  Jack Reacher also known as “One Shot”MPAA Rating:
 for violence, language and some drug material.Review coming from Contributor: Scott Brennan by Dec. 22 _____
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Adults
Genre:
Action Crime Suspense Mystery Drama
Length:
2 hr. 10 min.
Year of Release:
2012
USA Release:
December 21, 2012 (wide—3,200+ theaters)
 
Relevant Issues
author: Lee Child, crime series novelist (off-site) character: Jack Reacher, ex-military homicide investigator (off-site) snipers
“The law has limits. He does not.” 
Producer’s synopsis: “This big budget movie is based on a 2005 book in author Lee Child’s crime series.
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Comments below:
Positive
Positive—This is a violent, but very good, thriller—a cut above others of this genre. I have read most of Lee Child’s books about Jack Reacher and went to see just how well Tom Cruise fulfilled the role of a character who is tall and big in the book—a very large man—and Cruise did this very well despite being short. He really captured the loner, super bright personality of Jack Reacher. This movie is fast entertainment, and it does not glorify breaking the law, although Reacher does step outside the law when he is unjustly accused and when he, and he alone, is in the position to mete out justice.
Obviously this R rated movie is for mature audiences only. I read the book on which this movie is based, and the screenplay did a fine job of bringing the story to the screen. Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½ —Halyna, age 66 (USA) Positive—This was MUCH better then I expected. It was kind of like a CSI crime story (and I don’t even watch those shows) and more talking then I would have expected, but the plot was so interesting and had so many things to it, with action in between, that it kept my attention. Sure, lots of killing, fighting and gunfire, something that is expected with these type of movies, but I don’t recall much cursing, at all; only one butt shot of a woman standing up after they obviously just did it, but no sex scenes. And the movie actually had some really funny one liners.
I didn’t know if Tom could pull off a movie like this, but he did great in the acting, and, overall, it was a very good movie for its kind. Certainly not a Christian flick, nor do I expect these kinds to be, but very entertaining and interesting. Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5 —Samantha, age 38 (USA) Positive—I have been watching Tom Cruise movies ever since I saw him in the film “Valkyrie.” For the most part, I have enjoyed the films he has been in (including “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”). I treated my dad to a film he really wanted to see and, I must admit, one that I knew little about. So we went to see “Jack Reacher.” Tom Cruise did a fine job in his portrayal of the Jack Reacher from the books (apparently there are 14 books… I believe I smell sequels in the future). Cinematically, there is nothing wrong with this film. The picture quality was phenomenal. The performances by both leads were excellent.
The story? It’s hard to say. The whole premise behind why the “bad guys” did what they did was a little tough to determine, and I asked my father to explain some of the missing information. Other than that though? I enjoyed it. Virtually no sex or nudity, other than one scene of partial nudity at the beginning (no more than 5 seconds at most) and a scene where a girl, Sandy, gets in a conversation with Reacher, and Reacher calls her some filthy names. Profanity? Non-existent. Violence? VERY heavy, so parents this is not a children’s film (heed the PG-13 rating, as the violence is very realistic). Bottom line? I enjoyed the movie. Tom Cruise is certainly an actor I have enjoyed watching for the past few years. He doesn’t need to work hard to put in a good performance and for that I commend him. The movie itself gets an “A” from me. Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4 —Alexander Malsan, age 22 (USA) Neutral
Neutral—While this movie spent significant effort at developing a plot, supporting most of the characters and delivering a satisfactory ending, it was not without its deficiencies. I felt a bit empty and wanting at the end, and wasn’t quite sure all the directive effort was worth the result. It was one of Tom Cruise’s middle of the road movies. On a moral and spiritual aspect, I felt a bit unclean and overly stimulated with overt killing and violence. This is not a movie for kids, at all. I would not take my teenager for any reason. I would suggest that adults seriously consider whether it is worth the mental exposure. Cussing was typical for this kind of movie. I did not find it gratuitous. There were a couple of unnecessary scenes of scantily clad women, although this was not the focus of the movie.
If you go, don’t expect it to be a good date movie. If you are troubled by the recent events of the massacre of children at the hands of a gun wielding maniac, you may find some scenes to be harsh reminders of death in the midst of the innocents. Personally, I walked out a bit nauseous and relieved it was over. In all, I would say avoid it. Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4 —Eric B, age 47 (USA) Neutral—I was hesitant to see this film with my two 14 year old boys before reading a review first, but since there wasn’t one yet for this movie, we decided to risk it. Therefore, I feel I need to warn parents that this is a very violent film and only older teenagers should view this. The bad parts: There are several utterances of the word s*** (last letter “t”) and one “f*** you.” In the beginning, a girl is seen briefly from behind in her thong underwear. It is a movie about a sniper being accused of murder, so there are lots of people killed and/or beaten.
The good parts: Jack Reacher is an intense yet humorous guy who doesn’t miss a step. He encourages a girl who lets herself be used by men, that she could do better. No sex. :) Overall, it was an exciting movie—a mystery that was unraveled bit by bit. I just personally didn’t enjoy all of the killing, but it was well played by the actors/actresses. Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5 —Melinda, age 46 (USA) Negative
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