Jack Reacher, played by Tom Cruise, is a former Army Military Police Officer who could care less about the law when it interferes with justice. Therefore, when he catches wind that one of the former Army snipers he had dismissed of a crime, James Barr (Joseph Sikora), is suspected for murder, he plans to track him down and avenge the deaths of all his innocent victims. However, to Reacher's dismay, when he finally gets to Barr, Barr is in a coma after being brutally assaulted by other prisoners. The facts surrounding the event get stranger as Reacher is told that Barr asked for him, leading Reacher to surmise that some part of the story is amiss and Barr wants him to figure it out. The attorney defending Barr, Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), feels that Reacher can somehow give her a lead as to how she should begin prepping. Reacher and Rodin commence working together and what seems to be an open-and-shut-case, gets more complicated with each twist and turn. Both Reacher and Rodin, who initially believe that Barr is guilty, start to doubt themselves as more evidence piles up proving this tragedy to be an elaborate operation developed to make money.
Jack Reacher (2012), the film, is quite intelligent. The plot builds and unfolds in such a way that it is truly surprising. However, the ending is far from a non sequitur. The story drops subtle hints and clues along the way, which all make sense at the conclusion. In addition, Reacher as a character is very resourceful, incredibly perceptive, and consequently, easily likable for audience members. The most glaring problem with the film is the dialogue that at times is unintentionally funny. Yet, despite some awkward moments, the film is entertaining through and through.
With that being said, the opening half-fictional sequence in the film is quite disturbing in light of recent events. Barr drives to the top of a garage, parks his car, pays for the meter, and then proceeds to set up camp with his automatic weapon. The audience watches through the viewfinder on the gun as the shooter eyes the people walking on the other side of the river. The audience tracks the victims just like Barr does and observes what happens when he pulls the trigger. He kills five people, including a woman holding a baby. There is even a part in the film when the gun is held up directly in front of the camera, making it seem like the gun will fire at audience. The Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, which left twenty six people dead, took place on December 14, 2012. Jack Reacher was released in the United States on December 21, 2012. Initially it was set to be released on December 15, 2012, according to IMDB. Even though there was a slight postponement of the film’s debut, some of the subject matter is still insensitive after such a horrific and brutal mass murder that has left the United States and the rest of the world in shock.
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