I
have not read the novels by Lee Child, so I can only base my review off of this
one movie adaptation based of his book entitled One Shot. However, the
screenwriter turned director, and good friend of star Tom Cruise, Christopher
McQuarrie, should be well known for his previous works including screenplays
for; The Wolverine, The Usual Suspects, The Tourist, and Valkyrie.
This is only his second trip to the director's chair, and that is evident
throughout the film. Although the plot line is well written,
intriguing, and unpredictable, it is the mediocre acting and
cliche'd action sequences that undermine what would have been a thoroughly engaging film.
The film tries its best to play like a gritty, crime novel but in the end
surrenders to the same over used, silver screen fail safes infamously
infecting action-hero fare, which unfortunately, dilutes, the overall product.
In addition, Cruise plays Reacher so casually that the character quickly
becomes trite and almost boring. Even when the fight scenes erupt, they
are mechanical and lackluster, with little energy or excitement. The
remaining cast fares no better and it feels more like a poorly acted TV drama
than a cinematic experience. Again, the story is original and even sophisticated,
but those who were chosen to deliver it, fail quite profoundly. 2 out of
5 Kernels: Story A, Acting D, I think Cruise's star power is finally beginning
to dim.
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