The teaser trailer for Jack Reacher was just that: a tease. Today we can offer the full trailer, with Tom Cruise as the titular character in Oscar-winning writer-director Christopher McQuarrie’s new film (which is based on the novel One Shot by author Lee Child).
Here, we get a better sense of who, exactly, Reacher is – quite literally, in fact, as the trailer opens with exposition from David Oyelowo (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Lincoln) breaking down the character’s history and personality. We see that Cruise’s stoic manner contrasts with his reckless behavior; he keeps a stern-but-calm expression while delivering debilitating blows to his opponents, outracing police cars, and telling a man “I’d like to kill you” over the phone.
Longtime Reacher fans know that Cruise is far from a good match for the character as described in Child’s source novel (where he is 6′ 5” tall, weighs 210-250 lbs., and has blue eyes with dirty blonde hair); it’s his intimidating physical stature that informs Reacher’s fearless behavior and confidence. Cruise, by comparison, is playing the anti-hero as someone who can keep his emotions in-check because he knows how to handle any dangerous situation – with laser-like precision in combat maneuvers and quick thinking.
The new trailer does a good job of distinguishing Reacher from Cruise’s other personas, such as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible and Vincent in Collateral; we even get some humor from Cruise at the end, without breaking character. That said, it’s hard to argue Reacher’s behavior wouldn’t make more sense if the actor playing him bore a stronger resemblance to a Dolph Lundgren or Chris Hemsworth-type (ie. a ‘big guy’).
Check out the domestic and international posters for Jack Reacher (via Yahoo! Movies) below:
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Jack Reacher, in other words, might suffer from the miscasting of its protagonist – not to mention, fail to satisfy fans who would have preferred a purist interpretation of Child’s creation (re: not Tom Cruise). However, the overall film does seem like a reasonably-entertaining action-thriller, complete with a solid cast that includes the likes of Rosamund Pike (Wrath of the Titans), Robert Duvall, Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard), Richard Jenkins (Killing Them Softly), and Werner Herzog as what looks to be a great villain.
Here is the official synopsis for Jack Reacher:
When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.
Look for Jack Reacher when it opens in theaters on December 21st, 2012.
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