Reacher

Watched the Amazon series Reacher over the weekend and I enjoyed it very much.  I've read a few of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books and I enjoy them for what they are - brain candy. This series was true to the books and true to the aim of the books - simple entertainment. If you are looking for more than that then this may not be the series for you.

The first season (the show has been renewed for a second season) was based on the book The Killing Floor which was also the first Jack Reacher book and one of those that I'd read. The plot of the series stayed true to that of the book so there wasn't any surprise twists for me which, again, I didn't mind. The characters were also true to the book which means Reacher was a 6'5" monster of a man (played by Alan Ritchson) although I don't recall Reacher being blonde.

I didn't mind Tom Cruise as Reacher and enjoyed his first movie in the role very much (did not see the second movie). However, Alan Ritchson pretty much embodies the way Reacher was written on the page and how most people probably imagined the character. 

I'll probably read another Reacher book or two this summer at the beach - where brain candy books are best enjoyed. Looking forward to Season Two.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- "Too short" Tom Cruise to be replaced in Jack Reacher reboot. Jack Reacher is 6'5" and a beast in the books but I think if Cruise agreed to do a third film Lee Child would cash that check in a heartbeat.

- Giant meteorite creator bigger than Paris found under Greenland's ice sheet. Randall Carlson proven correct!

- Kevin Durant to the Celtics? Actually I believe I had that "hot take" first.

- Cool - how to make 40 different paper airplanes

- Heh Heh

- Iowa Nation Guard soldiers told to return overpaid wages. The soldiers did nothing wrong and if I were a billionaire I would just write a check to cover all of these funds. Isn't there some billionaire from Iowa willing to step up?

- This is the best college prank of all-time

Book Review - Killing Floor

The other night I watched the Tom Cruise move Jack Reacher for the second time. Obviously for me to watch it a second time - I must have enjoyed it the first time around. Watching the movie made me curious about the books. I knew there was a lot of controversy among Jack Reacher fans casting the diminutive Cruise as the hulking Reacher so I wanted to read the books for myself to see what the fuss was about.

I ordered Killing Floor the first Jack Reacher book by Lee Child. The book was a paperback with the blurb "See Jack Reacher now in his first major motion picture" on the cover and a new introduction by the author. In the new introduction Lee Child makes it clear that Jack Reacher is supposed to be 6'5". So I'm going out on a limb to say he wasn't pleased with the casting of Cruise as his hero (though going out on another limb I'm going to guess that Lee Child still cashed the movie rights check).

The book was enjoyable. It was Travis McGee / John D. McDonald-eque. Big hero who lives by his own rules finds himself at the center of a mystery that only he can solve and save the day. I will order a few more of the series but I'm going to have to space them out - too much candy rots the brain.

For what it's worth - Tom Cruise is scheduled to star in a second Jack Reacher move - Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (no release date).