I guess when you set out to make a film based on a true story-- not inspired by, but actually based it-- you're constrained by events.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much tension or ever a sense of our heroes having met their match.
The dialogue was occasionally clever, and the acting was ..fine. Not a lot was asked of this talented cast. Also, as often happens with ensembles, we really only get to know our characters on the most superficial level. (Ensembles need franchises to tease out individuals' personal stories). Hard to be invested in their survival.
And finally, what a waste of Henry Cavill. Cavill has a great face for this sort of role. Smirks, frowns and grins were swallowed up in a curiously overgrown mustache and beard. Why hire That Face and then hide it completely? Similarly, he spends the entire film, bundled up in multiple shabby layers of clothing. We're they trying to hide his physique so he wouldn't look too much like his costar Ritchson? Not a problem as Ritchson has at least 3 inches and 25lbs of muscle on Cavill any day of the week.
They could have hired any one of a dozen other actors for the role if they didn't plan to let us SEE Cavill. And paid a lot less for them.
I came away annoyed by the promise of Cavill unfulfilled and by a storyline that wouldn't have made for an interesting episode of The A Team.
But Alan Ritchson was great. He clearly had way more fun with this character than he gets to have with Reacher.
