^ Adam Baldwin sounds like Reacher. In my head.
Horrific miscasting of the week - Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher?
- Thread starter Lonemagpie
- Start date
I've never heard of this character but the description sounds very generic. Anything to distinguish him from a hundred other action roles?
I've never read any of the Lee Child novels, but I'm willing to go with you on this because it said he and the director last collaborated on "Valkyrie" and I thought Valkyrie was boring shit.
Am not happy with this either.
Reacher is much more than I have ever seen TC present on screen. The character is a drifter/loner (though that is not the right term if you take it at face value.)
TC just never impressed me as the kind who could convincingly forgo his creature comforts.
Reacher is much more than I have ever seen TC present on screen. The character is a drifter/loner (though that is not the right term if you take it at face value.)
TC just never impressed me as the kind who could convincingly forgo his creature comforts.
Cruise is an exceptional actor. He really had me believing he was Arnold Schwarzenegger past his prime.
Yes, I'm thinking of just Collateral for Cruise on top form...
I didn't like Collateral, I thought he was poor in that, he seemed the most obvious hitman ever (maybe that was the point I don't know) I quite liked him in Knight and Day however, I think he's better suited to lighter roles these days (maybe even always, though he was very good as Lestat) but for me the trouble is that he's always Tom Cruise.
Oh well could be worse, they could have cast him as Bond
Oh well could be worse, they could have cast him as Bond
He has a policeman's curiosity and detective skills and a soldier's fighting ability. He has underdog instincts and an a suspicion of authority. He also has a dry sense of humour and is irresistible to women. Reacher owns nothing but the clothes on his back, his fold-up toothbrush and, latterly, some ID. He has no home and travels from town to town, exploring America (as he grew up an army brat around the world and thus didn't see his own country).
This may all sound generic but Lee Child's writing style is so addictively sparse and yet descriptive, as he explains how Reacher solves crimes, uncovers wrong-doing and takes down the bad guys all with relentless, unassailable logic.
I do think part of Reacher's essence is his size - people don't want to fuck with him and when someone is foolish enough to, they discover that appearances aren't deceptive. He really can kick your ass! Sure, Cruise asskicked very well in MI and others, but he's not the same relentless force of nature that Reacher is
Bully for Anne Rice, she created Lestat and all, but for my money (which I spent on a ticket to the damn movie), Cruise-as-Lestat did not evoke in me any recognition of the dude I'd just finished reading about.
He may not have been your cup o' tea, but it still means that not everyone believed he was indeed miscast for the part.
I'm curious to see the shortlist (pun intended) for this movie:
Dustin Hoffman IS Jack Reacher!
Al Pacino IS Jack Reacher!
Michael J. Fox IS Jack Reacher!
Danny DeVito IS Jack Reacher!
Peter Dinklage IS Jack Reacher!
Warwick Davies IS Jack Reacher!
Verne Troyer IS Jack Reacher!
Dustin Hoffman IS Jack Reacher!
Al Pacino IS Jack Reacher!
Michael J. Fox IS Jack Reacher!
Danny DeVito IS Jack Reacher!
Peter Dinklage IS Jack Reacher!
Warwick Davies IS Jack Reacher!
Verne Troyer IS Jack Reacher!
Let's just pretend that this isn't happening.
I just hope that they don't start putting Cruises gurning mug on the book covers.
They have done that with Ken Branagh for the Wallander books(he's all wrong too IMO)and that other guy(name?) for Mark Billinghams' Tom Thorne books.Very offputting.
I just hope that they don't start putting Cruises gurning mug on the book covers.
They have done that with Ken Branagh for the Wallander books(he's all wrong too IMO)and that other guy(name?) for Mark Billinghams' Tom Thorne books.Very offputting.
There's wrong (Mark Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger in Snhooter) and then there's spectacularly wrong, which is what this is. This is 'invent a bad piece of casting' bad. This is Woody Allen as Superman. Arnold Schwarzenegger as Robin Hood. Rupert Grint as Zorro. That level of bad.
And I actually like Cruise. But the only Reacher he is is Chest-High Reacher.
And I actually like Cruise. But the only Reacher he is is Chest-High Reacher.
^ Adam Baldwin works for me. Could see Crowe with the requisite attitude and delivery but he too is far too small. Ray Stevenson is another possibility. Liam Neeson is physically a good choice but I don't think he has the right personality.
If they'd started filming the series with that prequel novel set when Reacher was still in the army, Chris Hemsworth or Alexander Skarsgard could have played him.
If they'd started filming the series with that prequel novel set when Reacher was still in the army, Chris Hemsworth or Alexander Skarsgard could have played him.
But it sells books--and gets more people to read the original novels, which is almost always a good thing.