JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK (2016)

Summary:

Jack Reacher, an ex-military drifter, returns to his old unit in Washington D.C. to meet Major Susan Turner, his successor as commanding officer of the 110th Military Police Special Investigations Unit, with whom he has developed a close professional rapport over the phone. Upon arrival, he discovers Turner has been arrested for espionage, and he is subsequently framed for murder and paternity charges, leading him to believe a sinister conspiracy is at play.

Reacher breaks Turner out of military prison, and together they embark on a cross-country journey to uncover the truth behind the charges, clear Turner's name, and expose the powerful organization responsible. Their investigation leads them to a dangerous private military contractor, Parasource, and forces them to protect a teenage girl, Samantha Dutton, who may or may not be Reacher's daughter, as they become targets of a relentless assassin known only as "The Hunter."

Keywords: Jack Reacher, 2016, Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Action, Thriller.

Plot:

The film opens with Jack Reacher apprehending a corrupt local sheriff and his deputies in a diner, showcasing his signature no-nonsense approach and fighting prowess. Following this incident, Reacher makes his way to Washington D.C., intending to finally meet Major Susan Turner, the current commanding officer of his former unit, the 110th Military Police Special Investigations Unit. He has developed a strong, albeit purely professional, connection with Turner over the phone, respecting her sharp mind and dedication to justice. However, upon arriving at his old headquarters, he is met by a new commanding officer, Colonel Morgan, who informs him that Major Turner has been arrested for espionage. Morgan also reveals that Reacher himself is facing a paternity lawsuit from a woman named Candice Dutton, who claims he fathered her sixteen-year-old daughter, Samantha, during a brief encounter years ago.

Reacher immediately suspects Turner is being framed. He visits her in military prison, where she explains that two of her subordinates, Sergeant Leach and Colonel Bob Morgan (a different Colonel Morgan from the one Reacher met), were killed while investigating a case involving a private military contractor. Their deaths, she believes, are connected to her arrest. Reacher's efforts to investigate further are met with resistance, and he soon finds himself arrested and implicated in the murder of Colonel Morgan (the one he met at HQ) and the assault of a corrupt military lawyer. Recognizing the setup, Reacher orchestrates a daring escape from the military prison, taking Turner with him. Their escape confirms to them that they are both targets of a powerful, shadowy conspiracy.

Now fugitives, Reacher and Turner begin to unravel the conspiracy. They realize the paternity lawsuit is a carefully constructed diversion. Reacher attempts to locate Candice Dutton, only to find her murdered. He then tracks down her daughter, Samantha Dutton, who is also being targeted by a ruthless assassin known as "The Hunter," a former special forces operative and the primary enforcer for the conspirators. Reacher and Turner rescue Samantha from an attempted abduction, and the three form an unlikely, constantly moving team, navigating the dangerous landscape of government corruption and corporate malfeasance. Samantha, initially distrustful and rebellious, gradually begins to bond with Reacher and Turner as they protect her.

Their investigation leads them to New Orleans, the last known location of Turner's ill-fated investigation. They discover the case revolves around Parasource, a powerful private military contractor led by the seemingly respectable General James Harkness. Harkness, they deduce, is orchestrating a complex and highly profitable scheme: selling advanced American weaponry to terrorist organizations and then "recovering" the weapons himself, thereby profiting from both sides of the conflict. Anyone who comes close to exposing his operation is swiftly eliminated. The key evidence to expose Harkness lies in a shipment of missing weapons from Afghanistan and the testimony of two Parasource employees, Daniel Prudhomme and Sergeant Leach (Turner's deceased subordinate), who were on the verge of exposing the entire operation.

In New Orleans, Reacher, Turner, and Samantha work to locate Daniel Prudhomme, who is the last surviving witness. They quickly realize that Harkness has infiltrated the military police, creating a network of corrupt officials who are actively hunting them. They manage to find Prudhomme, but before they can extract his full testimony, he is killed by The Hunter's operatives. However, Reacher manages to recover Prudhomme's phone, which contains crucial information and leads them to a significant weapons exchange operation. The evidence on the phone points directly to Harkness's plan to make a major weapons delivery during the bustling Halloween parade in New Orleans, using the chaos as cover.

Armed with this intelligence, Reacher, Turner, and Samantha infiltrate the parade, determined to stop the exchange and expose Harkness. A chaotic chase ensues through the crowded streets of New Orleans. During the intense pursuit, The Hunter captures Samantha, using her as bait to lure Reacher into a final confrontation. Reacher pursues The Hunter onto a rooftop, where a brutal hand-to-hand fight takes place. The Hunter reveals himself to be the same man who impersonated Colonel Morgan at the beginning of the film, a former Special Forces operative who was dishonorably discharged and now serves Harkness. Reacher, using his superior combat skills and tactical mind, ultimately defeats The Hunter, pushing him off the rooftop to his death.

Meanwhile, Turner confronts General Harkness, exposing his entire operation with the evidence gathered. Harkness is arrested, and the conspiracy is dismantled. With the truth revealed, Major Turner is fully exonerated and reinstated to her position, her reputation restored. Reacher, despite the emotional connection he's formed with Samantha, confirms through a DNA test that he is not her biological father. However, he ensures she is placed in a safe and supportive environment, leaving her in Turner's care, confident that she will thrive under the Major's guidance. True to his solitary nature, Jack Reacher then hitchhikes out of town, leaving behind the chaos he helped resolve, continuing his nomadic existence, ready for the next challenge that finds him.

Cast (Lead Roles):

• Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
• Cobie Smulders as Major Susan Turner
• Danika Yarosh as Samantha Dutton
• Aldis Hodge as Captain Anthony Espin
• Patrick Heusinger as The Hunter / Colonel Sam Morgan
• Robert Knepper as General James Harkness

Crew:

• Director: Edward Zwick
• Screenplay: Richard Wenk, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
• Based on the novel "Never Go Back" by Lee Child
• Producers: Tom Cruise, Don Granger, Christopher McQuarrie
• Music: Henry Jackman
• Cinematography: Caleb Deschanel
• Editor: Billy Weber

Release Info:

• Original Release Date: October 21, 2016
• Language: English
• Genre: Action, Thriller
• Running Time: 118 minutes
• Accolades: None major