Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh, Patrick Heusinger
Running Time: 118 minutes
Synopsis: Nomadic retired Military Police Major Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) busts a human trafficking ring, then establishes a telephone relationship with his successor Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), who is then suddenly arrested. Reacher suspects she is being silenced for uncovering a weapons smuggling conspiracy in Afghanistan, and helps her escape. They are pursued by a contracted assassin (Patrick Heusinger), and Reacher's efforts to prove Susan's innocence are complicated by teenager Samantha (Danika Yarosh), who may be his daughter.
What Works Well: The quieter and better moments feature Reacher reflecting on whether Samantha could possibly be his daughter, her quick thinking and resourcefulness fueling his suspicions. Reacher also finds a good sparring partner in Susan, who combines professionalism with a refusal to bow to misplaced notions of male superiority.
What Does Not Work As Well: This checklist-driven sequel fails to find a spark. Lacking wit and originality, the action scenes are inserted at numbingly predictable intervals, and executed with mechanical familiarity. The plot is listless, with Reacher and Turner always successfully leaping to the next correct conclusion and destination dispute a scarcity of facts and resources. The enemy-from-within is supposed to be a large and dangerous corporation, but Reacher's only notable on-the-ground rival is a stock hissing villain with no name, supported by an endless army of interchangeable goons.
Key Quote:
Turner: Some folks still wonder why you left.
Reacher: Let's just say I woke up one morning and the uniform didn't fit.
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