Summary
The failure of a 2016 Tom Cruise movie led to the creation of one of Amazon’s most successful original series ever,Reacher.Cruise starred in twoJack Reachermoviesduring the 2010s, starting with Jack Reacher in 2012 andJack Reacher: Never Go Backin 2016. TheTop Gun: Maverickstar was also deeply entrenched in his hugely popularMission: Impossiblefranchise, which has continued to be the highest-grossing franchise of his career and the 17th highest-grossing franchise of all time.Cruise hasn’t appeared in aJack Reacherfilm since 2016, which led to Amazon creating their celebrated series.
Cruise doesn’t miss too often at the box office butJack Reacher: Never Go Backdidn’t put up very impressive numbers, generating just over $162 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million. His firstJack Reacherfilm in 2012 certainly did better, generating roughly $218 million against a production budget of $60 million, which was enough to warrant a sequel for the potential franchise. BothJack ReacherandJack Reacher: Never Go Backreceived mixed reviewsfrom critics, with the former getting a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 64% and the latter receiving a critic score of just 38%.
The Failure Of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Led To Amazon Prime’s Reacher Show
Reacher has an impressive 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes
Rather than making a third Jack Reacher movie with Cruise in position to star and round out the trilogy, the focus of the Jack Reacher franchise fully shifted to the television adaptation.Amazon’sReacheris both a critical success and a widely popular series among audiences, with Cruise’s rendition of the character being replaced by the formidable and unmissable presence of star Alan Ritchson. Prior to his massive success as the lead inReacher, Ritchson rose to prominence for his appearances in popular television series such asBlue Mountain State. AfterReacherpremiered in 2022, he joined the cast ofFast Xthe following year.
For all intents and purposes, if the failure of Cruise’s secondJack Reachermovie led to the creation of the coveted Amazon series, thenit’s one of the best things that ever happened to the franchiseat large. Amazon’sReacherhas an impressive 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the highest ratings of anyJack Reacherfilm or series. Season 1 earned a 92% critic score while season 2 received a near-perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, cementing it as one of the most critically acclaimed series currently on streaming or television. Reacher Season 3 is set to premiere sometime in early 2025.
Why Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’s Reviews Were So Bad
Amazon’s Reacher is highly entertaining while Never Go Back is basically the opposite
WhileReacheris undoubtedly a massive success,Jack Reacher: Never Go Backwas quite the opposite.Reacherseason 2 was nearly universally celebrated for Ritchson’s spot-on castingand the simplification of the storytelling. Don Aucoin ofThe Boston Globewrites in hisReacherseason 2 review, “It confirms that the choice of Ritchson was inspired casting – for reasons that have more to do with presence and aura than with height.” Craig Mathieson ofThe Sydney Morning Heraldwrites, “To surpass Tom Cruise’s Reacher movies it needed, frankly, to be dumber. The show’s new season appears to understand this.”
On the other hand, critics foundJack Reacher: Never Go Backlacking entertainment value to the point of sheer dullness. David Sims ofThe Atlanticwrites, “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is dispiritingly formulaic, retaining much of the first film’s swaggering masculinity, but none of its self-awareness.” Will Leitch ofThe New Republicwrites, “The film has the empty sheen of a quick in-and-out cash grab, a movie insisting that it’s a franchise while the audience yawns indifferently.” Alissa Wilkenson ofVoxwrites, “Reacher has no personality. He has no interests. He has no one-liners that land. He is, frankly, just a handsome, dull guy who happens to be adept at knocking people out.”
Reacher Season 3’s Release Window Teases A Much Bigger Change To The Show
The release window for Reacher season 3 has been announced, and if it remains true, the premiere date could change the course of the series.
What The Reacher Show Does Better Than The Tom Cruise Movies
Cruise is great but Ritchson feels made for the Jack Reacher role
There’s no question that Cruise is outstanding in just about everything and can masterfully keep billion-dollar franchises afloat. It is, however,hard to see him nowadays outside of his Ethan Hunt and Maverick persona, since so much of Cruise’s energy, passion, and determination feels as though it’s infused directly into those two roles. While it’s great for those Cruise franchises, it’s not so great for Cruise as Jack Reacher, since it’s difficult to unsee Cruise and ultimately disrupts the immersion of the two movies, making his rendition less impactful. Ritchson, on the other hand, appears to be made for the role ofJack Reacherand also adds an intimidation factor and menacing quality that doesn’t come as naturally in Cruise’s version.
I Can Predict Reacher Season 4’s Story Thanks To Season 3’s Surprising Book Choice
Reacher season 3 will adapt Lee Child’s Persuader, and based on how the story plays out, I think I know which novel the fourth season will cover.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Cast
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is the sequel to the 2012 original based on the Novel by Lee Child. Finally trying to meet face to face with his support over the years, Jack heads to Washington to meet Major Susan Turner, only to discover that she has been accused of treason and arrested. Jack quickly deduces that she is being framed - and after helping her escape, the two team up to get to the center of a deadly government conspiracy.
