Did Amazons Jack Reacher Impress More Than The Tom Cruise Version

Alan Ritchson proves to be the Jack Reacher that fans of the books always wanted to see. Nothing against Tom Cruise, but this is the Jack Reacher that we can believe in as the lead of the new Reacher series.

Reacher

Amazon Prime’s new series Reacher opens with a murder. When the 6 foot 5 Reacher blows into the tiny town of Margrave, Georgia, Reacher is the first person the local cops look at for the murder. Ritchson’s size and demeanor as Reacher are imposing and impressive. The chiseled jaw and physique of the 6'5" Reacher are enough to leave even shotgun-wielding cops apprehensive.

For the first 6 and a half minutes of the show, Reacher doesn’t even have a line. For those that aren’t fans of Lee Childs' creation, this is both the most defining feature of Reacher and a recurring line in the books about his violent nobility and his nobly and violent adventures. In this first of the Reacher series, the adventure is based on the first book in the series of novels-Killing Floor.

Amazon put together their new series and brought together a talented cast that includes Bruce McGill (Law Abiding Citizen and My Cousin Vinny), Willa Fitzgerald as the only locals Reacher can trust, Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), and Willie C. Carpenter as Mosley the barber. The rest of the cast of the people of Margrave is convincing enough but audiences will fast fall in love with the main four protagonists of the series.

Throughout the series, we’re given insights into Reacher, as he grows up with his brother Joe, being raised on military bases around the world, and growing into a man that’s willing to do what’s right. As his mother puts it, “You’ll do what’s right, even when what’s right is unpleasant.” Reacher proves quickly, after learning his connection to the first murder victim, that he’s still willing to do what’s right even if it’s messy.

Not to spoil any of the fun of the series, which is a fun binge that spread from 5 o’clock to midnight, Reacher is a perfect show for the winter streaming season. It’s filled with the kind of high octane action that comes with the name Jack Reacher. The mystery behind who’s involved with the antagonists leaves you constantly thinking you know until the end when you find out who is and isn’t. The chemistry between Alan Ritchson and Willa Fitzgerald is palpable in scenes, particularly between the two in a steamy shower scene that’s sure to get couples pondering a break in their binge.

Perhaps the best performing character in the show, besides the fun that Reacher brings with his old-fashioned heroic bravado, is Malcolm Goodwin as Finlay. Goodwins lead detective Captain Finlay is a highly educated, extremely intelligent, somewhat troubled Bostononian that is as out of place in the small southern town as the devil would be in church. Starting at odds with Reacher, the two form a bond over their 8 episode story arc that rivals the classic buddy-cop formula of the 80s and 90s.

In Conclusion

Amazon has a potential hit on its hands with the Reacher series on Amazon Prime. The bringing together of such a well-cast set of characters in an intriguing, backwoods, corrupt southern town, made for great storytelling.

While Ritchson seems a little stiff in scenes, it’s the same level of stiffness portrayed by Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. It’s obvious by the end of the season that Amazon and Alan Ritchson captured some of the better qualities and the awkwardness of the character that made the books and the movies a success. What’s best about the series is the cast, their convincing portrayals of small-town characters, and Ritchsons’ imposing size and attitude that makes Reacher finally seem like someone that really could destroy a room filled with bad guys or one punch knock out a guy neglecting his dog.

If you have Amazon Prime check out Reacher for some good old fashion adrenaline-fueled fun. And, don’t forget, Prime’s raising their rates. There’s still a way to lock in the current price for a year.

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