A well-crafted script, hard-hitting dialogues, an investigation that keeps us in suspense until the end…Jack Reacher intrigues and captivates the viewer from his first moments. However, the film gradually runs out of steam, the endless chases lacking realism as well as the enigmatic characters that we can not identify end up tiring. A thriller that we still watch until the end, for the impeccable performance of Tom Cruise.
An enigmatic investigator at the heart of the plot
In the middle of the afternoon in Pittsburgh, a heavily armed man stands in front of a park, and in a few seconds shoots 5 people. Quickly, James Barr, a former sniper who served for the US army, was arrested and put in prison. But the latter, despite all the elements proving his guilt, refuses to speak to the investigators; he only tells them to find Jack Reacher. It is not long before the latter presents himself to the investigators: he is a secret man, elusive but who nevertheless seems to have the key to solving this mystery. A time suspicious of him, James Barr's lawyer will quickly request his services: Jack Reacher gradually proves to be indispensable. 
While the investigation into the 5 murders had been conducted so far against James Barr, his lawyer and Reacher will try to understand why, these 5 people who have no connection between them, were all killed in the same place, at the same time, by the same shooter. In the course of his investigations, Jack Reacher takes up one by one the conclusions of the investigation in order to highlight its inconsistencies. Erected as a true hero by some, an enemy to be defeated by others, he impresses with his charisma and cunning.
A cruel lack of originality counterbalanced by a few twists and turns
Flying to the rescue of the idle lawyer and alone against all, Reacher leads his counter-investigation to the frantic search for the truth: a first cliché painting lacking originality, a bitter taste of déjà vu. Invincible, unstoppable and unattainable, Tom Cruise brilliantly embodies a character played a hundred times in the cinema. The secondary characters are no exception either. From the gang leader who emerged from the Soviet gulags, to the beautiful girl used for manipulation purposes, to the policemen who are always a train behind the criminals, everything goes. The fight scenes also fall into these faults, carried by the hero who always manages to get out of it and annihilate his opponents. 
However, the scenario reserves some surprises, and these characters, although stereotyped, bring the viewer where he does not expect it. If some scenes seem unrealistic, the scenario still manages to surprise us.
Many questions remain unanswered
Therein lies the whole point of the film: why were these people killed? Only a partial answer is given to the viewer. The revelation that should have shed light on this investigation finally did not happen. Jack Reacher multiplies the sensational statements, impressing the viewer at first, before leaving him perplexed: how did he arrive at such deductions? What elements is it based on? The sometimes hazardous, often incomplete explanations leave many shadows to this plot, which nevertheless had enough to succeed. Intensive, intriguing and thrilling Jack Reacher starts in the best way. The spectator is surprised and wonders to the end… without finding an answer. The pressure gradually eases despite the well-conducted action scenes. The mystery maintained throughout gradually plunges us into misunderstanding until we get lost. A thriller in the image of its hero: elusive.
