Reacher is one of the biggest and hottest shows right now and it's all thanks to Amazon sticking like glue to its source material. As a result, one can't help but compare the new Amazon series to the Jack Reacher films from 2012 and 2016, respectively. Because for fans of the franchise, details matter, and the films notably took some liberties with the titular character, especially in the casting.
So far only two films have come out and while they were, for the most part, awesome action movies, a lot of fans don't really consider them as the perfect or most optimal adaptation of the books. Then out came the series and did its own thing. So far the reception is almost unanimous: this Jack Reacher is better. How so? Let's break it down.
8 Jack Reacher's Height
Jack Reacher is a giant of a man and stands a whopping 6'5" or 195.5 cm tall. Tom Cruise is nearly a foot shorter than that so there goes the physical on-screen presence. The actor who played Jack Reacher in the Reacher series is none other than Alan Ritchson (Blue Mountain State, Titans).
Alan Ritchson is 6'2" or 188 cm which isn't that far off from Reacher's actual height in the books. Also, it's something that's easily fixed with magical Hollywood boots and camera angles since it's only a three-inch difference. While Tom Cruise is a huge Jack Reacher fan and has the acting experience to back it up, the most common criticism for his Reacher movies was always the height which is apparently a significant part of the Reacher's personality.
7 Jack Reacher's Build
Apart from the height, another thing that Alan Ritchson got nearly correct in his portrayal of Jack Reacher is the man's build or musculature. Jack Reacher in the books weighs at around 210 to 250 pounds (95 to 113 kg) of muscle with low body fat percentages. In the show, detective Finlay even estimates him to be 250 pounds.
Alan Ritchson stated on his Reddit AMA that he put in the work in order to get to 235 pounds (106.5 kg) of mostly muscle which is close as a convincing actor gets without looking like a meathead. This helps build Reacher's image as a highly-dangerous man and someone who uses his physique as often as his head in order to get out of situations or make progress.
6 More Faithful To The Story
As early as the first episode in the Reacher series, it's pretty clear for the fans that this was what the book adaptations should look like. Reacher adapted the first and most popular book, Killing Floor and it was strikingly close to its source material, down to the brutal prison fight scene.
Of course, there's also the subject of Reacher's height and build which added to the authenticity. Everyone was always commenting on his stature and he ticks out like an elephant in any room. It did have the advantage of being a series so there weren't too many book characters or events that were cut out, compared to the films.
5 Actor Chemistry
One would think that a 6'5" hairless gorilla of a protagonist would hog all the spotlight and make the secondary characters boring or inconsequential but that's not the case in Reacher. This show actually fosters good chemistry between all the actors. In particular, scenes with detective Finlay and Reacher in them tend to be their most enjoyable interactions.
Officer Roscoe Conklin also works well as a romantic interest and partner for Reacher. At times, she often acts like a mediator or disgruntled mother whenever Reacher and Finlay bicker. This kind of dynamic is missing from the films, making it look like a generic thriller film where the viewers don't feel as much for the characters.
4 Better Pacing
This can be chalked up to a TV show having more time luxuries than a movie, but Reacher handles its story and plot more delicately with more details packed in. He's not just jumping from one action scene to another. The show actually humanizes Reacher by letting viewers see him sleep, eat food, groom, or even grieve.
Likewise, the show also treats its other characters similarly and as a result, they get better development. Also, Reacher taking time to solve the crime puzzles and investigations instead of just making all his deductions automatically right makes him appear less smug which can always be a frustrating character trait for the Sherlock Holmes types.
3 The Fighting Style
Another thing that makes Reacher dangerous apart from his physique is that he's a highly-trained individual who has no qualms in employing dirty tactics if his opponents look like they measure up to him in skill and stature. In the books, he often throws a lot of elbows, knees, headbutts, and occasionally kicks his imposing male enemies in the gonads.
Not to put the Tom Cruise films down, but his Jack Reacher appears to often struggle with opponents and throws too many punches. Reacher in the books is a staunch believer in avoiding punching since those are a good way to break one's hands. Alan Ritchson's Reacher seems to adhere to this notion better.
2 Reacher's More Unkempt
One look at Tom Cruise and it's a bit hard to picture him as Reacher and it's not just because of the height. His lips seem to always default to a smile or a grin. One would imagine Reacher to scowl a lot, especially with his dark no-nonsense personality. While Alan Ritchson also does smile too much, his Reacher being more unkempt or Spartan gives off a more sincere ex-military hobo vibe.
Ritchson's Reacher always has a five-o'clock shadow, some open cuts, and looks like he just walked out of a bar fight in every scene. Other characters even comment a lot on his hobo lifestyle and he does look like the part instead of having the appearance of a pretty Hollywood action star with over-styled hair.
1 Reacher's Aura
Reacher in the books has always had an intimidating center of gravity around him. The series captured this trait well as early as the first few minutes where he was loud without speaking; all he had to do was stare down a guy who was abusing his girl to get him to back down. This lets Reacher avoid some unnecessary brawls.
Any other version of an on-screen live-action Jack Reacher couldn't achieve the same effect. Reacher in the Jack Reacher movie, for example, appears to have problems getting his potential assailants to back down (probably so the film can squeeze out more action scenes). Regardless, there's no denying Reacher's authenticity and effort to be the current best representation of the novels.