10 Hated Movie Performances That Were Secretly Genius

10. Tom Cruise As Jack Reacher - Jack Reacher

One of the biggest casting consternations of the 2010s, Tom Cruise's turn as Jack Reacher has largely been forgotten since 2012 - partially due to Reacher fans getting a more "accurate" rendition with the Amazon Prime series, and also because Cruise had bigger hits in the Mission: Impossible films a few years later.

Still, the 2012 Reacher movie (less so its sequel, which was instructively titled "Never Go Back") is worthy of merit. Apart from marking the first collaboration between Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie - who went on to helm Mission: Impossibles Rogue Nation, Fallout, and Dead Reckoning - it stands out today as a vintage throwback to action thrillers from the seventies and eighties. It sadly lacks much of the grit and punch of its spiritual forebears, but the end result is still commendable, with Cruise anchoring a sleek, stylish film that shares many of the qualities that would make the McQuarrie Mission: Impossibles landmark entries in the franchise.

Despite lacking the strength or physical stature of Lee Childs' character, Cruise remains believable as a forceful vigilante. He's cocky, brash, and deviously clever, although it does feel like his energy is rarely matched by his co-stars or the mundane conspiracy he's trying to unravel. There are flashes of brilliance - such as the bathroom fight and nighttime car chase - but ultimately, Cruise and McQuarrie's interpretation is smothered by a PG-13 rating and static gunplay more than it is Cruise's physicality.

Not that any of that stifles Cruise's screen presence, though. If X-Men fans can accept a tall Wolverine, shouldn't we all be just as fine with a shorter Reacher?