UKC

hesitate to put this in the culture bunker but here goes...

a) does anyone on here read the lee child Jack Reacher novels and

b) how can you cast Tom Cruise (5ft7", about 170lbs maybe?) as a 250lb 6ft5", unstoppable force of nature, Jack Reacher?

c) will you watch the film anyway, even though this is an appalling miscast?

In reply to fxceltic: Credit where it's due.

How often does Cruise put anything less than 100% into anything he does?

I think he IS an unstoppable force of nature. 5'7" or not.

In reply to fxceltic: Worse casting ever.

In reply to fxceltic:

As the novels (written by a Brit,) seem a brilliant piss take of American culture (and a friend and I take a secret great delight in them,) it seems most appropriate that the person chosen to be Reacher should be as un-Reacher like as possible, almost in keeping with the theme of the books.

In reply to fxceltic: I used to work with Lee Child, his real name is Jim Grant and he was the shop steward at GTV when I was deputy shop steward, He was made redundant after the Thatcher purges on TV, I met him after his first succesful book and he said to me 'Al, get made redundant and write book, of course he was a talent that I did not have, well done Jim.

In reply to Al Evans: His books are my literary guilty pleasure.

In reply to fxceltic:

Yes, I have to confess I've read some of them (one or two have been hard to put down) and I don't get Cruise in the role at all. Never mind his physical size, he just isn't Reacher. If the Cruiser starts emoting all over the screen like he normally does, it'll be ridiculously out of character for Reacher.

In reply to JonC: He's more a young Clint Eastwood.

In reply to fxceltic:
I read them and Tom Cruise is an impossible casting.

In reply to fxceltic: Noooooooo I cant believe this... I would like to meet whoever is the casting agent and have a few choice words!!

Who would be you're choice for Jack though?

In reply to fxceltic: I love the books!

Regarding actor choice, I think Lee Child was involved in the decision and made a comment along the lines of....

We could have got someone who fits the correct profile who was a good actor. But we went for Tom who isn't physically the same, but will be an amazing actor.

...so basically they wanted a quality, proven actor. Also, it's clear that big names sell movies too I guess. Can't wait for the film!

In reply to James Malloch:

Exactly. Better Cruise than Lungren.

In reply to Wonko The Sane:

Exactly. Better Cruise than Lungren.

Why not add to the Reacher mystique by using an unknown/little known actor?
To me, Tom Cruise is totally the wrong choice. He is physically too small and despite being a great actor, I can't see him being able to portray the menace that the role sometimes dictates.
Ideally, what you want, is a young Clint Eastwood...

In reply to fxceltic: Tom Cruise a great actor? WTF!

In reply to Submit to Gravity: I have to agree! Tom Cruise is only great at playing Tom Cruise.

Rich Hall sums it up;

youtube.com/watch?v=WKxOk4EH1nI&

In reply to fxceltic:

Cruise will put his heart and soul into it but Karl Urban would have been a better choice. He is a great actor and he can play different characters with seeming ease.

In reply to MJ:

In a word: risk.

In reply to fxceltic: I dont read the books and I dont mind Cruise. As one of the general public who hasnt read the books, and having seen the trailer last night, I think it all looked very mission impossible/bourne and Cruise usually does good films of that genre. Not excellent, not earth shattering, but entertaining and a good night out. If it gets reasonable / good reviews I think most of the paying public will think the same.

Footnote: generally books are always so much better than film versions. You always paint the image in your head and a film will never match.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Just to put you in the picture I always think of Jack Reacher as being like Jim Grant, both physically and in his sense of fairness, incidently he was a barrister before he worked in TV.

In reply to Al Evans:

Who is Jim Grant?

In reply to Fraser: Jim Grant is Lee Childs, read the whole thead.

To be fair, Cruise was ok in Collateral and the character he played (Vincent?) wasn't a million miles away from what might be required for Reacher.

Hugh Jackman might have worked ok actually. He's big enough, implacable enough, and looks like a drifter.

In reply to Wonko The Sane:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolph_Lundgren

Surely a world class actor and smart enough to know that escaping from chemical engineering was a cunning plan

In reply to fxceltic: Tom Cruise is perfect. Has the mentality and attitude for Jack Reacher.

In reply to Al Evans:

Sorry, i had read that post but it hadn't stuck. Cheers

In reply to bradzy_c:

Oh dear...

There is a really funny Lee Child quote about the casting (he clearly doesn't want to upset anyone). He says

“Reacher’s size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way.”

In reply to fxceltic:
jimmy nail perfect casting

In reply to fxceltic:

Eric Banna

In reply to fxceltic:

Although just watched the trailer, Cruise might be ok as long as he suppresses the annoying smile.

In reply to fxceltic:

Personally I always picture Tom Hardy as Reacher. Working my way through the books, loving them but I don't think I will go and see the film, at least until it comes out on the tv.

In reply to fxceltic:

youtube.com/watch?v=rV6Z5KUja4k&

Looks like total dog shit. I'll still probably go see it. Thing is about Tom Cruise he has made some truly terrible films but his performances in Minority Report, Valkyrie, Risky Business, Magnolia and Tropic Thunder are all excellent.

D

In reply to fxceltic: Good news - all is well. Warwick Davis is chief baddy...