The JACK REACHER Thread - Page 2

Although Cruise can certainly carry a film, and has done some good work over the years. I have difficulty seperating my perception of the person from the roles he plays. From the scientology, to the bizarro marriage stuff,  to the obtuse egocentric shit he spouts in interview. I have been rooting for years for Tom Cruise career to fail. Unfortunately he undeniably has a certain talent, and he makes sound choices for the most part.

 

Jack Reacher is a film I would see if it had say Renner, Gosling or even fucking Statham in the lead.....but with Cruise, I just cant do it.

 

You're missing out on a damn good movie then.  Statham or Renner would have been dreadful in it.  While I'm a big fan of Gosling, I can't see him working well in it either. 

 

A big part of the reason Reacher works so well is directly because of Tom Cruise's performance (and McQuarrie's solid direction).  Cruise may be a wack job in his personal life, but the guy has a screen presence unlike anyone else out there.  When a director can get him to rein in some of his ticks, Cruise almost always put in a good performance.

Wow, that was some fucking stupid post.

But hasn't that always been Cruise's MO? The only exception I can think of is Born of the 4th of July, and even that is a partial exception: When his Ron Kovic decides to become an embittered War Protester, he goes for it!

He went a BIT against type in War of the Worlds, as a dad trying to desperately avoid confrontations.

But that's the binary of Cruise. Confident or Desperate. But always INTENSE!!

Some movies have him start at one end, go to the other and end with him achieving some equilibrium. His 2 movies with Cameron Crowe for instance.

 

Gosling as Reacher? That's probably a worse choice.

 

Did I say probably? I meant definitely.

Yeah, Reacher needs somebody who was, is, somebody from back when these kind of movies were common. Honestly, it can only be Cruise in my mind, it's that damn intensity he brings.

My heart says Ray Stevenson but the CHUD guys made some good points in Cruise's favor. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until I can watch it.

 

I was hanging out with two ladies last night who just didn't get the love for Gosling.  For them, the only movie he's been appealing is in DRIVE (largely because he doesn't talk in it).  Anywhere else, they hate his voice and think his face is Downs Syndrome-ish. 

 

Hahahah, I love talking movies with my friends.

 

Ray Stevenson as Reacher?  That would've been a very different movie tonally on that casting alone.  Just his physical stature changes the tone of the character's confrontations.

 

Interesting. My girlfriend thinks the exact same thing.

omg besties!

Really?  I just don't see it, and come on.  Crazy Stupid Love is literally designed to get Gosling laid. 

 

The best actor for Jack Reacher would be an American version of Daniel Craig, whomever that is...  Handsome, but not pretty, big and intimidating while also being a charming intelligent smart ass...

You know... I don't think anyone has called out praise for the sequence that flashes back to the lives of the 5 victims.  I thought that was some strong stuff.  You get such a simple and elegant look into these lives in a few short minutes, but it's very effective.  And then the Reacher flips most of it around!  That jerk!

 

Josh Holloway could've made for a strong Reacher, based upon what I'm reading in this thread. 

 

Ryan Gosling's left eye is placed lower on his skull than his right eye is.

 

http://ryangoslingseye.tumblr.com

Loved it. And yeah, a slightly amped up episode of NCIS with a lone wolf Gibbs pretty much fits this to a tee.

 

Male Shannon Doherty!

 

My right eye is lower than my left one...you guys are making me feel bad.

 

To the movie: fucking LOVED this.  It's the best film of this 'type' that I've seen in a few years.  The script is smart without being cute, the action is solid, the acting is good from everyone involved, and the pacing is perfect.  I sure hope this thing makes bank, as I'd love to see more of these.

If Gosling can make it, we'll be seeing Judas Booth steaming up the silver screen soon enough!

I do not find Ryan Gosling attractive.  Like, at ALL.  I see why women like him, but he does nada for me.

Lets stop talking crazy about Ryan Gosling and talk about HOW GOOD THIS MOVIE IS.  I will be singing this movies praises the way Nooj shits on TDKR for a while. 

This movie is as fun as Gosling looks weird!

Ohhhhhhh!  Conflicted!  And Merry Christmas folks. 

 

This movie is 10X better than it has any right to be.  It's a master class in taking a standard, cliche thriller and doing everything RIGHT with it to the point that you don't mind how cliche it is.

http://www.theqandapodcast.com/2012/12/christopher-mcquarrie-jack-reacher-q.html

 

Same goes for my wife.  Her only interest in Gangster Squad (and, previously, Crazy Stupid Love) is Emma Stone.  She hates Gosling.

 

 

Got a time machine?

 

 

 

First thing that popped into my mind after seeing this was that it was absolutely the kind of flick that Steve would have done back in the day.

 

 

That pretty much sums up my feelings 100%.

OMFG PLISSKEN!  You couldn't have nailed it any better, Steve fucking McQueen!

Double irony:  Daniel Craig fucking looks like Steve McQueen.  And Mathieu Almaric looks like Roman Polanski, which gave QoS an odd unintentional 70s vibe for certain scenes.

When reading the books I always see Ed Harris as Reacher.  Hardened grizzly dude with presence, able to kick ass but look old at the same time.  Obviously Harris is too old to play the part now, but late 90's Harris would have been good.

 

Anyway, as a fan of the books, I was satisfied with the film.  Should have been called One Shot though.

 

Cruise should be commended for doing his own stunts, how many other actors would bother?  As a result most Hollywood action films shake the camera around, zoom in and cut excessively to maintain the illusion of actors being in the thick of it.  Directors like the Wachowskis make great action scenes because they work with open-minded actors willing to get dirty.

Edited by cognizant - 12/30/12 at 6:45am

Recently ripped through three Reacher books for the first time - Killing Floor, One Shot and The Enemy, in that order.  Enjoyed the latter the most.  I give them solid B's, for the most part.  Good pulp novels.  Decently plotted and entertaining.  Just started The Affair last night.  Just ok so far.

I liked this a lot.  Old-school, low-tech fun.  Cruise can still bring it.  

 

Herzog should be cast in the next Bond movie immediately.  

 

Hey, I just started The Affair too. The movie had me wanting to give the books another shot, so I borrowed a couple from my brother, who's a big fan. Earlier in the week I read Persuader. Still wasn't impressed, I'm sorry to say. But The Affair is shaping up better so far, a sort of Secret Origin of Jack Reacher, I guess-- or at least his career as an aimless crimefighting drifter. 

 

I'll have to give The Enemy a try next. So there are, what, twenty of these books? Anybody else have recommendations for the better ones?

Gibbs from NCIS would.

For Jack Reacher 2: The Legend of Reacher's Gold, I hope they continue the aloof art film director as villain trend by casting David Cronenberg. "No, Jack Reacher... I'm death, plain and simple."

David Lynch as Herzog's vengeful younger brother!!!

 

Ha! Gibbs totally would do that. Ziva, too, probably. Dinozzo and McGhee not so much, but I could see ol Mark Harmon absolutely losing it on a terrorist or something.

 

Every REACHER movie should have a villain played by a great director. I'm pulling for Cronenberg for the sequel.

 

Lars Von Trier or NOTHING!

Wait. I'm changing mine to Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Actually, I'm changing my vote to J.J. Abrams. "Reacher--unlock the mystery box in forty-five minutes or the girl dies!"

 

"There's nothing in here! Just--a map to another box!"

 

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Would love to see Steven Spielberg play a bad guy in a film.

 

Fuck you, Reacher!

I got it. Tim Burton as a serial killer who keeps obsessively repeating the same murder, down to the smallest detail of each crime scene, over and over again. Johnny Depp plays the victim(s).

 

"Reacher, how do you know it was him?"

 

"Black and white spiral painted on the door, Danny Elfman CD in the stereo--and who else would kill a man in a Hot Topic store?"

Naturally, if we need someone to play Herzog's pissed-off brother, there's only one director insidious enough and German enough for the job:

 

 

 

Can't wait for the scene where Boll uppercuts Reacher, while having a video game made of the fight so he can then turn it into a movie, with Clint Howard playing Reacher.
 

"Jack Reacher, you must recreate this crime scene in 5 different ways, each with a different obstruction! If you fail, I will kill again!"

John Carpenter and his partner in crime, Kurt Russell. At each crime scene, they leave a tape talking about how and why they killed the victim. Despite some of the horrible crimes Carpenter commits----Ghosts of Mars----the audience still comes to love them for their canny interplay.

Loved this movie a lot when I saw it on sunday, and when I made my top films list, it came in at number 2. That friggin' car chase was amazing, and Jack Reacher basically being a badass drifter (he even calls himself a drifter!) makes this a character that I hope comes back in a sequel, and that we have a new franchise to look forward to.

 

Oh yeah, and that fight in the small bathroom. So hilarious, and certainly feels like something that would show up in a Craig Bond film.

Saw this yesterday, thought it was pretty decent...  Not quite the slam fest I was thinking it would be, so I was quite surprised to find the story engaging.  

 

I read that Tom Cruise does most of his own car stunts, and if you noticed here in REACHER, there are plenty of "money shots" that show Cruise(and the entire un-rigged car) doing a lot of badass car tricks.  Look it up on IMDB... it says after he crashed into the water barrels, the car stalled, which they included in the movie.

 

Best car chase since DRIVE, in my opinion.  

Fellas (and fellettes?), this seems to be holding quite well so far.  It only dropped 10% in its second week.  It will be interesting to see how it does now that we've left the holidays behind.

 

 

YES

 

 

Well, we're obviously going to need AT LEAST five more of these to satiate us.

Excellent news!  I knew this movie was good, I feel validated. 
 

It has also pulled in at least 23 mill elsewhere in the world and hasn't even opened in many of the major territories yet.