It is strange (and possibly some kind of record) that the character of Jack Ryan has appeared only in five films, but he has been played by four different actors. This time around, in an attempted franchise reboot, it is the turn of Chris Pine to play Tom Clancy’s hero. The story starts with Ryan studying economics at the LSE on the day of 9/11. Galvanised by that event, he joins the Marines and is badly injured on a mission. Whilst in rehab to get over his injuries he is recruited by the CIA for a desk job, going undercover at a major Wall Street firm to look for signs of funding of terrorist attacks.
However, when he discovers something suspicious, he has to go into the field in Moscow to thwart the plot. This is a largely by the numbers action thriller. The first half of the film is actually pretty pedestrian and it struggles to hold the attention. It is only when Ryan reaches Russia that the momentum builds and you can enjoy the film for what it is.
A break into the suspected bad guy’s office is well staged and the pace of the film is maintained from that point on. If you ignore the large plot holes and coincidences, you should have a good time. The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh who has had curious directorial career. His early work included five Shakespeare adaptations, but since a brief hiatus, he has made Iron Man 2, Thor and now this!
He demonstrates that he is an accomplished action director, and he also seems to relish playing the villain Viktor Cherevin, with a suitably ludicrous Russian accent. Pine does a decent job as Ryan but Keira Knightley, as his fiancée, Cathy, adds very little. Of all the performances, Kevin Costner fares best as Ryan’s boss and mentor. So, not up to the standard of The Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger, or The Sum of All Fears but probably on a par with Patriot Games. You can put your brain in neutral and this is serviceable stuff. As a Russian based action movie, it sure beats Die Hard 5!
Rating 5 out of 10