Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? Please.
July 6th, 2012 | 7 comments
Longtime readers of this blog know I’m a big fan of the Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. Needless to say I was thrilled to learn last that a Jack Reacher movie is coming out this December. Sadly, my euphoria was short lived because moments later I realized some idiot cast Tom Cruise as Reacher.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Jack Reacher, he’s 6′ 5″ tall, has a 50-inch chest, weighs about 250 pounds, has ice-blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Oh and he has a natural muscular physique. Does that sound anything remotely close to the 5′ 7″, 170 pound Tom Cruise?
Yeah, I know that movies are made to make money and Tom Cruise usually does a good job selling tickets, but were the movie makers that hard up that they to pick Cruise? Was there no one else that could play a more credible Reacher that could also help sell tickets?
For those familiar with the book, the trailer below will make you laugh when you realize Tom Cruise can’t pull off Jack Reacher worth beans. Then you’ll cry when you realize the Movie Gods really blew a chance to get this one right.
Entry Filed under: movies
Movie adaptations are made for ppl who don’t read books. Only the book talkers (a term that those who watch Game of Thrones but don’t read the books came up with for those who go crazy about changes) will care.
Movies are made to make a bizzallion dollars. So, yes, they have to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Still, Peter Jackson was , for the most part, able to pull off credible LOTR movies. Silence of the Lambs was almost page for page like the book. And I would have been okay with some changes to Reacher’s plot if they could have cast someone that actually looked somewhat like him.
Potentially the biggest miscast in recent Hollywood history. No fan of the books is going to go near this movie. Lee? Child should have kicked up a fuss about it. Tom Cruise is a recipe for a major flop. As Abel Keogh in blog post above said, staying true to the book can bring in a lot of cash as well. I just hope in a couple of years time after this movie massively flops someone remakes it “right”.
I think Jack Reacher is a powerful character and I can think of a lot of male actors that would have brought this character to life and made me want to see the movie… and probably for the viewers that haven’t read the novels, the right actor would have encouraged them to open a book. But Tom Cruise is not the guy I picture as Jack Reacher. If the movie flops, I hope they place the blame on the actors instead of the author.
Even if idiot producers don’t read books , people must tell them what Reacher is all about and a biography of the guy , how far out and wrong can you be to give the role to a dwarf?.
I have read all the books and even e-mailed John Childs at what a disaster this casting is , i fear we will not be seeing any more Reacher movies after this one , what a total disaster that is,maybe in the far future a Producer with a brain will do another book with the correct casting.I for one could not see this film with Cruise as 6 foot 5 inch – 50 inch chest and 250 pound Reacher , makes me laugh just writing it………hahahahaah….idiots.
This is travesty. I understand it is difficult to find a tall actor (Hollywood is made up of miniature people) to portray Reacher, but seriously, Tom Cruise. He’s fine as an actor in parts designed for him, but Reacher? What the hell. Every single one of Lee Child’s Reacher novels has the same introduction to his character “He was a huge man. 6’5″, 250 lbs …” I’ve watched butcher Stephen King stores, annihilate Dennis Lehane stories and pulverize Dean Koontz works, but to go so far as to not even come CLOSE to the title characters description is f#*^ing disgusting. This is one movie tthen even if it was free, I will not watch it.
Ooops., the sentence following Reacher’s description was supposed to be “I’ve watched Hollywood”. Sorry.