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Never Go Back? I Won't

As "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" opens, Reacher (Tom Cruise) is sitting in a diner, with several men outside on the ground, having just fallen victim to his Hulk-like punch. Reacher didn't come out of the fight unscathed - once we see his face, there is a scratch under his eye.

Why mention such a minute detail? That scratch stays on Reacher for what feels like the duration of the film, even though he gets in several fights - taking a few punches and falling, himself - with people who dare to step in his way. But Reacher is okay and will be in these movies, and most films of its kind, which don't offer much in the way of tension for an action film. He can fall, trip, get punched or shot at and there's never a moment where we don't think this outcome could go in any different direction.

"Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" is the sequel the surprisingly fun 2012 film, with Cruise reprising the titular role. This time around, Reacher meets Major Turner (Cobie Smulders), later to find out she has been thrown in jail for espionage. Reacher starts to sniff around, which makes him just as wanted by the wrong people as Turner. Now fugitives on the run, Reacher and Turner must do what they can to clear their name.

Oh, wait! Hold your fire! The plot doesn't stop there. Reacher is informed that he might be a father. He refuses to believe that could be possible but it doesn't stop him from seeking out the girl who is alleged to be his daughter. He meets Samantha (Danika Yarosh), who ends up joining Reacher and Turner on their fugitive run. The entire B-story feels like a shoehorned domestic drama that was quickly stitched against a crime-thriller. Cruise and Yarosh have some individual moments of good patter but it doesn't add much to the overall impact of the film.

Director Edward Zwick is capable of directing action scenes and does so here just fine. The gunplay is expected and well-done but the picture as a whole doesn't add up to much. The entire film is slowly paced but hits all of the beats you would expect from a Cruise-starring action movie.

Cruise wears these roles like a second skin but it would be nice for him to challenge himself as an actor once again and tap into the madness that made him so great in "Magnolia." Here, he shows up and does his thing. Smulders is every bit his equal.

After liking the first film, I'd hope the sequel would be just as fun. I guess that was a bit of a reach.