Jack Reacher looks like a simple character to figure out on the outside due to his physical appearance and his wisecracking attitude. However, on the inside, he has emotions and feelings but does his best to hide them so that his enemies don't smell his fear, and the people close to him don't get hurt. Reacher is reminiscent of hard-boiled protagonists such as Clint Eastwood's Harry Callahan or Keanu Reeves' John Wick in the sense that he is an experienced fighter and marksman who doesn't hesitate and isn't afraid to go above the law.
Superstar Tom Cruise portrayed Jack Reacher in two feature-length films that received mixed to negative reviews, while Alan Ritchson recently took on the role in an Amazon Prime TV series consisting of eight episodes, receiving an overall positive reception. While both actors perfectly display Reacher's toughness and no-nonsense demeanor, Ritchson's version is better because his depiction of the character contains more rawness and explicitness in his action sequences, as well as more insight into Reacher's childhood past and military background as an investigator.
Jack Reacher's Physique
When Tom Cruise took on the role of Jack Reacher, there were several criticisms regarding Cruise's casting because his height is shorter than the character's six-foot description in Lee Child's novels. Cruise is an expert in taking on tough-guy roles such as secret agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise and fighter pilot Maverick in Top Gun. While he is able to showcase Reacher as a strong and skilled fighter, Cruise's portrayal is a bit too charismatic, especially since Reacher is intended to be more of a ruthless killer with little to no remorse.
On the other hand, Ritchson's size and muscular physique nearly match the character's description in the novels. He is a little over six feet in height, and has big arms and muscles, making him appear more physically intimidating compared to Cruise's portrayal. Ritchson's size is also effective in terms of being able to get himself out of complex situations, such as breaking off the zip ties attached to his wrists when he's arrested or being able to climb on top of a truck in order to see what's inside it by cutting the top open.
The Action Sequences
Of course, Cruise is no stranger to action sequences or taking on dangerous stunts. In his Jack Reacher films, Cruise manages to hold his own against dangerous enemies, big and small, who try to kill or threaten him. He has a few car chases, shootouts, and hand-to-hand fights. However, the problem with Cruise's Reacher movies is that they are rated PG-13, meaning that his action scenes are limited to a certain extent in terms of less blood and gore.
While Cruise's portrayal makes the character out to be an invincible hero who barely gets hurt or put in danger, Ritchson's depiction of Reacher is more intense because his action scenes are bone-crushing and bloodier. Ritchson's size may be physically imposing, but he displays some level of vulnerability by getting hurt and attacked by his villains because he can take and overcome brutality. Ritchson's Reacher also has more variety in his fights and kills due to the character's expertise in martial arts, gunplay, knives, and sneaky extractions.
Reacher's Past and Investigative Military Expertise
Cruise's Reacher mostly focuses on the present, and his military background as an investigator is briefly mentioned, but the films don't delve deeper into his past and how he became a hardened military man. It's this area in which the Amazon series excels the most. Whenever Ritchson's Reacher looks at certain characters and objects or is placed in difficult scenarios, he remembers his older brother Joe and his parents because they are crucial towards understanding Reacher's psyche. As shown in flashbacks, his mother taught him to care more about doing what's right rather than the law, and to use his strength and physicality to do good, while Joe is the one who looked up to Jack because of his nobility and persistence.
Cruise's Reacher does manage to display his expertise in weaponry (such as sniper rifles in the first film) and analyzing the scene of the crime, as well as having conversations with important people (the district attorney, witnesses, suspects, etc.). Ritchson's Reacher does the same and a lot more because he manages to move around various settings, such as Georgia, New York, and Tennessee. The murder cases in Cruise's films are more clear-cut and predictable, especially since the few enemies he faces are revealed a little early. Ritchson's Reacher fights several bad guys, giving him a bigger dilemma because he goes up against an army of villains (many of whom are corrupt and want him dead), and uncovers a counterfeit scheme involving several powerful agencies such as the F.B.I., the E.P.A., and Homeland Security.
Reacher Has Stronger Allies In The Amazon Series
Ritchson's Reacher has effective allies, including a woman he trained and worked with in the military for several years. Like Reacher, she is skilled in weaponry and combat, and provides him with valuable information such as case studies and profiles on major suspects. Cruise's Reacher also has allies (also female, such as an attorney and a military officer), but while Cruise is the primary center of attention in his films, Ritchson and his crew are each given sufficient screen time for talking and fighting. The Amazon series provides Reacher with a female cop who becomes an intriguing love interest for the protagonist while maintaining her own substantial story (seeking vengeance for the murder of her father), as well as a Black detective who becomes the chief of police in Margrave, Georgia but is disrespected by many in town due to racism.
Jack Reacher is a tough and intelligent character portrayed by two skillful actors. While Cruise does his best to make the role of Reacher his own, Ritchson is better because he embodies the character's physique, displaying both strength and vulnerability. Ritchson's Reacher also appears more like a soldier who's always ready to kill when necessary, and understands that he is not a hero but an outlaw who'll do whatever it takes to solve the case and get the job done.