The film adaptation of Lee Child’s “Jack Reacher” novel was a modest success at the box office, raking in enough to turn a profit, but arguably not enough to spark a film franchise. Thanks to the star power of Tom Cruise, that franchise is becoming a reality, with him acting as producer on this first sequel, “Never Go Back.” You’d think with that producer’s credit, he and the rest of the crew would be chomping at the bit to deliver another exciting entry into the series. So, why does this film feel like an obligation?
“Never Go Back” is as generic of a crime thriller as you can get. The kind you’d find on basic cable back in the nineties: filled with clichés and contrivances to string together a cohesive enough story. It’s not about inspiration, but filling the allotted time in order to collect on the advertising revenue. There are no commercial breaks here, only product placement (thankfully minor). Everything else fits the bill, though.
Don’t get me wrong; the first film was filled with clichés. It was a routine crime thriller, but done with zest. This sequel is a routine crime thriller, but not done with zest. There is not an ounce of passion to be found in the production. Almost everyone phones it in, both in front of the camera and behind it. Those who attempt to pepper the proceedings with flair are suffocated by the script’s shortcomings.
The script is astoundingly credited to three people: Richard Wenk, Marshall Herskovitz, and Edward Zwick. The latter also directed the film, replacing Christopher McQuarrie. He doesn’t take to the role well, directing on autopilot. His only mission is to get the plot from point A to point B. He cares not for the obstacles, knocking them down with ease along the way. There’s no suspense as Jack Reacher is never put in any real danger. Any threat presented to him is quickly squashed, so one never worries nor cares how he’s going to get out of a predicament. Zwick, like the audience, knows Jack is going to save the day and uncover the truth, so why bother pretending like he’s going to lose? You bother because those hurdles present a challenge, the mystery in which piques the viewer’s attention. Without the challenge, the events are boring.
Jack Reacher’s challenge this time is to uncover a conspiracy framing Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), the Commanding Officer of Reacher’s old unit. She’s been charged with espionage, but the death of her unit at the hands of army regulated bullets strikes up suspicion. He bails her out of prison and the two embark on a run from the law looking for answers. Hot on their trails is The Hunter (Patrick Heusinger), a villain as vanilla as his moniker. He shoots at them, engages in fist fights with Jack, and then engages in a drab final showdown. Spliced in between his stalking are anonymous footmen acting as cannon fodder. At least they allow Reacher to show off his impressive combat skills, spicing up the film if ever so briefly. Even then, they’re of the standard order action variety, interchangeable with any other forgettable actioner. Piece them all together and you’d get the same film.
Zwick does try to curb the invincibility issue by shoehorning in a teenage protagonist that Jack must protect. She is Samantha (Danika Yarosh), a resourceful fifteen-year-old stricken with a troubled upbringing. According to Jack’s file, she is the daughter he’s refused to pay child support for despite not knowing of her existence. He’s certain someone is framing him (hint: it’s the lazy screenwriters), but he’s curious enough to spy on her as she robs a corner store. This curiosity comes back to haunt him, as now The Hunter is hunting her down to get to Jack emotionally. It’s a commendable effort, but it suffers too greatly from tired conventions and forced drama. Of course Jack is going to say he doesn’t care and leave, only to come back because he has a heart. Pay no mind to the fact that he had no reason to abandon her at one point; just accept that the convention had to be shoved in somewhere. As did the sexism in the government agenda that inexplicably went nowhere.
Jack Reacher was just as invincible of a hero in the first film as he is here. The difference was McQuarrie understood how to convert that into excitement. While Tom Cruise may not have fit Lee Child’s interpretation of the character, he made the character his own: a stoic soldier with a hint of charm hiding underneath his hardened shell. McQuarrie understood that it was Tom’s film, allowing him to shine. We were endeared to the character, as well as his budding relationship with Rosamund Pike. He had a formidable foe in the always wonderful Werner Herzog, chewing the scenery like a classic James Bond villain. Here, he develops little chemistry with Cobie Smulders due to their undercooked relationship, struggles to bond with Danika Yarosh (despite her best intentions), and has nothing to work off of in regard to The Hunter. I failed to mention the other villains running the show, not because I didn’t want to spoil the reveal, but because I didn’t care about them. They, just like the twist, are flat and disposable; so flat they’re thinking of casting it as Cable in the “Deadpool” sequel.
Zwick misinterprets Reacher’s stoicism for despondence, resulting in a one-note character that storms around all stone-faced. His character growth amounts to nothing more than cracking a smirk. Hell, that’s not even true, as we see him smirking as he flirts with Turner on the phone during the opening credits. That’s right, the real reason he’s caught up in this conspiracy is because he wanted a date. Talk about an odd meet cute. Oh, and if you’re thinking about making a joke in regard to him wanting one girl in his life only to get another in the form of a possible daughter, the script has beaten you it.
On top of that cheeky bit of dialogue, there’s loads of corny sitcom gags and smarmy quips littered throughout to choke on. One gag has Reacher stealing the keys to a lawyer’s black Sedan, only to discover the parking lot is filled with nothing but black Sedans. Wah-wah! At least Cruise can make the smarmy remarks palatable, despite them going against Zwick’s interpretation of the character. What Cruise can’t make palatable are the strained excuses for his evasion of the government. For example, at one point he steals the passport of an airport passenger. When he presents the passport to the desk, the attendant realizes he looks nothing like the man in the picture, but just shrugs his shoulders and lets him on the plane. What the hell was the point!?! If you’re going to be that blatant with it, why not have Tom Cruise wink at the camera as he gets the passport back?
What’s so frustrating about “Never Go Back” is that it has the ingredients to be good. The production is slick and the goodwill from the first is initially carried over in an amusing opening sequence that sees Jack turn the tables on a couple of corrupt cops. That goodwill is dragged through the mud following the opening, stuck in an emotionless bore of a thriller. I’d make a joke about how apropos the subtitle is, but the film sucked the life out of me!
Final Rating: C-