Jack Reacher Blu-ray Review: Tom Cruise is the Ideal Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher Blu-ray Review

• Movie Review
• Video and Audio Quality
• Blu-ray Special Features
• Blu-ray Specifications

Movie: 7/10, Video Quality: 8/10, Audio Quality: 9/10, Special Features: 9/10

Movie Review

Lee Child’s Jack Reacher character is said to be 6”5 with a 50 inch chest. Tom Cruise, as mentioned in a previous post on the blog, has neither. Yet, he is the only actor I prefer playing this protagonist. His performance was the main element of attraction in the movie and rightfully so.
His nonchalant approach to almost any event in the movie and overt disregard for the rules others live by, is in equal turns humorous and cool (I had no other word). As expected, the action sequences are done in impeccable Tom Cruise fashion, notably a car chase/fight (no auto assist for these vehicles), though they were less demanding than in the Mission Impossible Series.

The film sees Reacher investigating a homicide, where 5 random people were put to eternal rest by a sniper. The man suspected of killing the victims is brought into custody, only to have him request Reacher (former military police inspector) to solve the case. What is refreshing about the movie is its dismissal of gadgetry and technology, something that has become a staple of most action crime movies. Cases are solved using classic, conventional police tactics without any high-tech mumbo jumbo. This doesn’t mean that the film is predictable, but Cruise’s Reacher and Rosamund Pike’s lawyer Helen solve the case with their own wisdom and intelligence rather than relying on a computer expert to do the hard work, which happens to be the norm these days.

Mystery and action are mingled with a strong dose of humor as well, with the originating source being Reacher himself. His indifferent treatment of people creates quite a laugh, of which there are several instances in the movie. Even the fights he so frequently engages in provide a degree of slapstick humor, in the events where he’s fending off a bunch of teenagers and when he’s hunting down suspects. The movie won’t blow your mind, but there’s enough of everything to keep audiences of all demographics keen about the picture (even though there are some crude jokes), and it features Tom Cruise. What more can you ask for?

Blu-ray Video and Audio Quality

Most of the scenes are shot beautifully and have a visceral quality. This is most evident in the opening sequence, where the sniper is taking out the 5 targets, one by one and we see the entire proceeding through his eyes looking through the sniper’s scope. The camera moves as he moves the gun and it shakes as he breathes, creating a rather close experience.

 The audio, too, is dealt out fine. While the sound gets blaring at times with the action sequences, they boast the most noteworthy elements. Reacher’s car chase scene is a unique scene, where every minute detail is amplified. The revving of the engine, changing of the gears, and the screeching of tires at a bend are all captured expertly.  

Blu-ray Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Actor Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie dissect the movie from start to finish. They talk about the score, editing the movie, the cast and their performances along with the differences between the book and the film.

• Audio Commentary: Composer Joe Kramer’s score is featured on this commentary with the occasional comments in between.

• When the Man Comes Around (HD, 26:49): Interviews with the cast and crew looking at why the book “One Shot” was adopted as the first movie. There’s a bit on casting Tom Cruise, getting Lee Child’s approval and much more.

• You Do Not Mess with Jack Reacher: Combat & Weapons (HD, 10:27): A look into the creation of the film’s action sequences.

• The Reacher Phenomenon (HD, 11:10): This feature is all about the author Lee Child, who discusses the character of Jack Reacher, the book’s chronology, his writing process and his fans.

• UV Digital Copy.

• DVD Copy.

Blu-ray Specifications

Video
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles

English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Discs
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy

Packaging
Slipcover in original pressing

Playback
Region free


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