'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' Review: Tom Cruise Hits Marks, Punches Faces in Fun, Formulaic Sequel

As played by Tom Cruise, the big-screen version of Jack Reacher (the tough-guy hero of a series of novels by Lee Child) is every 15-year-old boy’s ideal: He’s always right, he’s got an endless supply of argument-ending zingers, and he can kick everyone’s ass. It’s interesting, then, that “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” pairs the character with a 15-year-old girl who, whether or not she turns out to be Reacher’s daughter, is the man’s match when it comes to thinking outside of the box and annoying authority figures.

The girl is Samantha (Danika Yarosh, “Heroes Reborn”), and she feels mostly wedged into the story mainly to be a third-act hostage, but more on her later. We begin with Reacher busting up a human trafficking ring and calling in to the current occupant of his old job at the military police, Major Susan Turner (Colbie Smulders). Their conversations are sprightly, and maybe a little flirty, and the major invites him to dinner next time he’s in D.C.

By the time ramblin’ Jack arrives in our nation’s capital, Susan has been arrested for espionage following the death of two of her sergeants in Afghanistan under mysterious circumstances. She has expressly forbidden Reacher from getting involved, but he can’t help sticking his nose in, and soon Susan’s attorney has been murdered and both Reacher and the major are on the run from the military and trying to crack a conspiracy involving a shady contractor.

See Video: 'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' Trailer Shows Tom Cruise Packing Punch as Lethal Vigilante

And since Samantha’s mother brought a paternity suit against Reacher, the bad guys are after the girl as well, which sends the three of them on the road to follow the clues and punch the villains and shoot back and forth at each other. “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” is as featureless and generic as its title, but between Cruise’s star quality and the ability of director Edward Zwick to stage coherent action sequences, the results are a palatable enough popcorn movie.

Cruise, three decades after his big breakout in “Top Gun,” remains the master of his domain, even though he’s letting his age show in subtle ways, from the lines that have started appearing on his face to his shirtless torso, which reveals him to be an exceedingly fit human being but not the carved, chiseled Greek god which so many contemporary leading men resemble. It also helps that he’s got great chemistry with Smulders, whose Major Turner is every bit Reacher’s equal in the murder-and-mayhem department. When you see her dispatch a foe with a garden hose, you realize she’s Cruise’s most formidable on-screen top since Kelly McGillis.

Also Read: China's Huahua Media, Shanghai Film Group Invest in 'Jack Reacher' Sequel

It’s too bad that no one thought to give this pair of heroes an equally interesting villain; there are no bad guys here at the level of the prior film’s Jai Courtney, much less the scene-stealing Werner Herzog. Instead, we get a bunch of generic white guys in uniform, and a grade-A assassin known only as The Hunter (Patrick Heusinger, “Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce”), whose most notable feature are his distractingly white teeth. And unless you’re Richard Kiel playing “Jaws” in the 007 movies, your dental hardware really shouldn’t be the most interesting asset your character has to offer.

Also Read: Tom Cruise Signs on to 'Mission: Impossible' Franchise for 6th Action Movie

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” – incidentally, if Reacher didn’t go back, Major Turner would be in jail, plus there’d be no movie – is the kind of film you watch with your dad. On an airplane. Or when “Keeping Up with the Joneses” is the only other movie you haven’t seen at the multiplex. It’s nothing special, but it’s nothing awful, either.

The Evolution of Tom Cruise, From Outsider to Jack Reacher (Photos)

TheWrap takes a look at Tom Cruise's career, from "Endless Love" to his upcoming film "The Mummy."
David Letterman
Tom Cruise was born in Syracuse, New York on July 3, 1962. However, he spent his childhood in Canada after his family moved to Ottawa in 1971. When his mother left his father, they moved back to the United States.
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Cruise's first role was a bit part in the 1981 film "Endless Love." Later that year, he had a major supporting role in "Taps."
Universal
In 1983, the actor became part of the ensemble cast of "The Outsiders before starring in other films, including "All the Right Moves" and "Losin' It."
Warner Bros.
1983 also marked the year he starred in "Risky Business," which is one of Cruise's most memorable roles, thanks to a little dance in his underwear.
Warner Bros.
In 1985, Cruise played the male lead in the Ridley Scott film, "Legend," which costarred Tim Curry.
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The actor then starred in 1986's "Top Gun," which cemented his role as a global superstar. It is one of his highest grossing films after "War of the Worlds" and the "Mission: Impossible" series.
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The same year, Cruise paired up with Paul Newman for "The Color of Money," a sequel to "The Hustler."
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Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers in 1987 but divorced in 1990, and she was the one who introduced Cruise to the Church of Scientology. Cruise claimed the Church cured his dyslexia.
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1988's "Cocktail" earned Cruise the Razzie Award for Worst Actor, but followed that up with "Rain Man" alongside Dustin Hoffman, which won the Academy Award for Best Film.
United Artists
Cruise stayed on the awards train with "Born on the Fourth of July," which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama as well as his first Best Actor Academy Award nomination.
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Cruise's next films, "Days of Thunder" and "Far and Away," both co-starred his then-wife Nicole Kidman. They were married for 10 years before splitting in 2001. The couple adopted two children, Isabella and Connor.
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Cruise starred in Neil Jordan's "Interview with a Vampire" in 1994 alongside Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater.
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1996 marked the beginning of the rebooted blockbuster franchise, "Mission: Impossible." He produced the first one, which has grossed $457 million worldwide since its debut. That same year, he played the titular role in "Jerry Maguire," which earned him a Golden Globe and his second Academy Award nomination.
Paramount
In 1998, Cruise sued the Daily Express after the publication alleged his marriage to Kidman was a sham because he was gay.
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1999 saw the reunion of Cruise and Kidman in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut." He also took a supporting role in "Magnolia," for which he received yet another Golden Globe and a nomination for an Oscar.
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In 2000, Cruise filmed the second "Mission: Impossible" film, which was another success at the box office.
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In 2001, Cruise sued gay porn actor Chad Slater who said he had an affair with Cruise. Slater was ordered to pay $10 million in damages.
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The following year, Cruise starred in "Vanilla Sky" with Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, with whom he was romantically linked in 2001. The relationship ended in 2004. That movie was followed by the science fiction thriller, "Minority Report and Edward Zwick's "The Last Samurai."
Paramount
Cruise's "War of the Worlds," directed by Steven Spielberg, became one of his highest-grossing films to date.
DreamWorks
In April 2005, Cruise began dating Katie Holmes. One month later, the actor famously declared his love for the actress on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" by jumping on the talk show host's couch.
Oprah
In 2005, the actor slammed Brooke Shields for endorsing prescription medication for treating postpartum depression. He also denounced psychiatry.
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In October 2005, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, and in April 2006, their daughter Suri was born.
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The couple was married in 2006. David Miscavige, the head of Scientology, served as Cruise's best man.
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In 2008, Cruise put on a fat suit to play Les Grossman in "Tropic Thunder," alongside Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. That same year, he starred in "Valkyrie," also a box office success.
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Films that followed include "Knight and Day," more "Mission: Impossible" films and "Rock of Ages." In 2012, his film "Jack Reacher" was released, grossing $216.6 million worldwide.
Fox
In 2012, it was announced Holmes had filed for divorce from Cruise.
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His upcoming films include "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," as well as "The Mummy."
Paramount