Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

“JACK REACHER: Never Go Back” justifies its title!

Featuring bog-standard action stuff with a few high-octane chase scenes and overtly violent battles, this sequel is totally devoid of any personality or interest. The lead cast puts in genuine efforts in every frame, but the story is far from convincing, rendering all that effort in vain. Totally avoidable!

Tom Cruise returns as Jack Reacher in this sequel based on Lee Child's bestselling novel Never Go Back, which finds the itinerant problem-solver accused of murder, and learning that he may have a child he has never met.

Totally formulaic, the film has the empty sheen of a quick cash grab. As a result, while this successor keeps insisting that it's a franchise, the audience yawns indifferently. It very well could’ve been a refreshing departure from the more bombastic set pieces of modern cinema, only if it weren't all so lazily executed. You see Cruise standing up to the bad guys, and for his mostly entertaining action sequences, but you don't see anything you haven't seen before in this genre. Running in at nearly 2 hours, the crime thriller plot lacks some much needed enthusiasm and is nearly overshadowed by a sub-plot that becomes a plot in itself.

A fresh change though is the fact that leading lady Smulders and supporting actor Yarosh are on camera almost as much as Cruise. Specially Smulders, who in many frames even manages to over-shadow the great om Cruise himself. It had a refreshing feel to it, if only the story was as good.

In all, “JACK REACHER: Never Go Back” is a mediocre action flick lacking in everything from substance to tension and chemistry, leaving a dry taste in your mouth. ‘Never go back’ is exactly how you feel after watching this movie.