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Jack Ryan, the familiar Tom Clancy character from films like ‘The Hunt for Red October’ and ‘Patriot Games’, is back with a complete overhaul. ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ reboots the franchise with a new cast and starts the main character beginning with his roots, even before he was in the CIA.
Jack (played by Chris Pine) is critically injured in a helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan for the Marines. While in rehabilitation, he draws the attention of Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner), a CIA agent who recruits him to work as an analyst to uncover financial transactions that might point towards terrorist activity. He also meets his love interest, Cathy (Keira Knightley), while in rehab.
Years later, Ryan notices uncharacteristic market activity in Russia and is sent to Moscow to audit secret accounts held by Viktor Cheverin (Kenneth Branagh). With the help of Harper, he uncovers Cheverin’s true intentions. Yes, Ryan will remind us repeatedly that he is merely an analyst. Yes, he will need to hide his actual career from the woman he loves. And yes, some bad guys want to do harm to the United States. It does enough, however, to stand out on its own as a good film without relying merely on familiarity.
What is truly intriguing about the plot is that it centers less on the traditional terrorism that we are used to seeing in films. Sure there are some explosions here and there and the action is intense, but the deeper economic implications of what the villain is trying to accomplish is a much more devastating global catastrophe than blowing up football stadiums full of innocent people.
In addition, there seems to be no dull moment in the film. Each scene seems relevant to both the overall story and the main character himself and the audience is allowed to fill in some gaps without beating them over the head with the obvious. These types of movies are traditionally very smart, and this one manages to make the topic of global economics interesting without feeling like the concepts are dumbed down a great deal.
Chris Pine fits into the role of Jack Ryan very naturally. He proves that he can hold his own as a serious actor without having to rely on his charm alone, and gives the character a range of depth that is somewhat lacking in the previous films. We see him broken, yet resilient; fragile, yet confident; stalwart, yet tender.
Kevin Costner gives us a no-nonsense Parker that still has a slight sense of humor, but only when it’s appropriate. He carries the character with grace while still maintaining a firm demeanor and he is really proving that he is still very much an actor to not be forgotten.
Kenneth Branagh (who also directed the film) might be one of the most entertaining performances in the movie. His portrayal of Cheverin as a cold-hearted gentleman is fantastic to watch, and he has an intense stare that feels as if it were piercing straight through you. I found myself distracted by Keira Knightley as Cathy, but this is probably because I’m so used to seeing her perform with her native tongue. Her one-on-one conversation with Branagh was executed very nicely, however, as she not only sold Cheverin with her charms, but me as well. I still feel that any quality actor could have filled her role and I wouldn’t have minded either way.
Speaking of Branagh, his direction in “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” is quite impressive. Although there were some minor moments of “shaky cam”, for the most part I appreciated how the camera was able to move around without keeping the focus off of what was actually happening. The intensity of this film is also remarkable, as it will keep you on the edge of your seat despite the fact that you know the outcome of each pivotal scene. It doesn’t rely on action to keep it interesting, but when the action is there is doesn’t feel tacked on just for the sake of making it an action film.
‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ was a great surprise for me in that it exceeded my already high expectations and made me want to go back and watch my Jack Ryan collection again. I couldn’t have asked for a better lead actor, and I’m looking forward to (hopefully) seeing more in the future.
If $10.00 were the full price of admission, I would pay $8.50.
Scott Clark
The Hollywood Outsider