Tom Cruise joins forces with Valkyrie and The Usual Suspects screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, who takes on directing duties for this adaptation of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel One Shot.
Reacher is an ex-army military police major turned drifter, and the casting of Cruise as the imposing 114kg, 1.96m character of the page was a controversial decision among fans of the best-sellers. Though the physical likeness is questionable, Cruise obviously felt he could bring something to the role - and as a producer he could probably do as he liked.
I've never been tempted to read a Lee Child book so I'm not familiar with the character, but if Reacher is supposed to be a smart and intense man with an obsession for the truth and little regard for how he finds it, then Cruise does a good job bringing him to life.
He attempts to some degree to swagger like a bigger man, but it's A-list charisma and a sense of humour that delivers.
Slick and superbly shot, the film begins with the random shooting of five strangers by a sniper - it's no wonder premiere screenings have been postponed in the United States, given the recent shootings there.
