'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' Review: Tom Cruise's New Movie Is One of His Worst

— -- Starring Tom Cruise and Cobie Smulders

Rated PG-13

One-and-a-half out of five stars

In this story, former military police commander Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) gets embroiled in an unimaginative and predictable caper with trite dialogue when Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), the woman who took over his job, is arrested for espionage.

You see, Reacher has a crush on Turner and returns to Washington, D.C. to take her on a date. When he shows up at her office and finds out she’s been arrested and replaced, it’s time for Reacher to take action.

Further complicating matters: it seems Reacher may or may not have a daughter named Samantha (Danika Yarosh). We’re then treated to a cat-and-mouse game between Reacher and The Hunter (Patrick Heusinger), a former military specialist-turned-assassin and handsome cliché.

"Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" isn’t just a title. It’s a command to moviegoers, as in never go back to the theater to see another "Jack Reacher" movie.

I’m a fan of Tom Cruise. I liked the first "Jack Reacher" movie. But this one has to be, in my opinion, one of Cruise’s worst movies, though I’m not sure Cruise fans that aren’t movie critics are going to care. There are actually better and more original action sequences in a comedy coming out this weekend titled "Keeping Up with the Joneses." But like "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," that’s not a good movie either.