new poster for this action packed feature, which is basically a combination of every Tom Cruise film to date.
Sure the titular character may stand at 6′ 5” and have a muscle bound frame of 245 pounds, but given Cruise’s charisma and stardom, he’ll appear to be at least 5′ 10” on screen, and that’s if director Christopher McQuarrie and costumer Susan Matheson decide to stick Cruise in a pair of boots with lifts.
Fans of author Lee Child’s long time Jack Reacher series are preparing themselves for heavy impact come December 21st, 2012, when Cruise takes on the role of the ex-military investigator. What will separate Jack Reacher from Cruise’s long list of action heroes — Ethan Hunt (Mission: Impossible), Vincent (Collateral) — judging by the latest trailer, it appears to be the character’s dry sense of humor. Remove the text from the poster, and it really could be any one of Cruise’s films.
Despite the differences, I’m not sure that it’ll really matter come opening day. Those who’ve never picked up Child’s book could quite possibly coin the film as the best action film of the year. Why? Because many have no clue what the character’s supposed to look like or his story. It’s a sad fact in the world of film adaptations that gets played out time and time again. But Child did give Cruise the green light, which should comfort some fans.
“I’m Not A Hero”
The trailer looks decent. There’s a lot of action, hand-to-hand combat, and hot pursuit scenes. This time around we do receive more back story than the first trailer that premiered several months ago. And you have to admit the last scene with Cruise melting into crowd is hilarious.
McQuarrie could’ve went along with the description of Reacher in Child’s novels — a stealthy beast of a man who has the power to dominate his opponents physically and mentally, and has a mastery of all weapons — but he would’ve wound up casting a wrestler with no acting experience, so perhaps it was for the best. We’ll have to see if this is yet another powerhouse franchise for Cruise come winter.
Jack Reacher swings into theaters December 21st, 2012. The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, David Oyelowo and Jai Courtney, Werner Herzog, and James Martin Kelly.
‘Jack Reacher’ Movie Trailer
