"Jack Reacher: Never Go Back": one-paragraph review

We'll get the obvious question out of the way first: was 2016's "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" as good as 2012's "Jack Reacher"? And the answer is as simple as the question: no. Once again, Reacher finds himself under arrest and falsely accused of a crime, but this time, he's not the only one: Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders, better known for playing Maria Hill in various Marvel movies, and for her role in the TV show "How I Met Your Mother") has been accused of espionage after two people working for her are killed, and she finds herself on the run after she and Jack break out of prison. The plot involves the usual labyrinthine conspiracy with shadowy figures pulling the strings, and the twist is that Jack may or may not have a teenage daughter (Danika Yarosh) when he discovers a woman has brought a paternity suit against him. Sexual politics (emphasis on politics, not sex) is front and center, here, as Reacher and Turner have a prickly relationship fueled by Turner's burning resentment at the treatment she's received in the Army as a female, and at what she sees as Jack's own chauvinism. Jack, meanwhile, must also contend with his obstreperous maybe-daughter Samantha while trying to solve the wider mystery and avoiding various teams of killers. The movie feels like a poorly paced mess, and not many of the characters are likable. Samantha could do with a few slaps to the face (the character, not the actress playing her; Sam is very annoyingly written), and liking her is a hard sell for the viewer, especially as her clumsiness always gets Jack and Susan into trouble. The final fight scene with the big bad comes off looking and feeling weird (if you watch the movie, you'll know what I mean) and director Edward Zwick (who also did The Last Samurai) gives us a fairly boilerplate, by-the-numbers plot. All in all, I can't recommend this film, and with the new "Reacher" TV series out, I see no reason for Cruise to revisit the character. Never go back, Tom.