Never Go Back could have used a bit more personality in the bad guy department, and the middle section sags a bit before the inevitable (and satisfying) denouement. But everyone involved seems to understand exactly what kind of movie they’re trying to make, and they deliver on just about every promise made by the title Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.

With all the action movies that have come before, it's tough to make car chases and fist fights seem original and exciting, but fortunately, there's enough of a story to keep things interesting even when you might feel a sense of déjà vu.

It’s nothing special, but it’s nothing awful, either.

There is no juicy high-concept baddie this time around, but there is a lot of enjoyable hokum and cheerful ridiculousness.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is always faintly diverting but never particularly engrossing, putting the venerable movie star through his paces without really asking much of him.