We saying the same thing.
I get exactly what they were trying to do. But they missed the mark
I don't think the target audience at least on here wanted or needed all that "realism".
Reacher is basically a superhero and no one gives a damn. Bourne, Wick, Rambo and even the equalizer either.
I really wouldn't have minded a new 2024 black version
it's not like THIS movie was hyper realistic either.
All that being said I still enjoyed it.
You're likely never going to see a version of this kind of story that plays out in a truly realistic fashion. It's a stock plot that both westerns and modern action flicks have been using for ages. In real life, one marine could never single-handedly take on a relatively well-armed small town police force and win. We already know that going in.
Still, I feel that writer/director Jeremy Saulnier's relatively more "grounded" approach to the material did actually help with suspension of disbelief in certain instances. I also think that it made for a somewhat more thoughtful and patient version of a very familiar story. The hero is obviously both physically intimidating and formidable. Yet he is infinitely calculated, measured and strategic throughout the film. He carefully considers every single move he makes, yet still moves with expedience. He never causes more human damage than is absolutely necessary to accomplish his goal. Dude is a walking NLW. When the end credits rolled, I was left wondering how much damage he really could have caused if he took the kid gloves off and went all-out. That made me want to see more of the guy.
None of the above is to say that I didn't have any issues with the film. I think it runs about 25 minutes too long. I also think that the plot becomes unwieldy in the third act, with one too many character turns and coincidences for my taste. Still, I really enjoyed it. While I also get annoyed with misleading trailers, I like to judge films on their own merits. If I wanted to see First Blood again, I can always pull out my Blu-ray copy. I also don't need every modern action flick to be yet another John Wick clone. We have more than enough of those.
Not beefing with you BTW, just offering my thoughts.
**BTW People who complain about the lack of sufficient action and/or the hero being "too nice" seem to forget that 'First Blood' has a notoriously low body count. Only one person died at John Rambo's hands and it wasn't even direct. It was also self-defense. The source novel had an infinitely higher body count.
