This is certainly one of those moments when size matters. Really.
At the world premiere of his new film in London, Tom Cruise defends his role as Jack Reacher amid talks he is a bad choice because he is too small to play the fictional hardman. Jack Reacher, a former soldier-turned-sniper created by Lee Child, is so much bigger and stockier, and readers feel like having the 50-year-old actor play the lonely drifter is like being unfaithful to the original character in the hard-action 17-book series.
The stats?
Jack Reacher is 6 foot 5 inches tall and weighs over 200 pounds, while much slimmer and shorter Tom Cruise is just 5 foot 7 inches.
It seems like size isn’t an issue for the author, however. Tom Cruise apparently had his blessing. The actor remarks:
“You know, he (Child) created the character, I had my own opinion that I didn’t say to Lee and then he came back and pretty much reflected what I had felt about it. But had he said ‘look I’d rather not’, I would not have played the character.”
So, we shouldn’t be talking about bodily issues. He is in character to make the role bigger, isn’t he?
Loyal fans of the book series would beg to disagree. Until recently, we haven’t heard of any controversy surrounding a Tom-Cruise movie ever since Valkyrie. There’s a Facebook page called Tom Cruise is Not Jack Reacher for fans who aren’t settled with the idea of a mini.
The film is set to be released on December 21. We will likely see more of Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher if this one will make it HUGE.
Image: ImageCollect / YouTube Video: ParamountIntl
Once again, Hollywood ruins an opportunity for sequels by choosing an actor the does not fit the role. Jack Reacher is not some short pretty boy, with a clean shaven face and perfect teeth. Bad choice!!