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Jack Reacher

• A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting.
• In an innocent heartland city, five are shot dead by an expert sniper. The police quickly identify and arrest the culprit, and build a slam-dunk case. But instead of confessing, the accused man writes the words, "Get Jack Reacher." Reacher himself sees the news report and turns up in the city. The defense is immensely relieved, but Reacher has come to bury the guy. Shocked at the accused's request, Reacher sets out to confirm for himself the absolute certainty of the man's guilt, but comes up with more than he bargained for. — Anonymous
• When 5 seemingly random people are shot by a sniper an investigation leads the police to former Army sniper who has a history of shooting people in the streets when he was in the Army. When he meets his lawyer, Alex Rodin, all he tells her is to find Jack Reacher. She learns that Reacher is a former Army Criminal Investigator. Reacher upon hearing the news arrives. He learns Rodin wants him to help her defend the guy but Reacher doesn't want to help him. It seems that Reacher was the one who investigated the shootings he committed when he was in the Army but the Army opted not to prosecute. He told the man that if he did it again, Reacher will come after him. Reacher agrees to look into it if Rodin tries to look at the people he killed. She does and Reacher goes to tell her that the shootings were not the man's m.o. Reacher suspects someone is framing him. So he and Rodin try to find out why and who. — [email protected]
• When a sniper shoots randomly five victims, Detective Emerson finds evidence to incriminate the former paranoid marine James Barr. It is an easy case for the prosecutor Rodin, but Barr refuses to sign the confession and he calls Jack Reacher. When he is transported to prison in a bus, the other prisoners beat him and Barr goes to the hospital in coma. The pacifist attorney Helen Rodin, who is the daughter of the prosecutor, decides to defend him but Jack Reacher is a former military criminal investigator that left the army and has become an unknown drifter. Out of the blue, Jack appears in the city and Helen invites him to work for her investigating the case. Soon he finds that the culprit is innocent and there is a conspiracy behind the murders. — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• When a crazed sniper guns down five seemingly random people on a crowded Pittsburgh riverfront, Det. Emerson (David Oyelowo) quickly amasses enough evidence at the scene to implicate an unstable ex-military sniper named James Barr (Joseph Sikora). Upon being questioned by Emerson and DA Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins), however, Barr demands to speak with Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise). A former military investigator who fell off the grid following his service, Reacher soon shows up on the scene and begins gathering clues with the aid of talented defense attorney Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), the daughter of the DA. Meanwhile, when Reacher is assaulted in a local bar, he correctly surmises that someone is determined to impede his investigation. His theory plays out when he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young woman shortly thereafter. Now, with the police closing in from one side and a gang of ruthless killers gaining ground on the other, Reacher must use his formidable detective skills in order to catch the gunman and uncover his true motives. — ahmetkozan
• In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a man drives a van into a parking garage across the Allegheny River from PNC Park (home of the Pittsburgh Pirates) and parks in a space that had been blocked off to keep cars from parking too close to some construction materials. He oddly puts a quarter in the parking meter for thirty minutes parking, then positions himself and his sniper rifle behind the front facing wall of the garage. He rises up over the edge of the wall and starts scanning the area along the North Shore Trail (between the stadium and the Allegheny River) with the scope on the rifle. Finally he takes aim and starts firing, killing a man sitting on a bench, then a woman in a business suit carrying a briefcase up some stairs, a blond woman carrying a shopping bag on the walking path, another woman who has seen the others go down and is simply trying to run away, and finally a young woman also hurrying to get away while carrying a little girl. The shooter then jumps back in the van and flees. The police arrive, headed by Detective Emerson (David Oyelowo), and after determining there's no suspects around, they begin assessing the crime scene. Emerson discovers a shell casing lying in a crack on the garage floor, and he also decides to empty the parking meter. A fingerprint taken from a quarter in the meter is determined to belong to a James Barr (Joseph Sikora), a former U.S. Army sniper. The police raid Barr's house and find him sleeping. They also find the van (recorded on a security camera entering and leaving the parking garage), equipment for precision hand loading of ammunition (not making bullets as stated in movie), and a sniper rifle. When Barr is encouraged to confess during his interrogation by Emerson and the District Attorney, Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins), he writes on a notepad the words, "Get Jack Reacher." It's determined that Reacher is a former U.S. Army Military Police officer who's been out of contact with the world for the past two years. Rodin asks Emerson how they might be able to find Reacher. Emerson responds that they won't, if Reacher doesn't want to be found. At that moment, Rodin's secretary announces that there's a Jack Reacher there to see him. Reacher had seen the television news stories about the shootings, including a photograph of James Barr, so he immediately interrupted his dalliance with a woman in Florida and boarded a bus for Pittsburgh. Rodin and Emerson take Reacher to the hospital, where Barr is lying in a coma. Barr had not been placed under protective custody, probably on purpose, and was brutally attacked by other prisoners while being transported to jail. Reacher asks to see the evidence against Barr and Rodin refuses. Rodin's only interest is learning why Barr would have asked Reacher to come be a witness for him. Since he's not allowed to see the evidence, Reacher decides to leave. Rodin grabs him and demands that he first tell them what he knows about Barr. Reacher doesn't believe Barr asked for him to come. Rodin tells Reacher that Barr asked for him by name. Emerson wants to know why Reacher was prepared to just walk out on his friend. Reacher tells them that Barr is not his friend, and if he had in fact asked for Reacher by name, it was for the same reason he shot five people, that he's crazy. At that moment, Barr's appointed defense attorney, counselor Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), walks up. Helen is the DA's daughter, which amazes Reacher. He thought that might have been unethical or something. Her job will be trying to save Barr from the death penalty. She chastises her father and Emerson for attempting to interrogate Barr without first notifying her. They explain they hadn't been trying to interrogate Barr. She is also upset that they had found Reacher and hadn't told her. They explained that they had not found Reacher, that he came to them. Helen wants to depose Reacher for the case, but he explains to her that he's not a defense witness, is not Barr's friend, and came to Pittsburgh to bury Barr, not to help him, which no doubt surprises her. He does agree to answer her questions before he leaves town. They go to a café, where Reacher eats while Helen records their conversation. Reacher learns that Helen is not a public defender, but represents a firm that she said believes her father had unjustly convicted other felons for crimes they hadn't committed, and that she and the firm just want to make sure Barr gets a fair trial. Reacher tells Helen that there's no doubt Barr did the crime and she asks how he could know that if he hadn't seen the evidence. Jack then turns off the small voice recorder Helen was using and tells her that he investigated a case involving Barr in the Army, and that Barr confessed to shooting to death four Department of Defense contract employees. Barr was not prosecuted for the murders because the Army and the contractor didn't want it revealed that the four victims, and many others, had been involved in an illegal "rape rally" that provided local women and children for the men's sexual relief. Reacher said Barr had done the shootings in Iraq simply to relieve his own built up tension from having trained as a sniper for two years, but never getting an order to kill anyone. Reacher explains that some people join the military as a way to legally kill people and Barr was one of those. Reacher told Barr that if he ever heard of him doing anything like that again, he would find him and kill him. Believing Helen when she tells him that her father never lost a case and never takes a case he can't win, Reacher determines there is no need for him to take down Barr after all. He prepares to board a bus and go on his way. Helen is still concerned that Barr won't get a fair trial and she can see that Reacher is curious as to why Barr had asked for him. She tells Reacher that her lead investigator has access to all the evidence. When Jack asks who her lead investigator is, she says "he's about to board a bus out of town." Jack thanks her for the coffee and gets on the bus anyway. As Helen is leaving the parking lot, Jack has gotten off the bus and is standing in front of her car. Reacher agrees to help investigate the case if Helen agrees to visit the victims' families to learn more about the victims. Helen's visits with the victim's families aren't well received and she actually fears for her life when Rob Farrior (James Martin Kelly), the father of Chrissie, a young woman working as a nanny, who was shot while trying to escape with the little girl she was looking after. Mr. Farrior was upset at Helen for choosing to defend Barr, and when Helen saw that he had a pistol sitting on a table next to his chair, she quickly apologizes and runs from the house. Alex Rodin confronts his daughter outside Mr. Farrior's house and demands to know what she's doing. He counsels her that she's making a big mistake, both in taking on the defense of Mr. Barr and in the way she's conducting her investigation, particularly in associating with Jack Reacher. He tells her that she's going to ruin her career and tells her it's not worth it if she's just doing it to try and change or hurt him in the process. He wants to know if she'd told Reacher that she can't afford to pay him and that her firm disapproves of what she's doing. She jumps in her car and storms off. Reacher visits the crime scene and is being watched by a man named Linsky (Michael Raymond-James) who'd earlier been over at a business called Brookseal Construction, collecting a bag of money from a man who worked there. As Reacher walks and examines the North Shore Trail near the stadium, the parking garage, and the nearby Fort Duquesne Bridge, he comes to realize that the evidence against Barr is almost too perfect. He doesn't believe that a trained sniper like Barr would have chosen the parking garage to shoot from, but that he would more likely have stopped his van on the bridge, opened the door, and shot people who would have been more in a perpendicular line rather than moving parallel to him, then made his escape. Among the items in evidence were a bullet from one missed shot that entered three plastic jugs of flavored liquids near a concession stand, the brass cartridge that Emerson found in a crack at the parking garage, the quarter in the parking meter that had Barr's finger print on it, and the video showing his van entering and exiting the garage. In Reacher's mind, it all indicated someone who was careless or not interested in getting away. Reacher goes to the police station and looks over the evidence there. Detective Emerson wonders why he didn't take any notes about what he looked at. Reacher told him he didn't need to, implying that he has perfect awareness and recall. Reacher asks Emerson for his opinion on why Barr paid for parking that day. Emerson speculates that Barr did it as a reflex, without realizing he was even doing it. Reacher goes into a very busy local bar to have a cup of coffee and is approached by a young woman named Sandy (Alexia Fast) who asks him if he'd like to go somewhere more quiet, that she has a car. Reacher tells her that he can't afford her. She tells him that she's not a prostitute. He clarifies that he can't afford to get involved with her. Sandy suddenly stands and loudly proclaims that she is not a hooker. Five men immediately appear, one of them claiming that they are the girl's brothers. Skeptical about that, Reacher sarcastically asks the man if Sandy is a good kisser. The biggest of the five men, Jeb Oliver (Josh Helman) tells Reacher to get outside. Reacher tells him to pay his check first. Jeb says he'll pay later. Reacher says "you won't be able to." Jeb then tells Reacher that he's going to beat his ass, but it's his choice to do it inside the bar or outside in the parking lot. Reacher resignedly says, "outside." Jeb tells Sandy to stay inside, but she says she doesn't mind the sight of blood, to which Reacher responds, "well it means you're not pregnant anyway." Outside, Reacher tells Jeb that it's his last chance to walk away, even telling Jeb and the others beforehand how the fight would go. He tells them he'll take out the leader (Jeb) first, then two of the four "wingmen" would probably have the guts to try it themselves, while the remaining two would run. Jeb asks Reacher if he has done this before. Reacher gives something of a yes-you-idiot nod and tells Jeb that it's getting late. Then, as Jeb moves forward, preparing to throw his first punch, Jack says, "remember, you wanted this." Jeb swings with a roundhouse right that Jack ducks under. Jack then twists and brings up his left elbow connecting solidly with Jeb's face. Jeb falls to the ground and Jack pulls him to his feet. While Jeb is bent over, struggling not to fall down again, Jack kicks him from behind, between the legs. That takes care of Jeb. Partly as Jack had predicted, two of the other men position themselves to attack, but the other two are still there and haven't run away. As Jack is dealing with the second and third guys, the fourth man gets in a quick punch. The fourth and fifth guys do finally decide to run after seeing what Reacher has done to the other three. Curiously enough, the police came roaring up to the scene almost immediately. Reacher is ordered to lie on the ground face-down. As he's lying there waiting to be handcuffed, he turns and asks Jeb who hired him. Jeb doesn't respond. At the police station, Emerson and Helen enter Reacher's cell. Emerson has to admit that he can't hold Reacher, as no one was pressing charges. Jack tells Helen that when he was at the bar, the girl Sandy was expecting his name to be Jack Reacher, not the name he gave her, Jimmie Reese (Reese was a former NY Yankees second baseman - Jack's aliases are always former Yankees second basemen). He also told her that the police were rolling before the fight even started and that someone obviously sent the five men to put him down. He also tells her that someone had been following him. Helen speculates as to whom that might have been, but neither she or Jack have any good clues as to whom that might be, or why. Reacher asks Helen how her day went (visiting the victims' families) and she says, "exactly as you hoped it would." Once he confirms she's ok following the experience, he asks her what she learned. Helen reports her findings about the victims, who were Chrissie Farrior, Rita Coronado, Nancy Holt, Oline Archer, and Darren Sawyer. At the Three Rivers Motel, where Reacher is staying, he asks Helen to find out from Barr's credit card records all the places he hung out, including bars, bowling alleys, strip clubs and particularly gun ranges. He wants to find someone, anyone, who associated with or would remember Barr. Linsky meets with Charlie (Jai Courtney - the actual shooter) in a dark alley and hands him the bag of money he'd collected earlier from the man at Brookseal Construction. He also gives him a police file on Jack Reacher. Linsky is the local person that Charlie has been depending on to manage the upfront operation for his group, while Charlie and his group provide the behind the scenes maintenance of things. Linsky explains how he hired five local guys to take out Reacher, but it didn't work out. He also tells Charlie that he had killed and "distributed" the body of the only one of the five men who knew him (that was Jeb). Charlie was not happy about any of these developments. Linsky was not supposed to be doing those sorts of things, especially without first discussing it with Charlie. He tells Linsky that Jeb was now going to be a "missing person" and that was a huge loose end for the group to have to deal with. Also in the alley, standing in the shadows, is a man called the Zec (Werner Herzog). The Zec comes forward and makes it clear to Linsky that he has truly screwed up. Linsky promises to do better and make it up to them, that they just need to tell him what to do. The Zec tells Linsky about his time in a Siberian prison, how during the winter it was so cold, and he had so little clothing, that he had to chew off some frostbitten fingers on his left hand to keep from losing his entire hand. He'd also chewed off some fingers on his right hand to avoid having to work in a sulfur mine. The Zec tells Linsky that the decision to chew off his own fingers was what he had to do to survive. He wondered what Linsky would do to survive, to prove that he's among those people who are so "rare" that they would do anything to survive and thus would always prove that they are somehow useful in the world. He then orders Linsky to prove his worth by chewing off the fingers of his left hand. Linsky is horrified. He can't believe what he's hearing, but seeing the gun in Charlie's hand, he realizes that he'll be shot if he doesn't do it. For some reason, Linsky puts his left thumb in his mouth and appears to be chewing down. He twists and goes down on his knees, howling in pain, but after a few seconds, he cries out that he can't do it. Zec motions to Charlie and Charlie shoots Linsky in the head. Charlie then takes out a small hand saw and appears to be intending to do something to Linsky's body. Helen doesn't come up with any leads in Barr's credit card report. She tells Reacher that Barr bought mostly groceries and gas. Reacher thinks Barr was probably taking trips to a gun range every Saturday, based on his gas purchases. He asks Helen to find any ranges within 150 miles that had ranges up to 700 yards long. Reacher has Helen drop him at the DeFault Auto Parts Store, where Sandy had told him she worked. He encounters the store manager, Gary (Dylan Kussman), who demands to see some identification and to hear a good reason why Reacher wants to speak with Sandy. Reacher threatens bodily harm to the manager, then forces his way into the back office, where Sandy is working. Sandy asks Gary to leave them alone for a bit. Sandy is obviously worried that Jack is there to hurt her. She tells Reacher that it was all Jeb's fault, that he told her at the bar that Reacher was a pervert and would start groping her. She was paid $100 for her part. She tells Reacher that she pretty much did whatever Jeb told her to do. She said Jeb was supposed to be an employee at the same auto parts store (he hadn't come in to work that day), but she said he really made his money from crystal meth. Reacher has Sandy write down Jeb's address and promises he won't get her in trouble if she loans him her car. She says the car she's driving is actually Jeb's, so she is reluctant, but then thinks better of it and hands the keys to Reacher. As Reacher turns to leave the auto parts store, Sandy tells him she gets off at six and suggests they might get together. It's apparent she would much rather be with a man like Reacher than the lowlifes she usually associates with. Jack thinks she's sweet and he tells her that she doesn't have to do what those guys tell her to do. He asks her if she has any money and advises her to get out of town for a few days. Reacher heads for Jeb's house and this time he's followed by another of Zec's cronies, Vlad (Vladimir Sizov). Jack takes a paper from the glove box of the car and flashes it at a woman (Jeb's mother) sitting on the porch, telling her he has a warrant to search the premises. The woman is staring vacantly and doesn't speak. Reacher notices drug paraphernalia on a nearby table and figures the woman is under the influence. He goes ahead and opens the door and walks inside the house. The woman then pulls a cell phone from under a blanket on her lap and makes a call. Reacher checks each room of the house. One bedroom appears to have been ransacked. He picks up the phone receiver in the hall and is about to make a call when he changes his mind, hangs up the phone and wipes his prints off. Then he enters the bathroom and is curious as to why the shower curtain appears to have been ripped off it's hooks. As he stands by the door pondering things, two men sneak up on him from behind. One of them has a baseball bat and he uses it against the back of Reacher's head, knocking him into the bathtub. The two attacking men then struggle to enter the bathroom and be the first to get at Reacher in the tub. The man with the bat swings again, but misses Reacher and hits the wall. He rears back for another attempt and his buddy pushes him from behind and sends the bat crashing into the bathroom window. The second man pushes the man with the bat out of the way and brings a crowbar down towards Jack, but he misses the mark too. The man with the bat yells at the guy with the crowbar to stand back. As he pulls the bat backwards for sort of a stabbing attack, the small end of it hits crowbar guy in the forehead and knocks him down some stairs. The next attempt for the bat guy goes badly, as Reacher ducks and grabs the guy by the head and smashes him into the tile wall, then gouges his left eye with his thumb, causing the man to scream in pain. Crowbar guy has recovered and comes up the stairs swinging, so Reacher pulls bat guy's body in front of him and the crowbar hits the bat guy across the back. Jack then pushes bat guy into crowbar guy and knocks them both on the floor. He then grabs bat guy's head and repeatedly smashes it against crowbar guy's face, until both of them are knocked out. Jack is pausing to recover from his exertions when a third man comes up from behind, holding a hand gun to Jack's head and telling him not to move. Jack makes a quick move anyway, grabbing and twisting the man's gun hand, his trigger finger trapped in the trigger guard and painfully bent back. The man goes to his knees. Reacher asks the man where Jeb is. He doesn't know, saying that Jeb appeared to have cleared out, that his mother had told them Jeb had removed all his stuff from his room and was gone. Reacher demands the keys to the man's car. He asks the man if he is of the opinion that Jack is stealing his car. The man, after glancing at his two buddies sprawled out on the floor, tells Reacher to use the car as long as he likes. Reacher tells Helen that Jeb Oliver was murdered and someone tried to make it look like he'd only left town. Jack then explains to Helen all his latest theories regarding the evidence against Barr and how it's all just too complete and too convenient, especially the pristine bullet trapped in those flavored liquid containers on the shot that missed. It was that bullet that tied Barr's rifle to the killings. Jack is convinced that Barr asked for him because he knew Reacher would take a hard look at the evidence, even if others would simply accept it all at face value. He tells Helen that Barr is innocent. Helen has a brief moment where she seems convinced that Reacher is delusional, that her father was right in warning her about her hiring him without knowing anything about him. Reacher waxes philosophical for awhile, as he explains to her why he is the way he is, then he suddenly asks her to run the license plate number on a silver Audi that has been following him all day. Zec receives a phone call, then makes one to Charlie. Charlie is sitting in the Audi with Vlad. Charlie tells Vlad that his cover was blown, that the lady lawyer had run the license plate for the car. Zec issues new orders to the men. Helen is having a hard time understanding or believing that there's some sort of conspiracy involved in the seemingly random killings. She can't see what the motive would be. Reacher writes something on a small piece of paper, telling Helen it's a motive and she should just hang onto it. Helen receives a call, informing her that the Audi is registered to Lebenhauer Enterprises, the company involved in the lawsuit against the Archers. Helen then unfolds the piece of paper Jack had given her. He'd written "Oline Archer" on it. In her review of the victims, Helen had determined that Mr. Archer had run upon some difficult times with the business, which in combination with his declining health and a lawsuit between him and Lebendauer Enterprises, had forced him to make arrangements to sell his company, Brookseal Construction. However, after Mr. Archer died at his office desk, Mrs. Archer decided she wanted to keep the company. Reacher then explains to Helen that Mrs. Archer, who'd assumed ownership of her husband's business, was the lone intended victim and that the killing of the other four people was simply intended to cover up that fact. Although Mrs. Archer had reached a settlement of sorts with Lebendauer Enterprises, she was shot the day she was on her way to get a loan for the business. Reacher further explains to Helen how the longer time between the first and second shots fired by the sniper (compared the to the shorter time between the other shots) was so the shooter could make absolutely sure of the second target, the only truly intended target. He tells her that the shooter had to know about Barr and Barr's history in Iraq in order to set him up for the murders. He tells Helen that if she finds the person who is a friend or associate of Barr then she'll find the real shooter. Helen tells Jack that she's just a lawyer, not a cop, and finding the real killer is not her job. She says she can't do this anymore. Reacher walks out. Sandy is dressed up to go meet some friends when she's approached outside her apartment building by Charlie. She doesn't remember Charlie, so Charlie reminds her that he's Jeb's friend and that they'd met once before, even though they were both drunk. He pretends that he's just moved to a nearby apartment. He invites her to go get a drink, but she declines. Vlad had snuck up behind Sandy and at a signal from Charlie, Vlad delivers a huge punch to the side of Sandy's head, knocking her out. Charlie then leans down and places his fingers on her nose and mouth, suffocating her. Helen runs after Reacher, hands him the keys to her car, and tells him about a shooting range in Ohio that meets his stated requirements for the type of range that Barr would have used. She tells Reacher that she was going to go look up Oline Archer's legal history. Reacher warns her not to do that, as it would attract attention and put her in danger. Emerson examines Sandy's body, which had been dumped near the motel where Reacher was staying. Emerson asks the desk clerk for the name of any guests who look like they might be capable of killing the girl with one punch. She gives him the name "Ernie Johnson" (another NY Yankee second baseman). Reacher returns to the motel for the night and sees the police standing out front. He watches as two men from the Medical Examiner's office put a body in their van and he can see that it's Sandy. That distresses him. Then he sees Emerson walk out and they make eye contact. As Emerson reaches for his gun, Jack puts his car in reverse and peels out, whipping the vehicle around and taking off. The police scramble to get to their cars and take out after him. As he's evading the cops, Reacher comes upon the Audi, with Charlie and Vlad inside. They had been observing from nearby. Jack begins chasing them. With the help of a police helicopter, the police soon have Jack's escape routes closed off. Realizing that, he brings his car to a crawl and calmly steps out and walks over to join a group of people at a bus stop. The car continues rolling until it softly collides with a police car and comes to a stop. A black man at the bus stop apparently figures Jack is worth helping (or, more likely, that the police are not to be assisted), so he hands Reacher his ball cap, allowing Jack to hide his face from the police who are driving by. Another man at the bus stop then steps in front of Jack, shielding his body. Jack then gets on the bus with the others and makes his escape. Emerson and Alex Rodin go see Helen, and ask her where Reacher is. They explain to Helen Jack's suspicion in the murder of Sandy, his driving around in Jeb Oliver's car, and that he'd put three more men in the hospital after a fight at Jeb's house. Jack calls Helen while she's talking to Emerson and her father. He tells her that whoever killed Sandy wants him to run and he's not going anywhere. He offers Helen a way out of the entire mess by telling her that he stole her car and she might want to report it missing. He also tells her to be careful about what she says to Emerson and her father, as one of them might be part of the conspiracy, reminding her that only Emerson, her father and she knew that he was in town that first day, and he'd been followed around town since day one. The next day, Jack drives out to the Hinge Creek Gun Club and talks with the owner, a Mr. Martin Cash (Robert Duvall), an ex-Marine gunnery sergeant. Cash denies knowing James Barr, but Jack will have none of it, realizing that Cash is most likely worried that if he's associated with the man accused of the shootings in Pittsburgh, that might be the end of his business. The men exchange a few threats, but Jack has the upper hand. Even so, Cash decides to make one other demand before he agrees to talk about Barr. He tells Jack that if he can put three shots in the center of a target, maybe they'll talk. They go out to the range. Jack is allowed one shot for practice. It's six inches right. He makes a two click adjustment to the scope and puts the next three shots just within the outer band of the center ring of the target. Cash looks at the target and says, "you're a little rusty, Mr. Reacher." Cash then explains that he saw a man with similar mannerisms shoot like Jack did at a competition 10 years ago, and he was pretty sure Jack hadn't played second base for the Yankees in 1925, so that's how he figured him to be Reacher. Cash tells Jack that he'll answer just one question. Jack asks him who his best shooter is. Cash said it was James Barr. He shows Jack the targets Barr had used. They were the best he'd seen outside the military. Jack tells Cash that Barr couldn't shoot like that on his best days in the Army. Jack wants to know if anyone came to the range with Barr. Cash can't recall, so he gets out his videotapes, and sure enough, there's bad man Charlie arriving at the range with Barr. Jack figures that Charlie did the shooting and allowed Barr to claim the targets as his, for bragging rights. Barr apparently confided in Charlie about his history in Iraq as well. Jack calls Helen and tells her what he has discovered and that he'll be back to Pittsburgh in three hours. Helen is talking to her father at the time, telling him what she'd learned about Lebenhauer Enterprises. She tells him that Lebenhauer has a shell corporation in Georgia (Russia) and work their devious system in one city at a time. The acquire local construction concerns, just ahead of major projects that are coming up for bid. They always win the bids. They had moved to new cities 12 times in 15 years, and every move was surrounded by allegations of corruption and was accompanied by millions of dollars in missing public funds, yet there had never an investigation, or even an inquiry. Alex Rodin suggests that it might just be bitterness on part of the companies who lost the bids, since it was those companies making the accusations. When Helen suggests that there is apparent collusion with corrupt officials, and in some cases killings of those who refuse to play along, her father thinks she's delusional. Helen tells her father that if Reacher is right, her life is now in danger because she'd signed out all the documents pertaining to Lebenhauer in her name. She tells her father that his next move, as district attorney, will indicate to her which side he's on. Mr. Rodin thinks it's absurd, but he agrees to look into it for her. He then picks up the phone to arrange for protective custody for her, but she says no, realizing that she would be even less safe if her father or Emerson are actually part of the conspiracy. As Helen gets on the elevator at the courthouse, Detective Emerson appears and enters the elevator with her. She becomes agitated and tries to stop the elevator and get off. Emerson produces an electric prod and shocks her unconscious. When the elevator door opens, Charlie and Vlad are there. They pick up Helen and carry her away. Reacher calls Helen's cell phone. Charlie answers. Reacher figures he has a wrong number, but then he recognizes it as the man in the Audi. Charlie puts Helen on to demonstrate to Reacher that she's with him and ok. He then tells Reacher Helen won't be ok if he doesn't get to where they are within one hour. Reacher decides to tell Charlie about his trip to the Hinge Gun Range and how he has Charlie's prints and pictures and will be going to the Feds with it. He tells Charlie that the lawyer is all his, then he hangs up. That wasn't what Charlie had expected to hear and he tells one of the men to go get the Zec. Reacher then calls back and says, "on second thought, I'd like to kill you. Let's say winner takes all." Charlie calls Jack a prick and threatens to kill the bitch Helen if Reacher isn't there in one hour. Jack again slams the phone down, but he quickly calls a third time and tells Charlie that he's not happy that Charlie killed Sandy just to frame him. He tells Charlie that he intends to beat him to death and drink his blood from a boot. Reacher agrees to come to wherever Charlie and Helen are, but he'll do so in his own sweet time and if he even suspects that Helen has been hurt, he will disappear and take his time in tracking down and killing Charlie. That night, Helen, the Zec, Emerson, Charlie, Vlad, and three other men are all on high alert at a large rock quarry, waiting for Reacher to appear. Reacher is at the rim of the quarry, looking things over when Cash comes driving up. Cash brought a sniper rifle and Jack was expecting to get to use that, or another gun. Instead, Cash hands Jack a large knife, telling Reacher that he doesn't want him shooting anybody with one of his guns. Reacher is incredulous, but at least glad to have Cash there to help. As Reacher and Cash discuss their plan of attack, Jack is having second thoughts about how much help Cash may prove to be. Cash tells Jack that he isn't going to start shooting until the men below shoot first. His plan is to have Jack drive down there and prompt Charlie and the others to start shooting at him, while Cash remains on high, returning fire once he locates the shooters below. In the office, Helen asks Zec how he can kill so many people just for money. Zec replies that it is just what they do, because they can. She then turns to Emerson and asks him why he is involved. He says that he had no choice in the matter, telling Helen that she'd understand what he means before long. Helen tells the men that she'd already taken steps in the event something happens to her. Zec tells her that if anything happens to her, it will happen to her in front of her father, while he begs for her life. It's clear that the Zec can't allow any "loose ends" at any level, and if anyone refuses to accept that, or can't demonstrate their "rareness" to do what's necessary to survive, then they will be killed. Reacher calls Helen's phone and tells her he's coming to get her, that they won't hurt her until they have him, and that won't happen. Jack gets in Helen's nice Mercedes car, reclines the driver's seat, and goes barreling down the road in reverse, using the rear view camera for guidance. He says to himself, "this was a bad idea," just before Charlie and the others open up on the car. They shoot out the mirrors, the sun roof, the windows, and eventually the rear view camera. Jack can't see where he's going and high centers the car on a rock. Gunny Cash has yet to return fire, sitting on the rim of the rock quarry with his eyes closed, apparently getting a sense of where the shots are coming from. Reacher is freaking out, wondering why Cash isn't shooting. Cash does finally raise up and starts firing, quickly locating where each of the three men firing are located. That causes them to pause long enough for Reacher to jump from the car and run behind a large rock. Cash continues firing allowing Reacher time to dash for another rock. The Gunny is then able to place a shot through the end of a trailer house and hit and wound one of the shooters hiding around the corner. Vlad decides to go on the attack and approaches the rock that Reacher is hiding behind, alternately firing at the rock and at Gunny Cash. Reacher has dropped his knife, so he can only pick up a rock for defense. He bolts from behind his hiding place just as Vlad is directing fire towards Cash. He hits Vlad in the face with the rock, then again flush against the back of Vlad's head, either knocking him out or killing him. The third shooter revives and comes around the trailer preparing to shoot Reacher, but Reacher has Vlad's gun in hand by then and shoots the man dead. Charlie has made his way to a large portable search light and turns it on, the beam directed at Gunny Cash's location. He then shoots and causes some rock chips to cut Cash's face. Before Charlie can fire at Cash again, Reacher fires and knocks out the search light. As Charlie then takes a bead on Reacher, Cash recovers and fires again, putting a bullet into the side of Charlie's weapon, rendering it useless. Jack runs up to the quarry office and kicks open the door. No one is inside, but he sees a chart on the wall showing that there's also a main mine office building. He grabs the keys to a large dump truck and exits the trailer. Charlie goes to the main office building and sends the last two men outside to go carry on the fight, leaving himself, the Zec, Emerson and Helen in the office. The dump truck comes roaring down the road and the two shooters are ready, but they are shocked when the truck just roars on by. As they step out from behind their cover, Reacher appears and shoots them down. In the truck is Gunny Cash, providing the diversion and laughing at what suckers those two guys were. Charlie advises the Zec to get out of there, then he opens the office door and goes outside to find out what's happened, although he probably has a pretty good idea. It's raining hard now and Charlie is sneaking around looking for Reacher when he feels a gun barrel at his head. Reacher orders him to put down his weapon, then Jack steps back, facing Charlie. Jack tosses his weapon aside and the two men prepare for hand-to-hand combat. The blows are brutal on both sides and Charlie eventually produces a knife, which Jack knocks away. He puts Charlie down with a vicious punch, then grabs Charlie's arm by the wrist and twists, breaking it. Zec, Emerson and Helen can all hear Charlie's screams from inside the office. Reacher then places his foot on Charlie's head and firmly pushes it down on the ground. Then he lifts his foot and brings his boot down hard, crushing Charlie's head. Inside the office, Emerson gets ready, taking two handguns and positioning himself behind Helen, a gun in each hand, one pointed towards the door, the other at Helen's head. Jack creeps up to the edge of the door and tells Emerson that he knows he's in there. He tells Emerson that no one would have thought to dump the coins from that parking meter, not even him, and that's put him on to suspecting Emerson. Jack then jumps into the doorway, Emerson fires twice and misses, then Jack fires once and hits Emerson in the head, killing him. Helen is sitting there petrified and Jack walks slowly up to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. She relaxes and hands him Emerson's pistol. She says, "you were wrong about my father," then rolls her eyes as Jack says, "I wouldn't make a big thing of it." Jack approaches the Zec and asks Helen who he is. She tells him. He asks Zec what his real name is. When the Zec stays silent, Jack points the gun at him and tells the Zec that he was born in October and when he counts up to the number for that month, he will kill the Zec. The Zec then tells him his name is Zec Chilovek. Jack speaks enough Russian to know that the words mean "prisoner human being." Zec says it is the only name he can remember being called in his lifetime. Jack tells Helen to call the police. She gets put on hold. While waiting for the police to answer, Jack tells Zec he should feel right at home in jail. Zec infers that he would consider an American prison a country club in comparison to what he's experienced, but he figures he probably won't even go to jail, because Jack, already wanted for the murder of Sandy, had killed all the people who could prove Zec was a criminal. When Zec says "we'll see which one goes to prison," Jack responds, "my bet, neither one," and he shoots Zec in the head. Helen is shocked and asks Jack about bringing out the truth and providing justice to those who deserve it. Jack says, "I just did." Jack is preparing to leave again and Helen is concerned about clearing both he and Barr from any murder charges. Jack tells her he thinks that she and her father will be able to work that out. Jack and Cash jump in Cash's truck and take off as the police are arriving. Helen is upset that Jack is leaving, that he will disappear again and she won't be able to find him. Helen goes to see Jack Barr, who's out of his coma. He doesn't remember the shootings, but heard the nurses and cops talking about it. He figures if they said he did it, then he did it, because he'd done something similar before and got away with it. With Alex Rodin standing nearby listening, Helen shows Barr photos of the stadium, parking garage and bridge and asks him how he would have done the job. His assessment is exactly what Reacher said it would be. Helen tells Barr he's going to be all right, that she's going to take care of him, but he is remembering Jack Reacher's promise to come get him. He figures he's a dead man. Helen will no doubt explain that to him later. Meanwhile, Jack is again traveling on a bus and he hears a man in the back of the bus yelling at a woman, threatening her. Jack gets up out of his seat and turns to walk back to where the couple is sitting. The movie ends.

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Jack Reacher

Where to watch.

Watch Jack Reacher with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Jack Reacher is an above-average crime thriller with a smoothly charismatic performance from Tom Cruise.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Christopher McQuarrie

Rosamund Pike

Helen Rodin

Robert Duvall

Richard Jenkins

Werner Herzog

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Best movies to stream at home, movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles., critics reviews.

Jack Reacher (2012)

Jack Reacher is a 2012 thriller directed by Christopher McQuarrie ( The Way of the Gun , Mission: Impossible - Fallout ). The feature film is an adaptation of the novel One Shot by Lee Child (the author who appears in a cameo in the film as an officer), who created a series of novels featuring the title character. Tom Cruise stars as Jack Reacher, a former US Army investigator living off the grid who emerges after being called upon by a former Army sniper who is accused of a seemingly random shooting of five people in Pittsburgh. The film also co-stars Rosamund Pike , Jai Courtney , David Oyelowo , Robert Duvall and director Werner Herzog in a rare acting role. The film was followed in 2016 with the sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and 2022 with Reacher , an Amazon Prime original series with Alan Ritchson in the role of Reacher.

The following weapons were used in the film Jack Reacher (2012) :

• 1.1 Glock 19
• 1.2 M1911A1
• 1.3 Colt Government Model
• 1.4 Ruger 22/45 Lite
• 1.5 Smith & Wesson Model 442
• 2.1 M4A1 Carbine
• 2.3 SIG P556 SWAT / SG 550 hybrid
• 2.4 Springfield Armory M1A
• 2.5 Remington 700
• 2.6 PWS MK216
• 3.1 Cash's Shooting Range

Detective Emerson ( David Oyelowo ) uses a Gen 4 Glock 19 as his sidearm. He carries it in an IWB (Inside the Waistband) holster. Helen Rodin ( Rosamund Pike ) also briefly handles the gun in the film, when she hands it to Jack Reacher ( Tom Cruise ).

A distraught father of one of the shooting victims has a M1911A1 with Rampant Colt grips sitting on his table when he speaks with Helen Rodin ( Rosamund Pike ). Close inspection reveals the standard spur hammer has been replaced with a Commander-style ring hammer.

Colt Government Model

A thug tries to shoot Jack Reacher with a slightly customized Colt Government Model with a skeleton hammer before being disarmed by him.

Ruger 22/45 Lite

Charlie ( Jai Courtney ) uses a Ruger 22/45 Lite pistol in the film.

Smith & Wesson Model 442

Detective Emerson ( David Oyelowo ) carries a Smith & Wesson Model 442 as his backup gun.

Rifles / Carbines

M4a1 carbine.

Pittsburgh PD SWAT officers use M4A1 carbines with various attachments in the film. Private Military Contractors in a flashback to Iraq are also seen with M4A1 carbines. Charlie ( Jai Courtney ) also uses a heavily customized M4A1 fitted with a Magpul buttstock, pistol grip, angled fore grip, MBUS and PMAG. He also has a low power scope, offset red dot sight, free float quad rail, tactical flashlight, extended charging handle latch and a laser designator on his back-up rifle during the climax. Jack Reacher ( Tom Cruise ) also uses this rifle at a later point. Reacher takes off the scope before entering a close-quarters situation, having no use for it.

One of the Pittsburgh PD SWAT officers uses an M16A4 fitted with a bipod and a scope when responding to the shooting.

SIG P556 SWAT / SG 550 hybrid

All of the henchmen employed by the Zec (Werner Herzog) use SIG P556 SWAT hybrid rifles during the finale. Jack Reacher ( Tom Cruise ) uses one with an Aimpoint CompM2 sight after taking out a henchman with a rock. The rifle used by Reacher has been previously seen in the film Salt , and is a custom rifle that has a SIG SG 550 series lower receiver not seen on the actual P556.

Springfield Armory M1A

The Springfield Armory M1A is the main rifle seen in the film. An M1A in a woodland camouflage scheme is used in the shootings in Pittsburgh, and is handled in various scenes by James Barr ( Joseph Sikora ), Charlie ( Jai Courtney ), Jack Reacher ( Tom Cruise ) and Detective Emerson ( David Oyelowo ). U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, and gun range owner Cash ( Robert Duvall ) uses an M1A with a wooden stock to provide covering fire for Reacher in the finale. Every M1A in the film is an actual M1A and not an M21/M25 SWS because they all lack the fire selector even though 2 of the rifles seen have cutouts for it in the stock. James Barr is also seen using an M1A in desert camouflage and a makeshift suppressor in a flashback to his experiences as an Army sniper in Iraq, which is strange because the US Army stopped using the M21/M25 SWS in 1988 when the bolt action M24 was introduced. In the book that the film is based on, Barr served as an infantry sniper during the Gulf War(1990-1991). Even though many M21/M25 variants came back into favor in the Iraq and Afghan wars in the 2000s, it is not clear in the movie if Barr served in the Gulf War or the Iraq War(2003-2011).

Remington 700

Cash ( Robert Duvall ) challenges Jack Reacher ( Tom Cruise ) to shoot three rounds into the center of a target at 700 yards with a Remington 700 before speaking with him about James Barr.

Charlie ( Jai Courtney ) uses what appears to be a PWS MK216 during the final confrontation with Reacher.

Cash's Shooting Range

Former USMC Gunnery Sergeant Cash ( Robert Duvall ) has several handguns on display at his shooting range store. Several hunting rifles can also be seen on the upper left corner, and pictures of Remington shotguns next to them. A crossbow is also visible when Reacher first visits Cash's store.

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The Ending Of Jack Reacher Explained

In the 2012 film "Jack Reacher," a horrible crime is committed in Pittsburgh: five people are coldly executed by a sniper. The case seems open and shut when the police discover a man named James Barr (Joseph Sikora), a former U.S. Army sniper with damning evidence in his home and his van. The authorities make a simple offer to Barr: a full confession and life in prison, or a guaranteed death sentence in court. Barr doesn't say a word, but takes a pen and a notepad and writes three words: "Get Jack Reacher."

Reacher ( Tom Cruise ) arrives in Pittsburgh after hearing of Barr's arrest for the murder. Reacher is a wandering drifter and former Army police officer who knows full well what Barr is capable of, but doubts he committed the actual crime. Joining forces with Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), Barr's defense attorney, the two realize that the killing spree is actually part of a far more insidious plot.

The full confession of an innocent man

In "Jack Reacher's" final scene, Barr had been attacked in prison and left in a coma, one he awakens from with no memory. However, he believes that he must be guilty of the shootings. While innocent of the crime he was framed for, he talks about how he would have committed the crime exactly as Reacher himself described it during his investigation. Barr then demands to face his punishment. He is eager to own up to this crime because of his previous encounter with Reacher years before, where he had gone on a killing spree during his tour in Iraq but wasn't prosecuted for the crime because his victims were suspected of multiple instances of sexual assault.

As Barr confesses, he breaks down in tears, not of remorse or regret for his crimes, but for the fact that Reacher knows where he is, and if he gets away with this, he will find him and kill him. After all, Reacher doesn't care about the law — he only cares about what's right. As the film ends, we see a man verbally and physically threatening his wife on a bus, and Reacher quietly rises from his seat and starts moving toward him, further reinforcing his personal principles.

The deconstruction of the Action Hero

In "Jack Reacher," we see a take on the implacable, unstoppable action hero that's quite different from other examples within the genre. Cruise's Reacher isn't quick with quips like John McClane or a nearly indestructible powerhouse like Dom Toretto , but a quiet and determined operator who will absolutely, positively kill you dead if you're outside of his definition of right or wrong. The world of "Jack Reacher" isn't one where a person can fly into the windshield of a speeding car and walk it off: the violence is quick, lean, and brutal. Jack Reacher isn't a maverick cop or a charming rogue, but a trained killer who is very, very good at administering pain and executing his opponents quickly and efficiently.

The film illustrates that a man like Reacher, someone so close to what we conceive of as the archetypal action hero, one operating by his own code and acting as the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong, would be a terrifying figure even if he's ostensibly the "good guy."

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Jack Reacher Film Series : All Jack Reacher Movies in Order

Tom Cruise Jack Reacher Movies in Order: Want to enjoy one of the best Crime-Thrilling-Action series based on Lee Child’s novel “One Shot” centering Jack Reacher, a title character and the protagonist of a series, starring Tom Cruise in the lead. After leaving the US Army as a major in its military police at age 36, Reacher roams the United States taking odd jobs and investigating suspicious and frequently dangerous situations. Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name. On the run as a fugitive from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever. Cruise gives a riveting performance as Jack Reacher, a nomad with a military past who frequently gets involved in solving crimes.

People are fans of Tom Cruise and if you are one of them and wish to watch this Tom Cruise movie i.e Jack Reacher then here is the best guide for you to watch Tom Cruise Jack Reacher Movies in Order and how many Jack Reacher films are there?

Order to Watch Jack Reacher Film Series Movies

1. jack reacher (2012).

Ex-military investigator Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) leaps off the pages of Lee Child’s bestselling novel and onto the big screen in this explosive thriller. 

In the film, A seemingly purposeless shooting rampage claimed the lives of five people in a typical town one morning. The investigation quickly zeroes in on a single possible suspect, a former military sniper, who is taken into custody without delay. The questioning of the individual results in one statement: Get Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise).

Reacher, a mysterious former Army investigator, is convinced that the authorities have the correct suspect, but he still agrees to work with the sniper’s defense attorney (Rosamund Pike). However, the more Reacher investigates the situation, the less black and white it seems to be.

2. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

Jack Reacher returns to enforce his bold brand of justice in the action-packed sequel based on the 2013 novel Never Go Back by Lee Child.

In the films, Jack Reacher, a former soldier and drifter, completes his mission to dismantle a human trafficking organization, he travels to Washington, DC, to meet with his liaison, Major Susan Turner, for dinner. But instead, he runs into her replacement, Colonel Sam Morgan, who tells him that Major Turner has been arrested on espionage charges.

Jack consults with Colonel Bob Moorcroft, her seasoned attorney, who reveals that Major Turner is also under suspicion for the deaths of two American servicemen in Afghanistan. In addition, he informs Jack that a woman has filed a lawsuit against him, claiming that he is the father of her fifteen-year-old daughter, Samantha.

Jack is thrown in jail after being falsely accused of murdering Moorcroft. He realizes that he and Turner are both in the crosshairs of two assassins and that they have been set up. But he comes to her aid, and they make their escape. It doesn’t take long before they figure out that army personnel and a powerful government contractor/arms dealer are involved in a plot.

Additionally, Jack finds out that Samantha is in danger, and he and Turner end up saving her. While they investigate the source of the conspiracy, they decide to keep her safe from the assassin who is after them. What or who can we put our faith in?

How many Jack Reacher movies are there?

The smooth, charismatic performance by Tom Cruise elevates the average crime thriller Jack Reacher to the next level. There are a total of TWO (2) films in the Jack Reacher film series. The ex-military cop that Jack Reacher is following in this thrilling thriller is investigating a sniper accused of five murders, and Reacher finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. The second half of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back involves Reacher and an Army major who has been falsely accused of espionage going on the run together and uncovering a sinister conspiracy.

All Jack Reacher Movies in Order of Release Date 

Here is the list of Jack Reacher films in order, they were released.

1. Jack Reacher — December 21, 2012

2. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back — October 21, 2016

Where to Watch Jack Reacher Movies?

Want to enjoy one of the best Crime-Thrilling-Action series centering Jack Reacher, a title character and the protagonist of a series. But Where Can I watch Jack Reacher movies in order? You are able to stream Tom Cruise Jack Reacher films in order by renting or purchasing on Amazon Prime because it is pretty much solely available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Are Jack Reacher 1 and 2 connected?

The two Jack Reacher movies with Tom Cruise in the title role are not related, despite sharing the same source material (Lee Child’s crime novel series) and star (Tom Cruise). In the first film, there is a case involving the deaths of five people after a shooting, and there is one clear suspect. When Jack gets involved, however, the investigation takes a more sinister turn, and he learns some unpleasant truths about the underbelly of bureaucracy. In the sequel, Jack and an army major who has been falsely accused of espionage go on the run together and uncover a nefarious government plot. So Jack Reacher 1 and 2 connected are not connected.

Lee Child Jack Reacher Books in Order

Known by his pen name, Lee Child, British author Jim Grant created the character of Jack Reacher for a number of works. Reacher has quit his job as a major in the Military Police and is now working odd jobs across the country. He travels to a new location, helps a stranger in need, eliminates the bad guys, and then leaves on the next bus out of town. Reacher doesn’t actively seek out trouble, but it seems to find him anyway. The Jack Reacher novels are presented here in the order in which they were written, though they can be enjoyed in any order.

Jack Reacher Novels in Order:

• Killing Floor (1997)
• Die Trying (1998)
• Tripwire (1999)
• Running Blind / The Visitor (2000)
• Echo Burning (2001)
• Without Fail (2002)
• Persuader (2003)
• The Enemy (2004)
• One Shot (2005)
• The Hard Way (2006)
• Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
• Nothing to Lose (2008)
• Gone Tomorrow (2009)
• 61 Hours (2010)
• Worth Dying For (2010)
• The Affair (2011)
• A Wanted Man (2012)
• Never Go Back (2013)
• Personal (2014)
• Make Me (2015)
• Night School (2016)
• The Midnight Line (2017)
• Past Tense (2018)
• Blue Moon (2019)
• The Sentinel (2020)
• Better Off Dead (2021)

Jack Reacher Books in Reading Order(In-story chronology):

• Second Son (short story, 2011)
• High Heat (novella, 2013)
• Deep Down (short story, 2012)
• Small Wars (short story, 2015)
• James Penney’s New Identity (1999 edited 2006)
• The Visitor – aka Running Blind (2000)
• Guy Walks into a Bar… (2009)
• Knowing you’re Alive (with Morgan Snow) (2011)
• Everyone Talks (2012)
• Not a Drill (2014)
• Good and Valuable Consideration (with Nick Heller) (2014)
• No Room at the Motel (2014)
• The Picture of the Lonely Diner (2015)
• Maybe they Have a Tradition (2016)
• Faking a Murderer (with Temperance Brennan) (2017)
• Too Much Time (2017)
• The Christmas Scorpion (2017)
• The Fourth Man (2018)
• Cleaning the Gold (with Will Trent) (2019)
• Smile (2019)
• The Sentinel (October 2020)
• Better Off Dead (October 2021)

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Jack Reacher – review

T here have been a number of cases over the years when consideration for public opinion has led distributors to postpone the release of movies. In the last weeks of the second world war the morale-boosting Hollywood picture Objective Burma! was withdrawn from British cinemas shortly after it opened (and shelved for seven years) because of protests against the slighting of our "Forgotten Army" in Burma. In 1963 Dr Strangelove was postponed due to the Kennedy assassination, and a jokey reference to Dallas was changed to Vegas, thus puzzling lip-readers. The 1992 Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of Rodney King's assailants led to Walter Hill's Looters being cancelled; it appeared later, renamed Trespass . Many movies were anxiously re-edited after 9/11, and more recently the British release of Ben Affleck's kidnapping thriller Gone Baby Gone was delayed because of the continuing search for Madeleine McCann.

Something similar happened earlier this month in the States with the postponement of the national release of Jack Reacher after the Newtown massacre. It was at the behest of its producers (one of them Tom Cruise), who naturally felt concern for the sensitivities of the victims' families as well as a reluctance to attract censorious attention to a thriller that opens with an assassin coolly picking off apparently random targets in a provincial city.

The deranged mass murderer has of course been a regular figure in American cinema for nearly 50 years, ever since Peter Bogdanovich's 1967 directorial debut, Targets , a low-budget film inspired by the appalling incident on the University of Texas's Austin campus the previous year. A deranged ex-student, Charles Whitman, murdered his wife and mother and then shot 44 people from the university tower, killing 14 of them before being brought down himself. Although made for Roger Corman's exploitation studio, Bogdanovich's picture was sensitive and responsible, though not something you'd pay to see in the wake of a similar spree. But then who'd want to see Gus Van Sant's Elephant or Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk About Kevin this month anywhere?

The riveting opening 15 minutes is what makes Jack Reacher worth seeing. A killer drives into a multi-storey car park in midtown Pittsburgh, sets himself up – looking across the river to a path alongside the Pittsburgh Pirates stadium – and proceeds to observe potential targets, several of them children, through the crosshairs of a sniper's rifle. It's a guiltily involving point of view.

He kills five people then makes his getaway. Here we see the hand of writer-director (and former private detective) Christopher McQuarrie. He won an Oscar as screenwriter on The Usual Suspects , which opens in similar lapel-grabbing fashion, though this film soon reveals itself as belonging in an inferior class. The assassin is rapidly identified as Iraq veteran James Barr by a smart homicide cop (David Oyelowo) and brought before the local DA (Richard Jenkins), who wants a quick confession to complete his 100% record. The man has obviously been framed. But how, by whom and for what purpose?

This brings us to the title and the film's chef attraction. The former British TV producer Jim Grant (20-odd years with Granada) has been publishing hard-boiled crime novels about Jack Reacher annually since 1997 under the pseudonym Lee Child . This film is based on the 2005 One Shot , written in a sawn-off post-Hemingway style that dispenses with verbs wherever possible. Reacher is a reclusive ex-military police officer, a graduate of West Point with a brilliant forensic intelligence, a control freak and possibly borderline psychopath.

He's 6ft 5in and built like a brick White House. This makes Tom Cruise , who's as short as Alan Ladd, unlikely casting. Though not bad in the right role, he's more cocky and devious than mysterious and unassailable. In his defence, however, Child has gallantly said: "With another actor you might get 100% of the height but only 90% of Reacher. With Tom you'll get 100% of Reacher with 90% of the height."

Reacher turns up from nowhere to needle the DA and the homicide cops and collaborate with the DA's estranged daughter (Rosamund Pike), a top attorney charged with defending Barr. He reveals that the suspect was trained as a sniper in Iraq and murdered some US contractors who turned out to be bad guys. But he didn't do this job.

Who actually was responsible is inadequately explained and explored in McQuarrie's slick, shallow film. Cruise makes little impression, and when at the end he appears to be driving off in search of a sequel, one wonders if he has the making of a Bourne-again serial hero. He seems more overreacher than Reacher, while the dependable Jenkins and the seductive Pike drift through the action with nothing to get a purchase on. Sadly, McQuarrie provides little of the cool wit and none of the dramatic fibre he brought to The Usual Suspects or his other film as director, the bizarre The Way of the Gun .

There are, however, certain fringe benefits, most involving Werner Herzog and Robert Duvall. Playing a sadistic, one-eyed Russian mafioso, Herzog is as frighteningly crazy as Klaus Kinski. He's a tough-as-tundra survivor of the Gulag and known simply as the Zec (Soviet slang for jailbird). Not the kind of person in whose presence you'd risk saying: "No zecs please, we're British."

Duvall is characteristically excellent, bringing pawky humour and ill-concealed menace to the role of an ex-army gunnery sergeant. A sort of Colonel Kilgore in civvies, he runs a rural rifle range as big as a civil war battlefield. That really does bring us into the creepy world of American gun culture.

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Parental Guidance – review

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Grabbers – review

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Movie Review

Might Makes Him Mr. Right

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By A.O. Scott

• Dec. 20, 2012

“Who are you, Mister?” a young woman asks Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), and it’s a question that recurs, not always quite so politely, throughout the movie that bears Reacher’s name. He may be an elusive individual with a sketchy background — ex-military, no fixed address, a single shirt to his name — but as an archetype he is easy enough to recognize. He is a cousin of Shane and Caine (from the old “Kung Fu” television series) and Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name: a paladin without portfolio who travels from town to town, dispensing righteous violence and hard-boiled aphorisms.

“It’s just what guys like me do,” Reacher says wearily at one point, though he could say it at just about any point.

Guys like him are mythical creatures, fantasy figures who dispense rough justice when civic institutions fail. Part comic-book superhero, part Old West vigilante and wholly preposterous, Reacher is far less enigmatic than he or anyone else in the movie thinks he is. And also less interesting.

Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie and adapted from “One Shot,” the ninth in Lee Child’s series of macho best sellers, “Jack Reacher” brings its hero to Pittsburgh, where a sniper has just shot down five innocent people, including a nanny accompanying a small child, in broad daylight. The suspected shooter (Joseph Sikora) lies in a coma — after scrawling “Get Jack Reacher” on a pad in lieu of a confession — with a seemingly airtight case against him. Shell casings, fingerprints at the scene, security-camera video, all the usual stuff that disciplined television crime-show viewers will recognize as solid circumstantial evidence.

But the man’s lawyer, Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), hires Reacher anyway, possibly because she thinks he might keep her client off death row, and possibly because she, like every other woman in (and presumably beyond) the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is made weak in the knees by Reacher’s off-the-charts sexual magnetism.

Helen also has some daddy issues, mainly that her daddy (Richard Jenkins) is the district attorney prosecuting the presumed killer. He and the lead detective on the case (David Oyelowo) are obviously too sure of themselves to be trusted, and even before we meet a character known as the Zec (Werner Herzog, whose casting raises a brief film-geek frisson ) we know that the poor fellow in the coma is a patsy. We also know, just because of the kind of guy Jack Reacher is, that the body count is sure to rise.

And so “Jack Reacher” lumbers through a series of beatings, shootings and bludgeonings on its way to a climactic, not terribly surprising showdown. There is a pretty good car chase and a lot of very bad dialogue. Mr. McQuarrie, on his second outing as a director (his screenplays include “The Usual Suspects” and “Valkyrie”), seems more suited to action scenes than to the ostensibly simpler task of filming people talking. Nearly every conversation is stilted and lame, laden with the kind of repartee that might strike you as witty if you had no sense of humor.

The self-confident, supercompetent Reacher is a character Mr. Cruise could play in his sleep, which is pretty much what he does. Ms. Pike seems a bit more agitated, perhaps because she is too refined an actress for the kind of pulpy sincerity the movie requires. She tries very hard to make sense of Helen’s emotions and motives, which is a hopeless task, since the character is an inexplicable collage of empathy, ambition and neediness, on hand to awaken Reacher’s chivalrous impulses and to quiver with confused desire whenever he is in the room.

Apart from the car chase, the only real fun in “Jack Reacher” comes from Mr. Herzog and Robert Duvall, called in near the end for some marvelously gratuitous scenery chewing as a gruff former Marine. They enliven the movie’s atmosphere of weary brutality for a few moments, but they also call attention to the dullness of their dramatic surroundings.

“Jack Reacher” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Violence and some swearing.

Watch A. O. Scott on “The Sweet Spot” with David Carr, on culture and criticism, at nytimes.com.

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Scope Out The Best Sniper Movies Ever Made

You don't need a spotter to find good movies about snipers and sharpshooters because we've ranked them from best to worst using votes from Rankers like you. It makes sense that films about marksmen hitting targets from a distance are great subject matter for thrillers like Phone Booth and Grand Piano . There are also a few war drama films on the list like American Sniper, Enemy at the Gates, and Battle for Sevastopol. But if straight action is what you're looking for, be sure to check out Tom Berenger in the Sniper franchise or Mark Wahlberg in Shooter. No matter what you choose to watch, you'll either know what it's like to see a target through a scope or find out what it feels like to be in the crosshairs. With so many good sniper movies, it will be hard to determine the top ten best sniper movies, not to mention which one belongs in the number one spot.

Vote up your favorite films about marksmen and markswomen so other fans will know what to watch next. Also, don't hesitate to vote down the sniper movies you wish you hadn't seen to keep them from going to the top of the list. Lastly, look for the Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Apple TV+ buttons below each film to stream them whenever you want.

Enemy at the Gates

Enemy at the Gates is a movie about one of history's most legendary snipers, Vassili Zaitsev. The film follows him as he works tirelessly to defend Stalingrad from Nazi forces during World War II. It does a remarkable job showing how his skill and accuracy with a rifle were key to the battle, but more importantly, it emphasizes the human cost of war in a powerful way. Enemy at the Gates is an excellent historical drama with suspenseful action sequences.

• # 11 of 264 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
• # 14 of 113 on The Best Movies Of 2001
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Shooter is an action-packed movie about a former military sniper, Bob Lee Swagger. It tells the story of how he is framed for murder and must fight to clear his name. The film does an excellent job of showing the skill and expertise required to be a good marksman, as well as highlighting the moral dilemma faced by soldiers who have to make life-or-death decisions in their line of work.

• # 68 of 190 on The Best Movies For Men
• # 38 of 139 on The Best Movies Of 2007
• # 35 of 66 on The Most Patriotic Movies of All Time

American Sniper

American Sniper is a powerful movie about a Navy SEAL sniper, Chris Kyle. The film follows his story from enlisting in the military to being deployed for four tours and eventually returning home with PTSD. It's an honest portrayal of what war does to soldiers, as well as their families, and shows just how difficult it is for them to readjust back into civilian life.

• Dig Deeper... Historical Inaccuracies In ‘American Sniper’
• And Deeper... 29 Things Most People Don't Know About 'American Sniper'
• # 16 of 264 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time

Saving Private Ryan

Captain John Miller is tasked with retrieving Private James Ryan from behind enemy lines during WW II. This film makes the list because of Barry Pepper as Private Daniel Jackson, a gifted marksman who participates in one of the most memorable scenes involving snipers ever in a war film.

• Dig Deeper... This Virginia Town’s Massive Single-Day Loss During WWII Inspired 'Saving Private Ryan'
• # 8 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 1 of 264 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time

Sniper , released in 1993 and starring Tom Berenger and Billy Zane, is a great movie about the life of a sniper. The film follows the story of Thomas Beckett (Berenger) as he attempts to complete one final mission before retiring from his career as an expert marksman. It's a gripping tale that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats until its thrilling conclusion. With realistic battle scenes and excellent performances by both lead actors, Sniper is sure to please fans who are looking for an entertaining movie about snipers.

• # 84 of 166 on The Best Military Movies Ever Made
• # 45 of 157 on The Best TriStar Pictures Movies List
• # 55 of 77 on The 75+ Best Black Ops Films

Sniper: The White Raven

• # 50 of 99 on The Best 1990s Action Movies
• # 35 of 95 on The 100+ Best Movies Of 1997
• # 66 of 105 on The Best Movies About A Cat And Mouse Game

The Wall is an intense and captivating movie about a sniper, set in the backdrop of a war-torn Middle East. The film follows two soldiers who are trying to survive after one of them is shot by an unseen enemy sniper. While under constant threat, they must use their wits and courage in order to make it out alive. It's an incredibly thrilling experience that will keep you on edge throughout its entirety.

• # 41 of 54 on The Best Amazon Studios Movies
• # 151 of 166 on The Best Military Movies Ever Made
• # 17 of 43 on The 40+ Best Iraq War Movies

Jack Reacher

The action thriller movie Jack Reacher , starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, is a good action-mystery movie about a sniper. The film follows former military police officer Jack Reacher as he investigates an assassin who shot five random victims in Pittsburgh. With gripping suspense and intense fight scenes , this movie keeps you on your toes as you follow Jack's journey to uncover the truth behind the shootings.

• Dig Deeper... All the Jack Reacher Books, Ranked Best to Worst
• # 673 of 772 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 20 of 44 on The 40+ Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Fans

Battle for Sevastopol

The Battle for Sevastopol is a 2015 Russian war film based on the real-life story of Ukrainian sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko. The movie follows Pavlichenko's journey as she fights to defend her homeland and become one of the deadliest snipers in history. From intense action sequences to psychological drama, this movie will keep you on your toes.

Sniper: Reloaded

Sniper: Reloaded is a good movie about a sniper, released in 2011. It follows the story of a sniper, Brandon Beckett, who is tasked with preventing rebel forces from overthrowing the government. The action sequences are intense and dramatic, making them exciting to watch. The soundtrack also adds to the overall effect by adding suspenseful music at key moments throughout the film. Sniper: Reloaded is definitely worth watching for anyone interested in snipers or military-style movies.

Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry is an iconic movie from 1971 starring Clint Eastwood. It follows a San Francisco detective, Dirty Harry Callahan, who uses his sharp wit and deadly accuracy with a .44 Magnum to take down criminals in the city. He must track down a vicious sniper before a kidnapped girl pays the ultimate price, but due to Harry's overzealousness, the sniper is back on the street and takes a school bus hostage. It's up to Dirty Harry to stop him for good this time.

• # 416 of 772 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 14 of 190 on The Best Movies For Men
• # 53 of 149 on Movies That Should Never Be Remade

Sniper 2 is a thrilling movie about a sniper, Thomas Beckett. It has plenty of thrilling moments and intense action sequences that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story follows Beckett and his spotter as they are sent to assassinate a general responsible for ethnic cleansing attacks.

Phone Booth

Phone Booth is a suspenseful movie about a sniper who traps an unsuspecting man in a phone booth. The movie follows the man as he desperately tries to escape from his captor while also trying to save himself and innocent bystanders. It stars Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Katie Holmes, and Forest Whitaker. This tense thriller has great performances all around and keeps viewers glued to the screen until the very end. It is an excellent example of a good movie involving a sniper that leaves viewers with plenty of questions and excitement.

• # 79 of 253 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
• # 20 of 152 on The Best Movies of 2002
• # 36 of 152 on The Best Movies Of 2003, Ranked

Sniper: Assassin's End

Jarhead is a gripping war drama that follows the story of sniper Anthony Swofford, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie does an excellent job of delving into the psychological effects of being in combat and conveying how difficult it can be to make decisions in such high-stakes situations. It also realistically captures what life is like for those serving in the military, from small moments between comrades to big battles on foreign soil. All in all,   Jarhead  provides viewers with a unique look at war through its thrilling action scenes as well as its thought-provoking narrative.

• # 3 of 10 on The Best Movies About the Gulf War
• # 161 of 263 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
• # 129 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story

The Sniper (2009) is an intense, action-packed movie about the top snipers in the Hong Kong Police Force. The majority of the drama is derived from relationships on the elite Special Duties Unit Sniper Team. Get ready for combating egos and wild cards in this action thriller.

The Virtuoso

The Virtuoso is an action-packed and thrilling movie about a professional sniper who must complete a difficult mission in return for his freedom. It stars the talented Anthony Hopkins, and his performance will leave you captivated from start to finish. With intense action sequences, unexpected twists, and turns, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat throughout its entirety.

Assassins is a movie about a skilled sniper, portraying the story of his life and all he has gone through to become an expert in his craft. It depicts how someone who obeys orders can question what is right and wrong. The film uses stunning cinematography to capture the tension between the protagonist’s moral choices and his devotion to duty, making it an enthralling watch for any viewer.

• # 49 of 54 on The Most Unrealistic Action Films
• # 42 of 74 on The 70+ Best Romance Action Movies, Ranked
• # 48 of 94 on The 80+ Best R-Rated Action And Thriller Movies

Silent Trigger

Silent Trigger is an action-packed movie about a soon-to-be-retired sniper, Waxman. Not only does Silent Trigger provide suspenseful entertainment but it also paints a picture of the emotional toll being a sniper can take on someone. It gives us insight into what soldiers go through in high-stakes situations and provides viewers with thought-provoking reflections on morality and justice.

The American

• # 435 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
• # 33 of 34 on Great Movies About Very Dark Heroes
• # 25 of 39 on The Best American Movies

Two-Minute Warning

Two-Minute Warning is a 1976 thriller directed by Larry Peerce that follows the story of a sniper who takes hostages at a crowded football stadium. It's an intense, suspenseful movie with plenty of twists and turns. All in all, Two-Minute Warning is an excellent film about a sniper that should be seen by anyone interested in thrillers or crime dramas.

The Ravine is a gripping war drama about a special ops sniper on the front lines of battle. It follows his journey as he works to complete his mission and defend his country from the enemy forces. Despite being a movie about warfare, it has many aspects that people can relate to in their own lives, making it an emotionally engaging film with great performances from its cast. The beautiful visuals and intense action sequences make this movie engrossing to watch.

Sniper 3 is a great movie about the life of an expert military sniper. Although it is action-packed, there are also many intense emotional moments that show us how tough and stressful being a sniper can be. It follows the story of Major Beckett as he battles both his enemies abroad and personal demons at home.

D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear

D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear is a gripping movie that follows the real-life story of two men responsible for a serial killing spree in 2002, which left ten people dead and three others injured throughout the Washington D.C. area over three weeks. The film does an excellent job of highlighting the fear and tension felt by residents as they lived in constant worry of becoming victims to these snipers during this time while delving into the complex psychological profiles of both shooters.

Assassination Games

Assassination Games is a great movie about a sniper and his unique skills. It follows the story of two assassins, each with their own motivations but both of them seeking revenge on the same target. The sniper's character arc is especially interesting as he begins to question why he does what he does and how far will he take it in order to get his revenge. The movie has some intense action sequences that really show off the power of a skilled shooter.

Grand Piano

Grand Piano is a thrilling and suspenseful movie about an acclaimed concert pianist who discovers that his life is in danger. The main character, Tom Selznick, must complete a piece of notoriously difficult music on a grand piano - or else he will be killed. This film captures all the tension and excitement of being under threat by a skilled marksman with its intense score, captivating cinematography, and strong performances from Elijah Wood and John Cusack.

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Film / Jack Reacher

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Jack Reacher is a 2012 American action thriller film. It is an adaptation of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series, the 2005 novel One Shot more specifically.

A man with a sniper rifle goes to a parking garage overlooking the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh , and kills five people across the river in the park, seemingly at random. The police are quick to find evidence and the man, James Barr. When they have him in for questioning, he writes "Get Jack Reacher" on a notepad. Before they can contact Reacher, the man is brutally beaten by fellow inmates and rendered comatose.

Reacher ( Tom Cruise ) arrives and begins to examine the case, discovering the murders are not as cut-and-dry as they seem...

Jack Reacher contains examples of:

• Actor Allusion : Toward Tom Cruise and his obligatory Once per Episode chase on foot in almost every single film he's starring in. Gunny: Well, you can always start running.
• Actually Pretty Funny : When Reacher observes that "There are three things cops never do. They don't vote Democrat, they don't drive Cadillacs, and they never use personal vehicles" to prove Helen wrong, the latter looks over to the uniformed officer with them, who just shrugs and has an expression of "Yeah, basically."
• Adaptational Heroism : Of a villainous variety. The worst thing that Jeb and Sandy do is try to have Reacher beat up. In the book, they're more deeply involved in The Zec's crimes, with Jeb killing Oline's husband and Sandy acting as a Honey Trap so Barr won't have an alibi for the murders.
• All Girls Want Bad Boys : When Jack asks Sandy why an intelligent, attractive, and nice teenage girl like her would put up with losers like Jeb Oliver and his crew, she says: "It's what girls like me do." She even hits on Jack again, because she believes he's a bad boy or at least a strong man.
• And Your Little Dog, Too! : When Helen tries to convince the Zec that having her (the District Attorney's daughter ) as a hostage is a pretty bad idea (as in using her for leverage for the DA to "forget" the case), the Zec's response is simply that he will do such horrible things to both her and the DA that the only option they will have is to forget .
• Asshole Victim : Barr's first set of victims in Iraq were shot leaving something they called a "rape rally".
• Awesomeness by Analysis : Jack sums up that this is the important result of military training, as opposed to strength, stamina, or fearlessness. It's also why Jack decides Barr didn't commit the murders; if he'd carried out the attacks according to said training, most if not all of the Orgy of Evidence that lead the police to him wouldn't have been found. (Training) makes people who aren't necessarily smart seem smart by beating some tactical awareness into them.
• Prior to the fight outside the bar: Jeb: Hey, outside ! Jack: Pay your check first. Jeb: I'll pay later. Jack: You won't be able to.
• And this quote which Jack gives via a phone: Jack: I mean to beat you to death, and drink your blood from a boot.
• And this exchange with Gary: Gary: Well, I need to see something. Reacher: How about the inside of an ambulance?
• Badass Driver : While Jack has been described as an average to poor driver in the novels, in the film, save for having crashed into a fire hydrant and overshot a turn, he's quite the driver (in which all the stunts were done by Tom Cruise ).
• Bathroom Brawl : Jack gets attacked by two idiot Mooks with a crowbar and an aluminum baseball bat in a bathroom.
• Battle in the Rain : The final battle takes place in the middle of the rain.
• Big Bad : The Zec is the man behind the killings.
• Bilingual Bonus : The name of the Big Bad 's company, Lebendauer, is just one S short of "Lebensdauer", which is German for "lifespan" or "lifetime". This ties nicely into said Big Bad 's rants about survival and lifelong prison sentences.
• Blasting It Out of Their Hands : A lucky shot by Gunny manages to hit Charlie's sniper rifle, disabling it and forcing him to trade in for a standard rifle that will require him to fight Reacher on even terms.
• Brand X : While Pittsburgh natives may recognize some landmarks and store locations, all the names have been changed, including the stadiums. This becomes a key point, where Reacher wonders which store the girl might be talking about when mentioning "the auto part store". He finds her quickly, which wouldn't happen in Real Life Pittsburgh, where most people would think of Advanced Auto Parts, of which there are over a dozen locations in the city and the surrounding area. Oh, and the name of "the auto parts store" turns out to be "Default Auto Parts".
• Brick Joke : When Emerson tries to trip up Reacher by asking for the serial number of the rifle (the latter having not taken any notes of the evidence), he replies that the Detective should be more concerned with another detail, the date on the quarter. Much later, as Reacher's released from jail, he correctly recites the rifle's serial number, showing that yes, he did have it all along.
• The Brute : Jeb, hired muscle meant to intimidate or kill Reacher, played with as he isn't a good fighter or very strong.
• Call-Back : Reacher suspects Barr is being set up because the shots were made from a poor vantage point, especially when a significantly better one was close by. When Barr wakes up at the end of the movie, he can't remember what happened. Helen asks him to identify where he would've made the shots based on photographs. Barr selects Reacher's location, naming all the reasons Reacher said he would.
• Canon Foreigner : All of the shooting victims besides Oline Archer (none were named in the book and she was the only woman killed in the book while here, only one of the victims was a man).
• Chase Scene : Reacher engages in a car chase with Charlie, Emerson, and the police after Reacher finds he is framed for murdering Sandy .
• Concealment Equals Cover : Averted. Several Mooks are shot or shot at through solid objects. Jack, meanwhile, is realistically (and thus, only temporarily) protected by several stacks of boxes filled with paper, which is a lot more material the bullets need to penetrate. When Reacher takes cover at the quarry, he either chooses large rocks or huge construction vehicles that are more than thick enough to absorb rifle fire.
• Convenient Coma : Barr is attacked during transport to prison, rendering him comatose. This is to make sure he can't dispute the apparent facts of the case. The fact that he wasn't actually beaten to death (as likely intended) ends up being a plot point for the epilogue. Barr tearfully admits to having done the shooting despite not even remembering it, but when Helen asks him how , he tells her exactly how he would have done it (which matches with what Reacher believes Barr would have done if he was guilty) while being in complete contrast with how it was actually done with the intent of framing him.
• Cold Sniper : Barr and the murderer are portrayed this way.
• Combat Pragmatist : Reacher will do anything to win a fight. In hand-to-hand fighting, his opponent's testicles tend to be his primary target and he's very fond of eye gouges and headbutts. When he loses his knife in the finale, he simply takes out an opponent by smashing him over the head with a large rock.
• The Conspiracy : Lebendauer Enterprises is a notably small-scale one with very limited reach and resources; a fly-by-night construction scam that happens to be led by ex-soldiers. And their goals are quite mundane; they're Only in It for the Money . As explained by Helen: Helen: Shell corporation in Georgia. That's the one next to Russia, not Florida. They work one city at a time, acquiring a local construction concern just ahead of major civic redevelopment. They build bridges no one needs, highways no one uses. They are like a cancer, a cell that won't stop growing. They moved 12 times in 15 years, Atlanta, Albuquerque, Austin, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, always amidst allegations of corruption, including millions of dollars in missing public funds and yet never an investigation, never even an inquiry!
• Covered in Scars : When Reacher is introduced, several scars on his chest, back, and abdomen are shown quite prominently.
• Complexity Addiction : The Zec and his men, explained away as "we make things messy now (by killing anything that is a threat to our operations and strong-arming anybody we leave alive) so it doesn't get messy later". Turns out that performing the massacre in the opening scene of the film would have made an investigator poke at it more thoroughly once some details are brought to light even before Reacher arrived if not for the fact that the chief investigator of it was on their take .
• Composite Character : The filmmakers combine Helen with three other book characters (to mixed reactions): Barr's sister Rosemary (who first seeks defense for him and is the one to be kidnapped), local reporter Ann Yanni, and Franklin (a private investigator working for the defense), all of whom are in the loop with Reacher and contribute to his job for key areas of the book.
• Creator Cameo : Lee Child appears as a desk sergeant in one scene.
• Curb-Stomp Battle : Reacher goes up against five guys in a bar and beats the absolute shit out of them.
• Dark and Troubled Past : The Zec. All we learn is he was a prisoner in a Siberian labour camp.
• Deadpan Snarker : Reacher and Gunny.
• Death by Adaptation : Emerson and the Zec are killed here while in the book they were arrested for their crimes.
• Defensive Failure : Jack is attacked by a pair of bumbling criminals inside a narrow bathroom and hallway. After dispatching them, a third criminal points a gun to his head. Jack calmly turns around and informs the criminal that he should shoot now. Naturally, the criminal is quickly disarmed immediately after.
• Demoted to Extra : In the book, Giver Limsky, who briefly follows Reacher, is the Zec's most trusted subordinate and a fellow former Gulag inmate. Here he's just a younger, incompetent Mook quickly subjected to You Have Failed Me .
• Determinator : Jack Reacher, as well as the Big Bad . The latter has "whatever it takes to survive" as his unofficial motto.
• Dirty Cop : Emerson. When Helen asks him why he's working for the Zec, all he gives as explanation is "You make it sound like they gave me a choice".
• Distracted by the Sexy : Helen's efforts to discuss the case are sidetracked by Reacher walking around shirtless and showing off his muscles.
• Don't Explain the Joke : Reacher ends up having to do this with Sandy. Reacher: I can't afford you. Sandy: I'm not a hooker. Reacher: Oh, then I really can't afford you. Sandy: Seriously, I work at the auto parts store. Reacher: What I mean is, the cheapest woman tends to be the one you pay for. Sandy: I am NOT a hooker! Reacher: [giving up] Well, a hooker would get the joke.
• Doesn't Like Guns : Averted. Despite the plot of the movie being largely focused on the aftermath of a mass shooting and the author of the Jack Reacher novels Lee Child admittedly being anti-gun (with his views on guns being alluded to in his works and being unsurprising since he is from the UK, a nation with notoriously strict gun laws), there is surprisingly very little discussion among the characters in the film regarding gun politics in the United States. The sole exception being one scene where Jack Reacher goes to a shooting range in search of information regarding the suspect James Barr, the owner of the range Martin Cash initially didn't want to cooperate with Reacher out of fear that the other gun club members would see the disclosure of information regarding a fellow member as a violation of their constitutional rights. Beyond this scene none of the character's views on gun ownership are alluded to, besides Barr and Cash being heavily implied to be pro-gun.
• The Dragon : Charlie is the Zec's main enforcer and the sniper in the opening.
• The Drifter : Jack even self-identifies himself as one. He is Walking the Earth , with no personal possessions or real interest in anyone or anything, but he also has an almost compulsive tendency toward digging out the truth, regardless of how much work and beating it will take.
• Easy Amnesia : After Barr's head injuries put him in a coma, there is a fear that the brain damage might cause him to lose the memory of the last few days. This would result in a lengthy legal battle to determine whether he is mentally competent to stand trial. When Barr wakes up, he indeed has amnesia and forgets that he is innocent and that he asked for Reacher.
• Enemy Mine : Barr is invoking a form of this when he asks Emerson and Rodin to find Jack Reacher. Reacher despises Barr for his crime in Baghdad that he got away with and even promised to bring him down if he ever slipped up again. But Barr also knows Reacher's the only man who can see through the evidence and determine that Barr wasn't the shooter and figure out who framed him.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas : Some thugs that Reacher encounters reveal that Jeb wouldn't leave his mom behind.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" : The Big Bad is a Serbian man only known as the Zec, Russian for "prisoner," as he spent a long time in a Russian prison. He says he forgot his real name during his time there.
• The Evil Genius : Emmerson, the dirty cop working for the Zec.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap! : Helen is spelling out the conspiracy when she realises she might well be about to have a Have You Told Anyone Else? moment.
• Face Palm : Helen after she mistakes Reacher's unintended innuendo for an invitation to stay the night in his bed.
• The setup: Five people (one sitting on a park bench, four walking around) murdered by a sniper from across a river, the location verified by shell casings on the scene. A quarter recovered from a nearby parking meter has the murderer's thumbprint on it, and a sixth bullet recovered from the attack matches a precision rifle in his possession.
• The payoff: It's an Orgy of Evidence , meant to cover for a set of Serial Killings, Specific Target . A sniper skilled enough to make five kills at that range would never choose to fire from across a river, with targets walking left and right and the sun in their eyes, unless there was no other choice; a preferred sniping position is where targets have to walk towards or away from the shooter, such as a nearby bridge where one could fire from inside a vehicle, which would also prevent shell casings from being lost, avoid security cameras and finger prints and guarantee a quick exit. The first target was sitting still, which would let the sniper determine windage and bullet drop, meaning the second target was the intended one. This is further hinted at by the second target being a pretty good distance from all of the others, meaning that the killer had to turn his aim a decent bit up and to the left, then back again; very inconvenient for what is supposed so be a series of random murders. Also, a sniper skilled enough to make five kills at that range and that position wouldn't have missed with the sixth; unless it wasn't a miss, but a deliberate shot into a target which ensured that an intact bullet would be recovered. Finally, the only sniper who would pay for parking would be one who wanted to leave evidence behind; and the only cop who would check the meter would be one who was part of the conspiracy.
• Helen takes on Barr's case because she is convinced that her father's perfect record as a DA is built on these. She thinks that he intimidates suspects into confessing to crimes they did not commit by threatening them with the death penalty, and his record reinforces the belief that he could definitely convict them were they to go to trial.
• James Barr makes one of those because he has amnesia and fears that he had another psychotic episode . He gets key elements of the crime wrong, which convinces the DA that the guy is innocent.
• Famed In-Story : Played with. Reacher is a ghost to most people and even the DA cannot find anything much about his civilian existence, although he does get hold of his extensive military records. However, among military snipers, Reacher was famous enough that Gunny Cash still remembers him after many years.
• Faux Affably Evil : Charlie turns on the charm right before he murders Sandy.
• Final Boss : Charlie, who is the only one to give Reacher a decent fight in the climax.
• Zec had to bite off most of his fingers during his imprisonment in Siberia. He tests the fortitude of one of his hired men by forcing him to try to do the same. This might seem unfair, as the reason the Zec bit off the fingers of his left hand was that said fingers had become frostbitten ; his jailers refused to give him medical care, so he had to gnaw them off or die of gangrene. It was gross, but dead flesh has no nerves, so it wasn't any more painful than chewing off fingernails. However, he chewed off the fingers of his right hand without any such advantage, purely to avoid being worked to death in the sulfur mines.
• Before killing Charlie, Reacher breaks his fingers. The sound of his bones crunching is played to full effect for the audience to enjoy as Charlie cries out in pain.
• When the movie actually takes a break from the investigation of James Barr to show video of each person who ended up shot going about their business leading up to being shot in the park, you know one of them will actually be important to the plot or they would simply be mentioned in an offhand manner.
• Mooks have a tendency to meet up in places where road construction is going on, such as next to Jeb's house. The Big Bad 's legal business front is a construction company.
• Charlie is alerted when Helen and Reacher ask the police for a license plate registration check. A certain dirty cop is monitoring their case. Another clue is when Zec is shown the same file on Jack Reacher that Emerson was perusing.
• During the montage when Reacher reminisces the sniper rampage James Barr did in Afghanistan, we see Barr set up his kill zone so his targets would be on a position where they would be standing in single file and moving towards or away from him , and when Reacher researches the massacre site we get an Imagine Spot of Barr performing it from the bridge. Same set-up. This is then followed by Reacher saying that it could not be Barr; the set up goes against everything he would have been taught in sniper school. The actual shooter is someone who 1) is better than Barr and 2) looking to set Barr up .
• Emerson seems taken aback by Reacher asking why Barr would pay for parking in the garage when he's about to murder five people. Emerson seems to simply think it's just an odd thing to focus on. Emerson knew to look for the quarter, despite having no reason to do so, because he was in on the frame-up and an early sign that Reacher doesn't fully buy the official story.
• Frame-Up : Sandy is murdered and Reacher is framed for it, as an attempt to tie up both loose ends. James Barr is also being framed, the reason Reacher is involved in the first place. After shooting Zec, Reacher drops Emerson's pistol by his hand, to make it look like the villains all shot each other.
• Genius Bruiser : Reacher, true to form, is an exceptionally skilled detective and investigator capable of impressive feats of deductive reasoning as well as a skilled tactician in addition to being a brutal combatant who can demolish multiple opponents with no issue.
• Good is Not Nice : Reacher can come across as a real asshole, often insulting and bullying people even if it's for a good cause. And at the end, he has no interest in leaving the Zec's fate up to the law.
• Go-to Alias : Whenever Reacher needs an alias, he uses the name of a former Yankees second baseman. Gunny is the only one who immediately sees through the fake name.
• Grievous Harm with a Body : Downplayed, but no less effective; in the bathroom fight scene, Reacher knocks down one guy onto another and smashes the top guy's head into the bottom guy's head until both are out.
• Groin Attack : Reacher does this twice during the fight with Jeb's thugs, to discourage the others.
• Head Crushing : Jack has deduced the culprits behind a sniper serial killing, and comes to their lair to confront them. Reacher conducts a hand-to-hand duel with The Dragon Charlie, prefaced with a Badass Boast that he'll stomp on Charlie's head. Which he does. *crunch*
• Hello, Attorney! : Helen, especially when she wears low-cut tops.
• In the flashback about James Barr's psychotic episode, his silencer only hides the muzzle flash and somewhat dampens the sound; the gunshots are still more than loud enough to cause echoes.
• When Charlie fires a silenced handgun, the sound is (correctly) the high-pitched metallic clang of the pistol's action rather than the standard Hollywood fwip .
• Homeless Hero : Reacher lives almost completely off the grid, the only means of tracking him being his withdrawals from a military pension account (which would require a federal warrant). He lives out of motels and gets his clothes from the Goodwill. He explains that he does this to be free, pointing out that all the normal trappings of life serve to limit that freedom, and even wonders how many others would do the same if they could.
• Honey Trap : Sandy tries to chat up Reacher in the bar, but he won't take the bait (largely because Sandy is implied to be underage ). Then Sandy's 'brothers' turn up, intent on avenging the 'insult' to their sister.
• Hostage Situation : Lampshaded by Reacher when Helen is kidnapped ; "You'll bounce me around to make sure I'm not followed, then walk me into an ambush and kill me." He then goes on to be the first action hero in history to not only defy but invert it; he's got all the evidence he needs, so unless they give up their location so he can come try and kill them when he is damn good and ready, he'll just cut his losses and hand everything to the FBI.
• If I Wanted You Dead... : Why Reacher is convinced Barr is innocent; he has the training to ensure that none of the evidence should have remained, so if he had done it, no one would have known. At the same time Reacher knows Barr wouldn't have been able to shoot five targets from across the river from his military records, he would have chosen a different spot.
• Gunny in the final shootout, considering he's deliberately trying to avoid lethal shots. This makes some of his shots, like the wounding of one of the bad guys straight through a wall or a quick, hasty shot that knocked the rifle out of Charlie's hand, all the more impressive.
• Reacher had this reputation while he was in the army and Gunny tests him by having him hit the center area of the target at long range three times in a row while using an unfamiliar rifle and only being allowed a single ranging shot. Reacher hits the target area with all three shots even though he is seriously out of practice. Gunny, a master shot himself, is seriously impressed.
• This is also discussed and deconstructed as a crucial plot point. Reacher points out that the location from which James Barr supposedly did his killings had multiple issues making it a poor vantage point and crime scene location: Long distance, wind resistance, security cameras capturing him and his van, shell casings and fingerprints left behind, targets coming from the side and the sun in his eyes. Even a highly skilled marksman would have had difficulty in such conditions and soldiers are trained not to overcome such difficulties but avoid them entirely. Reacher points out that while Barr wasn't skilled enough to pull off such difficult shots, he was trained enough to know not to work from such a poor location when a better one existed on the highway, removing all of the above. This is what clues him into Barr not being the killer.
• Improbable Infant Survival : In the opening sniper scene, the gunman's final target is a young woman running for safety, carrying a child with her. While we never see that bullet's impact, it is later mentioned in passing that the little girl survived.
• Inadvertent Entrance Cue : The DA and Emerson are wondering how they could possibly find this Reacher guy when he's off the grid when the secretary informs them there's a Jack Reacher wanting to see them.
• Interservice Rivalry : Gunny, a US Marine, repeatedly makes jabs at Reacher, who used to be US Army Military Police.
• It's All About Me : When Helen and Alex Rodin meet after Helen interviews the father of one of the victims, Alex questions Helen why is she doing this... and phrases it as an act of rebellion against her father. Helen actually points it out in disgust .
• It's Personal : During the final showdown, Reacher catches the Zec's Dragon off-guard and has him at gunpoint. Rather than simply gun him down, Reacher has him disarm then fights him hand-to-hand, making good on his earlier Badass Boast in retaliation for Sandy's death.
• It's What I Do : Zed's justification for his evil acts.
• Reacher despises Barr because Barr got away with four murders .
• Zec thinks he is this because none of the crimes can be connected to him. Reacher executes him to avert this.
• Laser-Guided Karma : Reacher breaks the fingers on Charlie's gun hand, leaving him in the same condition as his boss, the Zec.
• Last-Name Basis : Reacher is referred to by this exclusively though unlike the books, it's not out of his insistence so much as others just doing it naturally. Were it not for the title of the film and it being mentioned in the opening scenes, a casual viewer might be forgiven for not even knowing his first name.
• Let's Fight Like Gentlemen : When Reacher confronts Charlie, he disarms him, then throws away his own gun so they can have a fistfight. Notably, this is very out of character for Reacher, who in the books tends to just shoot his enemies; as Charlie murdered an innocent girl as a Frame-Up , Reacher wants to make him hurt . He does summarily execute the Zec, however .
• Life-or-Limb Decision : The Big Bad claims to have done this years ago to escape a Siberian mob. When a Mook fails him, he offers to let him live if he chews off his fingers to prove his determination like he did. The minion can't bring himself to do it and the villain kills him.
• Mistaken for Prostitute : Jack meets a woman named Sandy at a bar, but doesn't tell her his name to remain undercover. When she invites him to drive with her, he tells her "I'm sorry I can't afford you." She gets offended and defends her by saying that she isn't a hooker and that she works at the Auto Parts Store.
• Mook Chivalry : Discussed . Reacher reasons that it's almost never actually a 5-on-1 fight when it comes to amateurs, it's a sorting tier of one group leader asserting dominance by himself, then one or two enthusiastic wingmen who will follow, then multiple cowards that will join in if their side is winning and flee if they're not. For these reasons, they attack one or two at a time and the fight is a Curb-Stomp Battle against them.
• Mr. Fanservice : Reacher, being Tom Cruise, gets a Walking Shirtless Scene for the ladies in the audience and one at the start in a changing room with his six pack abs on full display.
• Ms. Fanservice : The woman wearing only a thong that's in bed with Reacher in the trailer. Sandy likes a midriff-exposing outfit. While she never wears anything revealing, Helen Rodin is also pretty easy on the eyes, being played by Rosamund Pike .
• Morton's Fork : Discussed. In a scene where Jack Reacher is talking with Gunny about the camera footage that is linked to Barr, when he notes the camera in the room. Jack Reacher: You know one of these nuts is likely to kill you when they find that camera there. Gunny: Hell, the camera's there because one of these nuts is likely to kill me.
• Mugging the Monster : Five youths try to fight Reacher. He delivers a quick Curb-Stomp Battle . They were just hired thugs and he does not look like the most threating individual when taking a quiet drink. Also, he warned them several times.
• A Mook leaping to this conclusion not only costs him his life, but provides the best lead Jack gets.
• The reason for the initial killing; a woman won't sell her company, so the Zec decides she must be killed.
• Decided, of all people, by the protagonist, Jack Reacher himself at the end, when Zec points out that the law will never punish him.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast : Zec Chilovek, the Big Bad . Russian for "Prisoner Human Being". Hard and cold as a Siberian winter .
• Never Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight : Reacher has a You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me! reaction when Gunny hands him a K-Bar knife instead of the Sniper Rifle he's carrying (see Surprisingly Realistic Outcome ). Then during the subsequent shoot-out, he drops the knife and has to resort to using a rock.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero : At the end, Jack has killed all of the witnesses against the Zec, leaving murder as the only way to bring him to justice.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain : Linsky, the local "franchisee" for Lebendauer Enterprises. He's the one who sets up Sandy and her "brothers" to try and beat up Reacher, because he can't directly contact Charlie and the Zek, and kills Jeb to try to tie up loose ends, only that further galvanizes Reacher that there's something else going on. Even Charlie and the Zek both lament that Linsky ended up making this situation much worse by trying to take matters into his own hands.
• Not Me This Time : Barr did commit five murders in Afghanistan but got away with it but he's innocent of the ones he's been accused of here.
• "Not So Different" Remark : Helen asks Reacher if he won't settle down because he's worried he'll end up like Barr. At the end of the movie, Reacher says he actually worries that he'll end up like Gunny.
• Obfuscating Stupidity : Reacher pretends a gas bill he found in Jeb's car is a warrant to search his house. When he sees a crack pipe next to the old lady on the porch, he assumes she's too zonked to notice anyway, so just walks in. Then the old lady takes a mobile phone from under her shawl and phones Jeb's friends.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse : Reacher gets Gunny's initial cooperation by threatening to make it public that Barr, a suspected mass killer, used Gunny's gun range to practice. The bad publicity would wreck Gunny's business.
• When Reacher tracks down Sandy after the bar fight: Sandy: Shit!
• Helen gets this when Reacher first says the word "Patsy" . She realizes that her entire approach to the case has been massively flawed.
• The look on the Zec 's face when the man who would do anything to survive realizes he's just talked himself into a death sentence.
• In the epilogue, Barr's reaction to the crimes he's accused of (now that he can't remember not doing them) is equal parts regret for supposedly doing them and fear of what Reacher will do to him as a result .
• Helen realises the grieving father she's interviewing has a cocked Colt automatic on his desk, and seems angry enough to use it on her.
• Older Hero Versus Younger Villain : Reacher goes up against the much younger Charlie. The exact ages are never specified but Jai Courtney is twenty-four years younger than Tom Cruise.
• Orgy of Evidence : Reacher quickly realizes that this is the case against James Barr. Too bad he missed the key element until the very end; only a sniper who wants to plant evidence would pay for parking and thereby leave a thumbprint on the quarter, but only a crooked cop would know to look for said quarter.
• Out-of-Character Alert : What makes the Orgy of Evidence so suspicious is that an important part of sniper training isn't just aiming and firing, but choosing where to shoot from ; the optimal firing position wouldn't have left any evidence, and someone with Barr's training would know better (and did, back when Reacher caught him the first time) than to leave any. note  In the parking garage, the shooter had the sun in his eyes, and his targets were moving left and right and that's on top of it being much further away from the targets and having security cameras. But a nearby highway bridge was an obvious alternate position where the sun would have been behind him, with his targets straight ahead, single file - one where he could have made the shots without leaving his van, meaning no shell casings would have been left for the police to find, he wouldn't have been caught on camera, and he could have just driven away with no-one the wiser. Thus, the parking garage was chosen to match the type of location Barr chose for his actual shooting spree in Afghanistan, and to leave as much manufactured evidence as possible, not for tactical reasons.
• Pants-Positive Safety : Played with in a creative way during the final showdown. Reacher's only weapon is a K-Bar combat knife in a scabbard he hadn't had the time to fasten to his belt, and when things get hectic he stuffs it into the back of his pants instead. A couple of desperate combat rolls to cover later he reaches for it, only to realize that he lost the knife almost immediately, and now it's far beyond his reach.
• Paper-Thin Disguise : After no place to run any further, Jack simply gets out of his car, leaves it rolling on the street, and stands with the crowd on the bus stop . It only works as long as the crowd willingly ignores the crazy stunt he just pulled and nobody is willing to point him out to the cops. And nobody did, so he casually rides away in the bus, right out of the massive swarm of police officers. One bystander is helpful enough to give Jack his hat to help him blend in further , however.
• Persecuting Prosecutor : Alex Rodin, the Pittsburgh District Attorney, got his fame as an undefeated prosecutor because he bullied many criminals into signing confessions without any further investigation or allowing them to see their attorneys first. Helen Rodin, the DA's own daughter, is pretty sure that many innocent people have ended up in jail or worse as a result and takes the Barr case to fight this. Both Helen and Reacher believe that Rodin is in bed with Lebendauer because of this, but he turns out to be a Red Herring .
• Photographic Memory : Reacher has this, which is part of the reason he's so scarily competent as an investigator.
• Pint-Sized Powerhouse : Reacher. He's The Big Guy in the books, but Cruise is far from sizeable. Still, it doesn't stop him from demolishing mooks left and right.
• Please Put Some Clothes On : While Reacher is washing his shirt in the sink, Helen becomes Distracted by the Sexy . Helen: What more do you want? They were five innocent people. Senselessly murd — I'm sorry, can you please put a shirt on? Jack: This is my shirt.
• Precision F-Strike : Emerson and Rodin ask Helen where Reacher is. She says she doesn't know, and Rodin tells Emerson he thinks she's telling the truth. Helen spits back, "Oh, you 'think', Dad?! Fuck you!"
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner : When the Zec taunts Reacher at the end to see which one of them will go to prison, Reacher replies, "My bet? Neither one." He then shoots the Zec in the head.
• Protagonist Title : For this film, the original title of the book isn't mentioned.
• Pun : The Conspiracy is called Lebendauer Enterprises — German for "Lifespan" — because its founder spent most of his life in prison; QED a "Lifer" .
• Reacher spots a possible connection between two of the victims, who he suspects were having an affair. This has nothing to do with why it happened, only serving as an example of how what seems like a coincidence may be something more.
• Later on, Reacher realizes someone on the prosecution is involved with the frame-up. He believes the most likely candidate is Helen's father, the undefeated district attorney. This turns out to be simply wrong.
• At one point, it looks like Gunny is part of the conspiracy, and will try to shoot Reacher on the firing range. Instead, we cut to Gunny congratulating Reacher on his score, having worked out who he is.
• This is the only reason Reacher's escape from the police after the Car Chase works out. If any of the two dozen people at the bus station would've done the sensible thing and alerted the cops, the film might've taken a different turn.
• Reacher is able to dictate the final battle on his terms because he refuses to consider Helen's life worth more than his own, thus denying Charlie any leverage beyond the knowledge that Reacher will try to rescue her.
• The Zec is convinced that he'll avoid prison after all his mooks have been killed, reasoning that the former military homeless guy is a much more likely suspect than a nameless old man missing several fingers; and Jack has just killed all of the other witnesses. Reacher agrees... then kills him in cold blood.
• Refuse to Rescue the Disliked : Reacher at first absolutely refuses to clear Barr's name because of the killing spree that the latter got away with in Afghanistan. It's only after the Lebandauer conspiracy tries to get Reacher out of the way that he decides to look into it .
• Retired Monster : While serving in the military, James Barr killed four people (who coincidentally turned out to be war criminals) just to see what it would feel like, got Off on a Technicality , and, after a Scare 'Em Straight warning from Reacher, turns out to to have gotten a 9-to-5 job and never entertained the idea of using his gun outside of a shooting range again.
• Revealing Cover-Up : Jack knows Barr is psychotic enough to have gone on the shooting spree, so he would have blown in and out of town without a second thought... except when he decides to kill some time in a bar while rubbing Helen's face in the murders, he's dragged into a bar fight under very suspicious circumstances; a girl approaches him and is thrown when he gives a false name, five thugs accost him supposedly to "defend the girl's honor", and cops arrive so quickly the only reason they arrive after the fight is because Jack stomped them in less than a minute. From that point on, Jack is in full investigator mode, Spotting the Thread almost immediately. The Zec actually points out what a massive screw-up it was .
• Revealing Skill : Part of what makes Reacher suspicious is the difficulty of the shots taken in the killing spree. The killer chose an extremely poor position to shoot from, only missed once (on purpose), and only missed after successfully hitting several people. Reacher concludes that not only would Barr not do this in the first place because it runs counter to how he was trained, he's not good enough to have done it at all.
• Reveal Shot : After a montage showing how the police track down the shooter, and Barr's interrogation, we finally get a proper look at his face...and realise he's not the same man.
• Running Gag : Reacher helping himself to other people's cars.
• Ruthless Foreign Gangsters : The Zec and his crew are very much this; what they cannot control, they kill (and what they can control, they obtained control of by making quite clear that the choice is being controlled or dying horribly).
• Sadistic Choice : The DA offers suspects the choice of either signing a confession for a reduced sentence or going up against an undefeated DA who will seek the death penalty against them (one presumes this is limited to suspects for whom that is an available sentence). Helen believes her father has coerced false confessions through this method, if not intentionally then simply as a consequence of scaring the perp.
• Saying Too Much : Zec gloats to Reacher that Reacher is a homeless drifter wanted for murder and he is a seemingly harmless old man and since all his men are dead, Reacher has no one to back up his claims of Zec being behind everything. Reacher concedes that he has a point... by opting to simply shoot him in the head.
• Serial Killings, Specific Target : The owner of a local construction company was the intended victim. The other four murders were just to disguise this.
• Sherlock Scan : Reacher is pretty good at these, probably due to his wide range of experience as a former military policeman.
• Shoot the Hostage Taker : Emerson hides behind Helen, pointing a gun at her head and another at the only door that Reacher can come through. Reacher kills him with a single shot, with iron sights. Helen is so stunned she can't even move until Reacher puts his hand on her shoulder.
• Shout-Out : Both of Reacher's aliases (Aaron Ward and Jimmie Reese) were baseball players for the New York Yankees.
• Shrouded in Myth : Other than the official records they have on him from his time in the military, nobody knows anything about Jack Reacher other than he exists, is out there somewhere, and is a total badass.
• Sickening "Crunch!" : During his fight with Charlie, Reacher gets hold of his hand and twists it in an unnatural manner, leading to a positive gruesome sound of bones snapping and Charlie screaming in agony. Ouch.
• Silence Is Golden : The first line of dialogue is not spoken until eight and a half minutes into the film; the entire opening murder and the police investigation into it are conducted without dialogue. Multiple later sections of the film are also conducted with no dialogue whatsoever, such as the car chase and the Battle in the Rain near the end of the movie.
• Sociopathic Soldier : Jack admits these exist; but they tend to be sociopaths before they enlisted. James Barr was one of these, having eventually snapped and gone on a shooting rampage in Baghdad just so that he could feed his urge to kill; the only reason he got away with it was because, unbeknownst to him, his victims all had it coming, and the Private Military Contractors that they worked for didn't pursue justice because they knew that the victims' crimes would be exposed if they did so. Charlie is implied (stated in the book) to be ex-military, and is a stone-cold killer. Jack Reacher: There are four types of people who join the military. For some, it's a family trade. Others are patriots, eager to serve. Next you have those who just need a job. Then there's the kind who want a legal means of killing other people.
• Soft-Spoken Sadist : The Zec.
• Something Else Also Rises : Reacher compares the frustration of not being able to kill to sexual frustration. When he's saying this, a flashback shows Barr in Iraq, pushing a knife through a blanket draped over his crotch with obvious Freudian symbolism. You ever been hungry, been horny, you have an itch you can't scratch? Imagine that feeling, days, weeks, years, imagine that feeling times a thousand. Imagine that it's 130 degrees on the deck and tomorrow you're going home. And you know that if you don't scratch that itch now, you never will. You need a release, you need a target, and the who of it never once enters your mind.
• Reacher fully believes that Barr is the shooter and is there only to make sure he goes down... until he sees the quarter with Barr's fingerprint on it with the evidence. Not only does it make no sense for Barr to make sure he's paid the parking meter right before shooting five random people in cold blood, but it also makes no sense for Emerson to investigate the meter unless he knew the quarter would be there beforehand.
• Next, with a seed of doubt in his mind, Reacher investigates the location of the shooting and deems it a poor vantage point due to the location of the sun and targets moving left-and-right. He finds another location nearby on a freeway that would have been ideal for a shooter with the targets coming towards him, the sun not in his eyes, no cameras and which would have prevented empty shells from being left behind as evidence and allowed him to make an easy getaway. He also discovers that not only was Barr deemed merely a 'decent' sniper while in the Army and wasn't good enough to shoot so accurately from a non-ideal location, but that he was trained well enough not to use said location when there was a better one available.
• All six shots that the sniper fired came in quick succession... except for a several second pause between shot one and two. Reacher determines that this means the sniper was extra careful with his second shot, meaning the second target was killed for an actual purpose. Serial Killings, Specific Target .
• Five of the shots the sniper took were perfect, while the fourth shot missed by a lot and ended up in a location where the bullet would be preserved perfectly to be used for evidence. Reacher reasons that the shooter intentionally put one of his rounds in a perfect location to be found by police for the evidence in the case against Barr.
• Reacher uses a fake name when Sandy approaches him at a bar, and sees she's thrown by it even though she had no reason to be. From this, and the barfight that follows, he believes that someone is trying to run him off the case, which leads to him eventually blowing the entire plan.
• Jeb hasn't been seen for a while by his friends, who all think he's left town. Reacher checks his house and finds evidence that Jeb quickly packed some things and left...except the shower curtain is gone too, leading him to think that someone (who wasn't very smart) simply raided the house to make it look like Jeb had left. Or perhaps the curtain was torn down in a struggle. Or made an ideal drop cloth for a body.
• Improbable Aiming Skills are just that — improbable. All of the amazing complications super-snipers overcome — sun in a bad position, windage, erratically moving targets, extreme range — are things real snipers are actually trained to avoid so as to make easier shots and Barr wasn't skilled enough to have killed five people in such conditions but he was smart and trained enough to know to choose locations to avoid such issues, choosing a parking garage over a nearby freeway which would've not only kept the sun from his eyes and made the targets easier to hit but would've also avoided cameras, not left behind any evidence and had an easy getaway. Reacher thus notices the killings are a Revealing Cover-Up .
• Real Bar Brawls are usually very low key; most so-called "tough guys" are unskilled at teamwork, unfamiliar with pain or a confident opponent, and a trained fighter will seriously wreck their shit — even five-on-one.
• Your average Mook is just an average human being, clumsy and unfamiliar with combat - which is demonstrated when two guys with a crowbar and an aluminum baseball bat attack Reacher in a bathroom. It's hard to tell which takes more damage from their efforts — the bathroom or each other .
• The purpose of a gun is to shoot someone from more than a few feet away; a third guy sticks a gun in Reacher's face, he slaps it aside, grabs it, and traps the guy's hand in the trigger guard to torture information and the keys to his car out of him.
• Car Chases have a significant obstacle; other cars . So Reacher breaks line-of-sight, abandons the car, and blends into a crowd that is quite willing to harbor him.
• Not every theory the protagonist comes up with is correct; see Red Herring .
• Most criminals are only threatening because most people are unused to conflict, which is why most police work is a simple desk job. Lebendauer Enterprises is only as dangerous as it is because it is led and staffed by actual soldiers — which aren't all that common in criminal enterprises.
• Just because you meet a Cool Old Guy who owns a lot of guns and is sympathetic to your cause doesn't mean he's willing to kill strangers for you or let you shoot strangers with guns he owns.
• A guy capable of realistically surviving an action movie is not charismatic, he is fucking terrifying.
• Driving backwards in a car, despite it having a rear parking camera (which gets shot out), is a bad plan of attack. Especially if you run over something that leaves your car immobile, like a rock. To quote Reacher: Jack Reacher: This is a bad idea.
• Actual fights are far less flashy and impressive than in films with all of Reacher's battles consisting mainly of straightforward moves and his opponents realistically reacting in pain or getting winded from exhaustion and even Reacher himself getting knocked over or disoriented.
• When faced with a villain who has no past, considerable wealth and connections, isn't afraid of prison even if he does go and has a plausible cover story of being a harmless old man while Reacher is wanted for murder and just killed everyone else, Reacher simply takes another option and kills Zec in cold blood, to make sure he won't escape justice.
• Take a Third Option : When given the Sadistic Choice by the DA, Barr simply writes "Find Jack Reacher" instead, knowing Reacher will figure out what's really going on.
• Television Geography : At the beginning of the Chase Scene , after Jack begins chasing Charlie from the motel, Emerson radios in that the police are pursuing Jack along Pennsylvania State Route 65, AKA Ohio River Boulevard. note  This would make sense, as the actual site of the motel that was used as a shooting location was located along Ohio River Boulevard near the suburb of Sewickley The next part of the chase involves Jack chasing Charlie's truck across the Monongahela River via 10th Street Bridge and proceeding through the Armstrong Tunnel from Southside to Uptown. While not impossible, these two roads are located on the northwestern and southern parts of Pittsburgh, respectively, and on opposite sides of Downtown, meaning that the chase scene would have had to have crossed at least one bridge just to get to a point where it could go over another bridge.
• Spree Killer : James Barr already had a spree shooting in his personal history (investigated by Reacher and tossed under the rug because, unknown to him, he killed a bunch of rapists ) and is framed as the man responsible for the massacre we see in the prologue because of this by the real party, the Zec's organization, who was aiming for Serial Killings, Specific Target .
• Taking the Fight Outside : "Hey, outside," barks Jeb to Jack Reacher after Jack blew off Sandy. She responds by rallying her regulars into a band of five mooks to issue Jack a comeuppance. As a courtesy, Jack gives the thugs a chance to stand down, since they're about to engage a retired U.S. Army military policeman. Bullying a Dragon proves a big mistake, so the floozy flees.
• This Is Gonna Suck : Reacher drives Helen's car in reverse towards the villain's hideout while henchmen open fire on him. All he has to say is "This was a bad idea."
• Unresolved Sexual Tension : Between Helen and Reacher, but it remains unresolved.
• Varying Competency Alibi : James Barr, a former Army sniper, is accused of the sniper murders, but Jack doesn't believe it. The shots were from a rather awkward position when a better one was available, and the only miss conveniently preserved the bullet. This suggests that Barr simply isn't a good enough marksman to have pulled off the killings: they had to have been performed by one of the finest shooters in the world, and Barr was merely decent . It turns out that not only was James Barr framed, but the shooter choose the position not to kill random people but a specific person to hide among a random spree .
• Villain Opening Scene : The movie begins with Charlie sniping at five innocent bystanders from a parking garage.
• Weak, but Skilled : This version of Reacher lacks his counterpart's extreme strength , though he compensates by being well-versed in martial arts, which comes in sharp contrast with Book!Reacher's fighting style .
• You Have Failed Me : The Zec is willing to spare his minion's life if he proves his commitment by biting off the fingers on his left hand, but he can't do it and is shot dead by Charlie.
• Helen's expression when, in the middle of a tense phone call about the criminal conspiracy, Reacher admits that he stole her car.
• Reacher's own expression when all Gunny brought him for a long, disadvantageous fight against several Mooks is a single K-Bar knife, rather than any guns.
• Your Princess Is in Another Castle! : Reacher attacks a prefab hut in the quarry and takes out the guards, only to find out Helen is being kept in another hut.
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Global Film Locations

Jack reacher (2012) film locations.

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Filming locations for Tom Cruise’s 2012 action, crime movie Jack Reacher, was filmed on location in the state of Pennsylvania. The majority of filming took place in Pittsburgh, with other locations including Robinson Township and Saltsburg; where the quarry scenes were shot.

Other films such as Denzel Washington’s Fences and Unstoppable were also filmed in and around the Pittsburgh area.

6581 Steubenville Pike, Robinson Township, Pennsylvania, USA (Default Auto Parts)

Google Maps Co-ordinates:  40.446953, -80.159140

North Shore, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA

Google Maps Co-ordinates: 40.445421, -80.009505

1999-1901 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, USA (Bar Fight)

Google Maps Co-ordinates:  40.451372, -79.985211

P. J. McArdle Roadway, Pittsburgh, PA 15203, USA

Google Maps Co-ordinates: 40.427717, -79.993446

1016 Fritz Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (Jeb’s House – A facade was built onto the front of the house for the film)

Google Maps Co-ordinates:  40.425765, -79.988233

899-801 Ohio River Blvd, Sewickley, PA 15143, USA (Three Rivers Motel – Now demolished)

Google Maps Co-ordinates:  40.533405, -80.177232

One Gateway Center, Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (Sniper)

Google Maps Co-ordinates: 40.442923, -80.005646

Mario’s South Side Saloon, East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (Bar Interiors)

Google Maps Co-ordinates:  40.428779, -79.982936

Hoover Stone Quarry, Pennsylvania 981, Saltsburg, PA, USA

Google Maps Co-ordinates: 40.468790, -79.437804

Official Trailer

Release:  26/12/2012

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Run Time:  130m

Age Viewing:  12A

Gross:  $80,070,736

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20 Thrilling Behind-The-Scenes Facts From Tom Cruise's Biggest Films

F or nearly 40 years, Tom Cruise has been one of the biggest movie stars in the world. From his breakout role in Top Gun to the franchise lead in Mission Impossible , few stars boast the resume that Cruise has. He's also worth a cool $500 million. He's kind of a big deal. With four decades of movies under his belt, it's fair to assume a lot of interesting things have happened behind the scenes. Here are the craziest Tom Cruise movie secrets you need to know!

He Won't Sign Onto A Movie Unless He Gets To Do His Own Stunts

Tom Cruise famously performs the most dangerous stunts in all his movies. Watch any Mission Impossible movie, and it's shocking how much danger the action star is willing to put himself in. Cruise reportedly refuses to sign onto movies that won't let him do his stunts.

Say a movie wants to cast Cruise but won't let him jump from high rise to high rise for a critical chase scene. The producers better start looking for a different, more risk-averse actor. Tom Cruise feels the need, the need for speed!

He Took Lead Role In Valkyrie Because He Looked Like The Real Person

The movie Valkyrie is based on the true story of Colonel von Stauffenberg's assassination attempt on Hitler during World War II. When Cruise was offered the role, there was no sales pitch that convinced him to sign on. Instead, he noticed that he bared a striking resemblance to the German soldier.

Cruise was sold, proving sometimes looks are all that matters. The movie was a moderate success, earning $200 million worldwide. Doing his own stunts has its downfalls.

Mission Impossible: Fallout Literally Broke Tom Cruise

Mission Impossible: Fallout came close to missing its summer 2018 release date after Tom Cruise broke his ankle performing a stunt. The film had to take a break from filming in 2017 after Cruise couldn't stick his landing after a scary jump. The hiatus put the movie's release in serious doubt.

Never doubt Tom Cruise, though. After a brutal seven-week recovery, cameras were able to roll again. He also continued punishing his body by doing his stunts. All his hard work paid off. A seventh movie in the profitable franchise is already being planned.

The Last Samurai Almost Killed Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Last Samurai . If it wasn't for his co-star saving his life, we'd be writing a very different article right now. Using real samurai swords rigged for safety was a bad idea when one of the rigs broke.

The sword came one inch from Cruise's neck before Hiroyuki Sanada stopped it. That reminds us of the helicopter scene at the end of the first Mission Impossible ! Somehow it always comes back to Ethan Hunt.

Anne Rice Hated His Casting In Interview With A Vampire

Without author Anne Rice, there would be no Interview With The Vampire . Having written the book, she was not happy to see the film cast Tom Cruise in the role of the vampire Lestat. She was so upset with his selection that she publicly criticized Cruise and everyone involved with the film.

After the movie came out, Rice changed her tune. It turns out Tom Cruise was perfect for Lestat, and he proved it with his performance. To apologize, Rice bought a two-page ad in Daily Variety praising Cruise's portrayal of her most famous vampire.

Les Grossman Was Created For Tropic Thunder By Cruise

When Ben Stiller was struggling to write Tropic Thunder he had Tom Cruise read the script. Cruise suggested he include a movie executive in the film as a way to create pressure on the characters. Later, he decided to play the role of Les Grossman himself, under two very odd conditions.

The first condition was the character have fat hands. The second condition was that the bald and overweight studio executive be a dancer. And that is how one of the most memorable characters in movie history was created.

The Iconic Risky Business Dance Was Adlibbed

Even if you've never seen Risky Business , you've probably seen Tom Cruise's infamous underwear dance. According to the actor, he made up the routine himself, on the spot, "I just ad-libbed that," he said during an interview .

But how did he stick the landing on his slide to enter the scene? As he explains, "I dusted the floor and then put stick (tape) on the other side so I would get the center frame on that and wore the socks."

The Mummy Was A Real Monster Behind The Scenes

The Mummy was supposed to start Universal's "Dark Universe." That is until Tom Cruise got his hands on it. According to reports, Cruise took over every aspect of the film, from the story to the direction, and even the editing.

Despite having a team hired by Universal, Cruise brought in his own editor and screenwriter, then wrangled control of the direction away from Alex Kurtzman. For all his meddling, Cruise's version of The Mummy earned terrible reviews and scared audiences away. Made for $190 million, the film only grossed $80 million stateside.

Cruise Destroyed A $100,000 Camera Filming Days Of Thunder

Tom Cruise's "need for speed" is iconic, and it got the better of him while filming Days of Thunder . Playing NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, Cruise drove his stock car during several scenes. I

n one scene he lost control of the car and crashed into a wall, destroying a $100,000 camera in the process.

He Didn't Get Paid For Minority Report

Tom Cruise was so passionate to film the 2002 film Minority Report with Steven Spielberg that he refused to take a paycheck. Spielberg refused money also, something he claimed to have on his last eight films. Instead of getting money upfront, the pair cut a deal to earn 15 percent of the movie's gross.

Minority Report made $358 million worldwide, netting Cruise and Spielberg around $54 million each. That's pretty amazing. They took a chance on a passion project and it paid off big time!

He Was A Passenger In A Car Accident During Filming For Edge Of Tomorrow

For Edge Of Tomorrow , Emily Blunt had to drive a van with Tom Cruise as her passenger. The van needed to be seen shaking for one particular scene, so producers had Blunt make a hard turn at a pretty high speed. But she lost control and the van crashed into a tree.

She was upset that she could have injured (or even killed) Cruise, but fortunately, they both walked away unharmed. And even laughed about the incident later.

One Stunt He Didn't Perform

We know that Tom Cruise prefers to perform even the most dangerous stunts himself. But according to director Martin Scorsese, there was one stunt that he didn't complete when filming the 1986 drama The Color of Money .

His character had to perform a bunch of complicated pool shots, which wasn't a problem for Cruise. Except for one: a shot where his ball had to leap over two others and sink a third. Scorsese said that he thinks Cruise could have made the shot but it would have taken two days. And that's just too long during movie production, so an expert was brought in to do the shot.

He Broke His Thumb Making The Outsiders

The 1983 coming-of-age drama The Outsiders featured a fight between two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. Things got pretty out of control during filming and one of Cruise's thumbs was broken in the scuffle.

He wasn't the only one to get hurt in the fight, either; two of Cruise's fellow actors were also injured. Tom Howell got a black eye and Emilio Estevez's lip was cut. That must have been quite a brawl!

He Lost A Lot Of Weight For Risky Business

The creators of Risky Business really wanted Tom Cruise to be as baby-faced as possible. To prepare for the role, he got serious about dropping weight fast. He told People that he followed a strict eating plan and jogged daily in the brutal Florida sunshine for five weeks. And then when he hit his target weight, he stopped exercising completely "so I could put on a little layer of baby fat."

"[Joel Goodson is] a very vulnerable person,” Tom explained. “I didn't want any physical defenses up for him. No muscle armor at all.”

Tom Cruise Has An Impressive Set Of Lungs

For 2015's Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation , Tom Cruise had to hold his breath for almost six and a half minutes! We knew he did all his own stunts but this might be one of the craziest of them. He called the experience unpleasant but explained his training technique to EW .

"You get rid of the regulator, get rid of the bubbles, get on the side and we wanted to do it one shot, so they were very, very long shots," he said. “I'd have to hold it consistently, you know safely, up to four minutes almost for every take.”

He Really Sang In Rock Of Ages

For the 2012 musical Rock of Ages , Tom Cruise insisted on singing his own parts. Of course, he did, right? He trained for four months, up to five hours each day to perfect his voice.

Cruise also filmed the scene where he sang "Pour Some Sugar On Me" while Def Leppard (the band that originally performed the song) watched. The guy just doesn't like to make things easy for himself.

Born On The Third Of July

In the 1989 war drama Born on the Fourth of July , Tom Cruise played a real-life Vietnam War veteran named Ron Kovic. Kovic was actually born on the 4th of July, as the title indicates.

It turns out that Cruise and Kovic almost share the birthday. Cruise was born on July 3, though, just a day early. Audiences didn't mind the discrepancy (as if they were even aware of it), as the film pulled in $161 million worldwide.

He Wasn't Expecting Emily Blunt To Kiss Him In Edge Of Tomorrow

Maybe he hadn't read the script thoroughly, because it sounds like Tom Cruise was surprised when Emily Blunt kissed him during filming for Edge of Tomorrow . She opened up about the moment to BBC Radio . "I mean, [it was] great. I don't think he was expecting it. I just sort of planted one on him," she said.

Blunt continued, "I think he was a bit taken aback. He was like, 'Oh my god! This is what we're doing.' Well, Tom had read the scene but he hadn't really read the stage directions. There were some new pages."

He Holds A Huge Box Office Record

We already know that his movies rake in tons of money at the box office, but Tom Cruise holds another distinction in that area. He became the first actor ever to star in five consecutive movies that each made more than $100 million in the United States.

The films were A Few Good Men (1992), The Firm (1993), Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), and Jerry Maguire in 1996. That's a pretty good run for the money.

Cruise Inspired A Character In A Movie He Wasn't Even In

Although he's been in some live-action Disney movies, Tom Cruise hasn't yet voiced an animated character for the studio. However, he was the inspiration for a very famous Disney prince. Can you guess which one? Turns out that Aladdin was based on the actor!

While providing commentary for the 2004 DVD release of the film, producers revealed that executive Jeffrey Katzenberg decided that the animation should be modeled after Cruise because of his "iconic hero" look.

Tom Cruise Was Once Considered For Iron Man, But There Was Another Superhero Movie He Also 'Flirted' With

Two very different flavors of Cruise could have been present in the world of comic movies.

You don’t get to be an acting talent like Tom Cruise without racking up an obscene amount of “what if” stories. While we know the man as the lead of the Mission: Impossible movies , and a stunt performing daredevil extraordinaire, there were a couple times in his career that comic book movies came a calling. 

And while we already know about Cruise’s potential role in the then developing Iron Man franchise, it turns out that Zack Snyder’s Watchmen was apparently another project that could have seen the star of some of the best action movies in the world playing an anti-hero. 

The Watchmen Characters Tom Cruise Was Considered For

As if Zack Snyder’s bombshell about Leonardo DiCaprio being considered for the role of Lex Luthor wasn’t enough of a shock, the director’s Happy Sad Confused interview also yielded this juicy gem. And apparently, while the Rebel Moon director wanted Tom Cruise to play one role, the man behind Ethan Hunt was gunning for the polar opposite. Take a look for yourself: 

Tom Cruise wanted to be in WATCHMEN. But only as…wait for it…Rorschach. Another bombshell @ZackSnyder dropped in our chat. The full chat: https://t.co/qDTvcxgxfu pic.twitter.com/uLeM7UMESw April 18, 2024

I’m going to set aside the fact that, like Josh Horowitz, I consider the casting of Watchmen to be perfect. I can’t see either Jackie Earle Haley or Matthew Goode not playing Rorschach or Ozymandias at this point, but for the sake of academic curiosity, I’m going to pretend I can. With that caveat in place, I’d honestly have a hard time picking which role Tom Cruise would be better suited for. 

Cruise’s Rorschach feels like it’d be a modified version of his Vincent character from Collateral , whereas Ozymandias would be a variation on his aloof killer archetype as Lestat from Interview with the Vampire . That second scenario would have been a particularly good showcase for Tom, as that character basically launches into a Watchmen ending explained monologue in the third act.

Both characters hold echoes of some of Tom Cruise's best movies. So to all of a sudden hear that Zack Snyder had met with the man to try and cast him in this epic comic adaptation has replaced Iron Man as the greater “what if” for Cruise’s potential career in comic movies. Which, after all this time, is no easy feat.

That Time Tom Cruise ‘Flirted’ With Playing Iron Man

If anyone ever wanted to know how forward thinking Tom Cruise is when it comes to movies, consider this: the man was flirting with comic book movies before the boom had truly taken off. While the ultimate reason for Cruise’s Iron Man refusal was classic Hollywood dealing, the man was circling these sorts of opportunities before they were cool. 

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History shook out the way it did, and Robert Downey Jr .’s iconic casting won out. That hasn’t stopped people from pondering over how a Cruise-led Iron Man could have looked. Especially since, on the Tom Cruise Continuum of Characters, Tony Stark feels like a more cavalier and grown up version of Risky Business’ Joel Goodsen.

Twice before we almost saw Tom Cruise landing a comic book movie icon on his resume; and who knows? We might just see him land that sort of role in the future, provided he wants to go down that road. The Multiverse of both DC and Marvel are vast, and there's surely someone Cruise would be down to play in the name of four paneled fun. 

As it stands, the Watchmen we have at home is a sterling example of comic book adaptations done right. So should you want to revisit that movie, with or without visions of Tom Cruise participating, you can do just that. At the time of this publication, a Max subscription is all that’s required to catch up once again with those costumed heroes. 

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.

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Screen Rant

Exciting new wb sci-fi movie is the perfect replacement for tom cruise's $370m sequel i've wanted for 10 years.

Warner Bros has a new sci-fi movie on the horizon that is the perfect replacement for a Tom Cruise sequel that has yet to happen, 10 years later.

• "Mickey 17" is an exciting sci-fi thriller with a star-studded cast that includes Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, and Mark Ruffalo.
• The film's plot, based on the novel "Mickey7," involves a character who can die repeatedly and return with memories intact.
• "Mickey 17" shares similarities with "Edge of Tomorrow," offering a potential substitute for the long-awaited sequel to Tom Cruise's film.

At the beginning of 2025, Warner Brothers is releasing Mickey 17 , which is not only exciting for its unique concept and star-studded cast, but also because it is the perfect replacement for a sci-fi sequel that is taking more than 10 years to happen. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, Mickey 17 is a sci-fi thriller following Mickey, an "expendable" who goes on a mission to colonize an ice world, however when he unexpectedly dies, his new body forms with almost all his memories intact. Mickey 17's cast includes Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, and Thomas Turgoose.

Mickey 17 has a lot going for it, even so far away from its release date. The movie's cast is outstanding , with each actor coming off of huge successes, like Mark Ruffalo's Poor Things, Steven Yeun's Beef, and Robert Pattinson's The Batman. Furthermore, this film is the first for writer and director Bong Joon-ho since his Oscar-winning film, Parasite. However, Mickey 17 is not just strong due to its cast and crew. Its story, based on the 2022 novel "Mickey7," by Edward Ashton, is also something to anticipate, especially because of its striking similarities to another beloved science fiction film .

Bong Joon-Ho Explains Why Mickey 17's Title Is Different From The Sci-Fi Book It's Based On

Wb's mickey 17 sounds similar to tom cruise's edge of tomorrow, both movies use repeated deaths in a sci-fi setting.

Part of the excitement surrounding Mickey 17 is the commonalities it has with Tom Cruise's movie , Edge of Tomorrow. Not only are both movies deeply ingrained in the sci-fi genre, but they also use a fairly similar plot device . Where Mickey 17's main character is an "expendable," which can die repeatedly but return via "human printing," Edge of Tomorrow's Cage enters a time loop which allows him to die and resurrect himself over and over again. Both characters face these horrible circumstances, and yet, it seems that their memories are the key to their stories .

What is especially great about Mickey 17 and Edge of Tomorrow's similarities is that the 2025 movie can be a sort of replacement for the Edge of Tomorrow sequel that still has yet to happen.

Although Edge of Tomorrow 2 was discussed soon after the first movie's release, it has been ten years and a movie still has yet to occur . In this way, Mickey 17 can be a stand-in for what has yet to happen. Mickey 17 can delve into a new yet similar world that, hopefully, can appease the impatient fans of Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow.

Will Edge Of Tomorrow With Tom Cruise Ever Happen?

Edge of tomorrow 2 is still in the works.

Edge of Tomorrow 2 is definitely happening. The movie was jumpstarted in 2015 when Tom Cruise claimed he had a strong idea for a sequel . Director Doug Liman signed on, and since then, has been the film's biggest advocate. From 2016 to 2019, the script went through various rewrites, and was headed toward production when the COVID-19 pandemic hit . Emily Blunt then cast doubt on the film, mentioning its high budget. However, in Janaury 2024, it was revealed that Tom Cruise would be starring in various Warner Brothers movies and Edge of Tomorrow 2 would be one of them.

In 2016, Doug Liman noted that Edge of Tomorrow 2 would be a sequel that is a prequel.

Suri Cruise's temper tantrum makes an appearance in Netflix's Scoop - watch

Katie holmes and tom cruise's daughter will soon turn 18.

Suri Cruise  may have blossomed into a confident young woman about to enter adulthood, but it doesn't seem that long ago that she was just a little girl.

As the daughter of Katie Holmes  and Tom Cruise , Suri was thrust into the spotlight almost from birth - and this meant fans were given a front row seat to her childhood… warts and all. 

Now, viewers of the new Netflix movie, Scoop , have been reminded of one of Suri's headline-making moments.

The flick is based on the true events that led up to Prince Andrew’ s explosive 2019 BBC Newsnight interview.

The opening scene, however, focuses on British photographer, Jae Donnelly, who gets a phone call tipping him off to get a picture of Jeffery Epstein  and Andrew together in New York. 

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On the white board in his New York apartment there's a list of celebrities, their whereabouts  and actions, and top of that list is "Suri Cruise tantrum" and a note suggesting the photos would appear in Intouch magazine. 

In real life, Jae took the infamous images of Suri losing her temper in FAO Schwartz with her mom trying to calm her down. 

Suri wore a pink dress and gold tiara, and looked enraged as tears rolled down her face and Katie knelt patiently by her side. 

They later emerged from the store looking calm and collected with Suri being treated to a lollipop and some toys.

She paints a very different picture today, as she is often spotted out and about in New York with her mom or friends, acting like a regular teen. 

Most recently, the 17-year-old was snapped with beautiful long hair, as she headed off for her last vacation with Katie before her 18th birthday on April 18,

The mother-daughter duo were pictured getting into a car with their luggage as they headed off for the Easter weekend. 

Katie is exceptionally private about her daughter, and has not revealed whether or not she will go to college.

While she's close to her mom,  Suri is reportedly estranged from her famous father.

  It appears she's inherited her parents' passion for the entertainment industry, however, and showcased her incredible singing voice in 2022 when she sang the opening credits of Katie's film, Alone Together, when she was just 15. 

Chatting to Yahoo! Entertainment about her daughter's role in the movie, Katie said: "She's very, very talented. She said she would do it and she recorded it and I let her do her thing. "That's the way I direct in general: It's like, 'This is what I think we all want - go do your thing'." 

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• Celebrity Children
• Suri Cruise
• Katie Holmes
• Prince Andrew

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