The fourth installment in a legacy of movies involving the character of Jack Ryan, Shadow Recruit did not disappoint. Based on novels by Tom Clancy, Jack has previously been played by Alec Baldwin in Hunt for Red October (1990), Harrison Ford in Patriot Games (1992) & Clear and Present Danger (1994), and Ben Affleck in Sum of All Fears (2002) and has been resurrected by Chris Pine in the 2014 revival. My personal favorite Jack Ryan movie is Clear and Present Danger, due to the storyline and stellar cast, including Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer and Benjamin Bratt...my least favorite being Sum of All Fears, which lacked the chemistry of all the other movies, despite Morgan Freeman's involvement.
After watching the attack on the Twin Towers on TV while in England studying for his PhD, Jack Ryan joined the military and served in Afghanistan. After his helicopter was shot down and he was severely injured saving his comrades from the crash, Jack spent months at Walter Reed hospital, where he met Claire Muller (Keira Knightley), his physical therapist and eventual girlfriend. He is recruited by Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) to be an analyst for the CIA (without his girlfriend's knowledge, of course) monitoring large investment companies and while in Russia auditing a foreign account, he ends up running across a terrorist plot to unleash an attack on US soil. And in true Jack Ryan form, he must foil said plot and save the day!
While not Harrison Ford, this incarnation of Jack Ryan is engaging and...yes, attractive. I will never complain when Chris Pine is cast in a role. :) The same pretty much goes for Keira Knightley, but for different reasons. SPOILER: There's a funny moment in Shadow Recruit when Jack finally tells Claire that he works for the CIA...she laughs and hugs him, leaving him a bit surprised until she explains that she was afraid he was having an affair. Apparently working for the CIA and lying about it was a significantly lesser offense. :)
If you're a fan of the old Jack Ryan movies, there are a couple throwback comments that reference the old roles...one example, at the end of the movie Jack and Thomas Harper are at the White House and about to meet the president and Thomas asks if Jack is going to wipe that "boy scout grin" off his face, which stems from one of my favorite moments in Clear and Present Danger (about 14 seconds into the linked clip).
Rated PG-13 for action, violence and brief strong language (there's one f-bomb), this is a pretty solid action movie with a good story, excellent cast and, while it has a bit of a slow start, keeps you interested as it progresses. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for an action flick.
Fun Facts:
1.) Kevin Costner was actually the first actor offered the role of Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990), which was the character's first film appearance, but turned it down to make Dances with Wolves (1990) instead.
2.) While directing the movie, Kenneth Branagh also starred as the antagonist, Viktor Cherevin.
3.) After having played British, German, Australian, Swedish and American characters in his career, this is the first time that Kenneth Branagh has played a Russian character.
4.) Colm Feore, who played Rob Behringer in Shadow Recruit, had a supporting role in The Sum of All Fears (2002), the previous reboot of the Jack Ryan franchise starring Ben Affleck. He'd also played a main villain in Kenneth Branagh's Thor (2011).
Enjoy and happy Friday!
~ Katie
I have to agree on "Clear and Present Danger," in this case. "Hunt for Red October" is also really good - but just a little more melodramatic/cheesy. :) Also, the Russian is REALLY BAD. But, all that being said, Sean Connery is excellent.
ReplyDeleteWe might have to go see this new one - always game for a good action movie!
It's pretty low on the "sketch-o-meter" too, which is nice. You know that Jack and Claire are living together and they're shown talking in bed, but that's pretty much the extent of it, which is really nice compared to most movies these days.
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