The two biggest problems with 'Jack Reacher' are the script and (as much as I hate to say it) the performance of Rosamund Pike. Much has been said already in the review about the ending and some draggy pacing and padding, but another problem is the overlong length with some of the third act feeling forced dialogue-wise and bloated. 'Jack Reacher' starts on a wonderfully tense note too, so much so that one wishes that that quality of tension was there at the end, and while Christopher McQuarrie is a better writer than he is a director he directs more than serviceably here. The biggest surprise was Jai Courtney in the best performance this viewer has seen from him, unlike his awful performances in 'A Good Day to Die Hard' and 'Terminator Genysis' he actually isn't annoying and he has a personality too.
Richard Jenkins is strong if underutilised, likewise with David Oyelowo. The other, and even more so, is Werner Herzog's spine-tingling villain, his story of how he came to lose his fingers is the film's most chilling moment. One is Robert Duvall, his role is quite small but he brings a very memorable curmudgeon wit.
In support, two fare particularly strongly. Am amazed at well he deals with the action, his energy and dexterity are enviable. Whatever has been said of Tom Cruise being physically completely wrong (often described by detractors as one of the biggest miscasts ever), he still makes for a charismatic and intense hero that has steel in his eyes and plays it appropriately straight despite the campiness of some of one-liners. Character interaction is strong, with the central one between Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike having some nice moments, and Jack is a very interesting character. The action is exciting rather than overly-loud and generic with the right amount of chaos and urgency, like the brawl and the fight in the hallway. There's also the use of flashbacks to remind the viewer of anything important, thankfully they're not overused or repetitive. The twists and turns ensure some good tension and suspense and it never feels too predictable, hackneyed or convoluted. Despite a few draggy and too padded out scenes (particularly the overlong and far too talky scene with Jack and Helen trying to piece things altogether) and an anaemic - due to the lack of tension-, anti-climactic and all too convenient ending, the story is paced very nicely and is always diverting. The music is energetic and haunting without being brash or overly-bombastic, with very effective use of silence. It's a very well-made film, stylishly and atmospherically shot with a neo-noir feel while there are some good use of locations and the editing is tight and crisp, making the action coherent and not resorting to the often seizure-inducing shaky cam technique. In fact it was very enjoyable with a number of strengths. When finally seeing it, the film is far from perfect by all means but to me it was not bad at all. Considering the mixed reception that 'Jack Reacher' has garnered, most of the critical external reviews have been positive or mixed feelings but it also received a lot of backlash from fans of the books, it was hard to say how 'Jack Reacher' was going to turn out.