Movies Versus Books: Jack Reacher (One Shot)

One of the struggles directors and producers get when creating a movie out of a book is adding something new to the story as fans already know the plot, and I sympathize with them.

I was introduced to Jack Reacher by a colleague who loves Thrillers. The only ‘Thrillers’ I read were the John Grisham legal series. ⚖️. I wasn’t sure I was ready for a change, but I graciously carried the bookbag she gave me and told myself not to judge a book by its cover. The first book I read in the series was Make Me, and I got hooked. 😍

Lee Child (James Dover Grant CBE) has the gift of writing. He has not only mastered it, but he also fine-tuned it. Although I’m afraid I have to disagree with some of his added features for Reacher, they are realistic, and I can’t fight with that.

For readers who don’t know who Jack Reacher is, I got you covered. I was one of you just a few months ago. 

Reacher is a retired Major in the US Army Military Police who earned numerous awards and medals during his service. After his service, he wandered around the country, visiting cities and towns as most of his time in active service was spent out of the country.

One of the things I liked about him is that he is a true wanderer. He cannot be traced because he has no known address and has no belongings to tie him down anywhere. He also has a very strong sense of justice and would go to any length to make sure justice is served. 

Thankfully, I read One Shot before I saw the movie. This is my preferred format (it doesn’t always work out e.g., Ready Player One), and I must say they did a good job. I have oftentimes mourned how books are adapted into movies, e.g., The Count of Monte Cristo. Don’t even get me started on that movie 😤

One of the struggles directors and producers get when creating a movie out of a book is adding something new to the story as fans already know the plot, and I sympathize with them. For example, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2, the inclusion of the fighting scene, which wasn’t elaborated on in the book, was a great addition. However, sometimes, they take the liberty too much and change how major characters die e.g., Voldemort in Harry Potter.

Yes, I said it.  Argue it out in the comment section. 🥱

Here is a quick summary of the book with no spoilers because, personally, I’m not too fond of spoilers. 

A city in Indiana was thrown into terror and mourning when someone shot down five people, although six shots were fired. The cops were able to wrap it up within hours with the suspect in custody. However, he claims he didn’t do it and asked for Jack Reacher. Although no one could reach him, Reacher had seen the report on the news and was on his way as he had a score to settle with the suspect because this wasn’t the first time this had happened. However, what appears to be an open and shut case started to fall apart when Reacher decided to investigate the case on his own. 

The book exceeded my expectations, and truth be told, I had this belief that the longer a series is, the awful it gets. One Shot was well written. I love the pace, the mystery surrounding the shooter, and how it was unraveled . Although Reacher was a lone wolf, he still needed help. The investigation was top-notch. The ending? Excellente! I give it a 4.5 ⭐. It is that good. 

The movie was well directed. Tom Cruise did what he does best- running. 😂 . I couldn’t resist. He bought his charisma and made us forget Reacher should be extremely tall, and extremely broad, and long-armed, and long-legged. That is until the end of the movie. Yes, the fans went brutal on that. 😂. I, however, didn’t mind.

They added scenes we had only imagined, which is a bonus. However, it wouldn’t be a book adaptation if they didn’t remove something either because of budget or time restrictions. Barr’s sister, Yanni, the News reporter, and the original shootout was changed or totally removed.

Yes, I agree it didn’t stop the movie’s flow, but I would have loved to see them. The movie gets 3.5 ⭐ from me. 

For this episode, the book version wins. 🥳. My recommendation is to read the book first then watch the movie. You’re welcome. 😊