Payn's Ponderings; Jack Reacher vs. Reacher

[Ryujin]

I liked the series very much. Sometimes you just need some big dumb fun. The twists were pretty telegraphed, for me at least, but I was still along for the ride. And the Jack Reacher character was more identifiable as the one from the novels. As I've said previously, a meat wall with a brain.

 

[payn]

I liked the series very much. Sometimes you just need some big dumb fun. The twists were pretty telegraphed, for me at least, but I was still along for the ride. And the Jack Reacher character was more identifiable as the one from the novels. As I've said previously, a meat wall with a brain.

I didn't have the reference, so it didn't kill the Cruise version for me. I did think this kind of thing works better as a film than series in either case.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Counterpoint 1:

Counterpoint 2:

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I enjoyed the Reacher TV series, even if it was Hawkeye with more violence.

Reacher's size is a fairly important plot point, influencing the first impressions he makes.

The Tom Cruise film I saw was enjoyable enough, but it featured Tom Cruise Action Hero, not Jack Reacher. He was indistinguishable from Ethan Hunt and others.

 

[Ryujin]

I enjoyed the Reacher TV series, even if it was Hawkeye with more violence.

Reacher's size is a fairly important plot point, influencing the first impressions he makes.

The Tom Cruise film I saw was enjoyable enough, but it featured Tom Cruise Action Hero, not Jack Reacher. He was indistinguishable from Ethan Hunt and others.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of that sort of thing.

"Jack Reacher", aka "Tom Cruise vehicle #231."
"Judge Dredd", aka "Sylvester Stallone in IP branded movie."

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of that sort of thing.

"Jack Reacher", aka "Tom Cruise vehicle #231."
"Judge Dredd", aka "Sylvester Stallone in IP branded movie."

One thing you can say for The Rock, he largely avoids "playing" characters from other media.

 

[Mannahnin]

He only thing I really enjoyed Tom Cruise in was Legend. I thought he was OK in Risky Business. That’s about the extent of my interest in his work.

He's amazing in Magnolia. And in Tropic Thunder, come to that.

As for lead roles, I agree with you on Legend. Hmm. Solid in The Last Samurai (though Ken Watanabe is the best in that), good in A Few Good Men and Jerry McGuire... and better than he had any right to be in Interview with the Vampire. I still haven't seen Born on the Fourth of July, but he did win a GG for Best Actor in it.

Edit: Forgot Minority Report. He did a good job in that one.

 

[Mannahnin]

"Judge Dredd", aka "Sylvester Stallone in IP branded movie."

As opposed to the very good Karl Urban version, in which he does his best to disappear into the character, despite it being genre fare.

 

[payn]

As opposed to the very good Karl Urban version, in which he does his best to disappear into the character, despite it being genre fare.

Oh, Dredd was so good!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

He's amazing in Magnolia. And in Tropic Thunder, come to that.

As for lead roles, I agree with you on Legend. Hmm. Solid in The Last Samurai (though Ken Watanabe is the best in that), good in A Few Good Men and Jerry McGuire... and better than he had any right to be in Interview with the Vampire. I still haven't seen Born on the Fourth of July, but he did win a GG for Best Actor in it.

Dang it. Y'all have forced me into this.

Tom Cruise Movies, Separated into Tiers
(Why not ranked? Because there are WAY TOO MANY OF THEM!)

Toppest Tropic Tier

Top Tier- Cruise is a Decent Actor, and in Good Movies, Y'all.
The Outsiders, Risky Business, Legend, The Color of Money, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth Of July, A Few Good Men, The Firm, Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Vanilla Sky, Collateral, Edge of Tomorrow

Second Tier- I like the Action Films, Iceman
Top Gun, Missions Impossible 1 - 6 (although the later installments get ... well good-ish), Minority Report, War of the Worlds, Jack Reacher, Jack Reacher 2

Honorary Cocktail Tier- If you see it, you will watch it

Third Tier- If You're Bored
Taps, All the Right Moves, Days of Thunder, Interview with a Vampire, Valkyrie, Knight and Day, Oblivion, American Made

Bottom Tier- Jump on the Couch and Shout
Endless Love, Losin' It, Far and Away, The Last Samurai (movie hasn't aged well), Lions for Lambs, Rock of Ages (although Cruise was fine), The Mummy (it actually killed a cinematic universe!)



I mean .... that's quite a body of work. If anything, I'd say the biggest disappointment is that after his 80s output, he settled into taking very few chances. But when he does (like Magnolia or Collateral) he can still knock it out of the park.


Plus Cocktail is the greatest movie of all time.