There are some cinematic characters that defy needing the same actor to
play them, names that come to mind are Bond, Batman, and Jack Ryan. Where Mr. Bond
has had six different actors playing the role, the Jack Ryan series is trying
to catch up with actor number four bringing the character
to life. How did the new blood do? Well let me tell you.
Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) is a smart guy, who has a certain talent. He has a great mind to figure things out, so
if you can problem-solve in a tense situation, you should join the C.I.A. And
that’s exactly what Ryan does after he is recruited by Commander Harper (Kevin
Costner). Ryan is assigned to analyze the financial sector for any suspicious
transactions. When Ryan notices something fishy, he is made to go to Moscow, to
dig deeper and find out what exactly is going on. While there, he meets Viktor
Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh) who runs the company that Ryan is investigating and
who pretty much has bad guy written all over him. Ryan does his thing and
uncovers Cherevin’s plan, and attempts to do what every good spy does, save the
world for impending disaster.
I am
not going to lie, I have always had a soft spot for the Jack Ryan movies. Ever since 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October”
I have been a fan. As much as I love the movies, I have never picked up any of
the novels, which were written by the late Tom Clancy. So how do you follow
names like Baldwin, Ford, and Affleck, well you get an actor who fits that
mold, and with Chris Pine (Star Trek) they nailed it. Pine showed he had what it takes to play a
spy in 2012’s not so memorable film “This Means War”, where he used his spy
powers for love. Lucky for us, this time
he is not trying to win the affection of a lady, but trying to save the
country. But as good as Pine is as Ryan, it’s even more fun to see Kevin
Costner being Kevin Costner again. Watching him play Commander Harper reminds
me of how good he can be in roles that are more tailored for him. Kenneth Branagh not only plays the villain in
this movie, but also directs it as well and unlike in the film, he is not hell-bent
in destroying the franchise. He balances
the action and character building very well, and keeps the story from David
Koepp and Adam Cozad from going too far off-track.
This film doesn't add anything particularly new to the
Ryan franchise, but more importantly for me it doesn't take anything away from
it either. If you’re the type of person who likes a good thriller then you will
appreciate this film. You won’t find many good choices at your local theater
this weekend anyway, so why not see a film that gives you a great ride with the
new Jack Ryan, and also happens to be entertaining.
Brian Taylor
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