Les Miserables(2012), Jack Reacher (2012)

Les Miserables, in Brief:
19th Century France, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is released from a 20 year stretch in prison, where he's watched over by Jarvert (Russel Crowe). Over the Years, Valjean manages to make good, although he manages to this by avoiding his parole.While Fantine (Anne Hathaway), tries to provide for her daughter, being looked after several towns over.

Jack Reacher, in Brief:
A man(Jai Courtney), from a vantage point in a parking lot, shoots 6 people, then vanishes. As the police investigate the crime, they arrest James Barr (Joseph Sikora), who responds to his interegation with a single written message 'Get Jack Reacher' (Tom Cruise). Reacher, Former Military Police, is a drifter, and arrives on the seen as soon as he hears what Barr has been accused of, and with the assistance of his Lawyer (Rosamund Pike), begins to investiage the case.

Les Miserables: 
Les Mis is a mixed bag. There's some good singing, but the songs are as much a weakness of the structure as it is a strength. It's actors are all able to sing and perform, but come completely undone at single lines that it's jarring.
The film has two main acts, and it feels like a lot more work and heart went into bringing the first to life. The hide and seek game of Jean Valjean and Jarvert is fun, and Crowe and Jackman bring quite a lot to these scenes, although, they do lack intensity, But that's brought into place by Hathaway's story. The stories brought into the second half of the story, are far less interesting, with Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne bringing pleasent faces and resonable vocals, but not performances. The stand out of the second act is Samantha Barks , who's brought her role from the stage across to the screen well.
A lots being made of the films Oscar chances, and while Hathaway may deserve a Supporting Actress Nomination, the only thing it's likely to get is Costume department (always annoyed me, Period films that have a lot of reference notes for the style of the period, win out over fantasy or science fiction films that start from the ground up).
Les Mis isn't a bad film, its quite enjoyable in the moment, but its 2 1/2+ run time, with a story that largely feels like its tredding water, is better represented by the stage experience.

Jack Reacher:
Intense. That's a word you can use to describe Jack Reacher, the latest Tom Cruise franchise vehicle. From the bloodless introduction, Cruise's performance to the final action scenes. Cruises regular smugness is gone, replaced with a head strong, dedicated performance. There was a lot of doubt if Tom could pull off the role, described in the books as being 6'5", all Muscle, Blonde and Blue Eyes, also known as nothing like Cruise. But i'll be damned if he doesn't bring something to the role.
The rest of the cast is fairly well placed as well, Jai Courtney provides a good antagonist, with Richard Jenkins and Rosamund Pike providing good support in rather limited roles.
The film maintain's a fairly dark overtone for the first half of the film, but slowly starts to bring some light humour in at points in the later half. Enough to stop the tone being pure black, without lightening the mood too much, it's well placed, and very appreciated.
A car chase in the film seems to go a bit too long, but most of the action is well paced and not needlessly strung out.
So in a word, Jack Reacher is Intense, in three words, Jack Reacher is a Good popcorn flick.