Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Jack Reacher

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Jack Reacher – Opening December 21, 2012

I had neglected to write about this movie when the teaser trailer was released a few months ago because it didn’t accurately represent what the newer theatrical trailer does. Described as a “homicide investigator,” Tom Cruise portrays the off-book, assassin-type law enforcer who gets to go outside the box as much as he wants because he’s good at what he does. While Cruise has his haters, I’ve enjoyed his characters in films like “Knight and Day” and especially in “Collateral,” which, while considerably darker than the protagonist in this film, seems to be the perfect experience for playing this character. I’m particularly excited about two actors in supporting roles, Rosamund Pike, who was wonderful in “An Education,” as a lawyer working with Jack, and David Oyelowo, who appeared in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “The Help,” among others, as a cop. Also in the supporting cast are such talented names as Robert Duvall, Michael Raymond-James, and Richard Jenkins. What’s great about this film as a thriller is that it’s written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who, despite some missteps lately, is still best remembered for penning the Oscar-winning screenplay of “The Usual Suspects.” Adapting a popular book series, this could well be the start of a franchise. The trailer makes it look heavily stylized, and I think it could be one of the more energetic and enthralling films of the year.