GTFO.
No, seriously.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let me clue you in. Jack Reacher is the main character in a series of 16 books, over the last 15 years, by Lee Child. In my opinion, Lee Child is the best action/mystery/suspense writer since Elmore Leonard and his one and only main character in every one of those books, Jack Reacher, is a classic hero. Check out Child's website here to learn more about the books.
OK, here's the problem: Reacher is 6'5", 250 pounds. And his size isn't just a throw-away point. Reacher's size is a huge part of his personality. His size drives the twists and turns of every plot in every book. The guy is an ex-Army M.P. who has used his size and strength to get through life since he was a kid! And you're going to tell me Tom Cruise, all 5'7" of him, is the guy to be Jack Reacher on the big screen!?!?
Hey, there are different takes on this out there. Check out what writer Alexandra Sokoloff thinks of idiot fans like me right here. Yeah, she's big on saying "you just don't get it," but I've got to say I don't think she gets it either. If she had read the novels - and frankly, I'm not sure she has - she'd know that there's more to the situation than "Reacher's size and six-pack are completely incidental to the man."
Sorry, but a 5'7" Reacher isn't even Reacher.
Yet another lesson to enjoy the printed word on the page, and in the mind's eye, and leave the movie screen to the comic book heroes.
Agreed! Partly because I've read many in the series and can't imagine Reacher as Tom Cruise (for more reasons than size), and partly because I'm just NOT a Tom Cruise fan. I think I'll stick to the books on this one too.
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