![]() The movie opens with Ryan as a student at the London School of Economics when he hears about the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. Instead, his efforts are hampered by inferior writing and formulaic action scenes like car chases, a climactic ticking time bomb and threatening banter that passes for witty repartee between villain and hero. Kenneth Branagh directs and stars as a Russian villain, making the viewer wish he'd stuck to his Shakespearean roots. ![]() Surely there must be fresher literary characters to plunder. But Hollywood loves a franchise re-boot, so presumably this will kick off another series of Clancy revamps. Shadow Recruit is ostensibly the prequel to the espionage thriller series, though it's set in present day, which is confusing on its face. And two decades have elapsed since Ford played the character created by Tom Clancy in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Much of the central tension revolves around Pine’s relationship with Knightley, and the pair’s chemistry is so convincing that it’s easier to overlook some of the more tedious writing.Watch Video: Screening Room: 'Ryan' worth a rentalĬhris Pine had sizable shoes to fill playing Jack Ryan after Harrison Ford made the role his own in two previous films.īut Pine plays Ryan with enough energy and smarts to be convincing in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (**½ out of four rated PG-13 opens Thursday night in select cities and Friday nationwide). Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford both played Ryan as a family man and caring father, whereas Pine gets the chance to be a budding romantic lead (although he’s not quite as thirsty as Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears). The early relationship struggles involved with Ryan’s double life play a big part in the story, which is something not seen in the previous installments. He even gets to flex his comedy chops when his expository monologue is interrupted by a spat between Jack and his fiancée Cathy Muller ( Keira Knightley). Harper warns Ryan about the perils of having domestic responsibilities while working in such a dangerous field, and Costner elevates the standard writing with a knowing weariness. Once considered to play Jack Ryan himself in The Hunt For Red October, he brings a no-nonsense gruffness to his role as the CIA official who recruits a battle-wounded Pine in the film’s opening scenes. ![]() Jordan’s Next FranchiseĬostner is one of the film’s strengths. RELATED: Final ‘Without Remorse’ Trailer Teases Michael B. The scene mostly serves as exposition, but it’s a nice reminder that despite all his training, Jack wasn’t prepared to take a human life. Following his first encounter with Nonso Anozie’s assassin, Ryan debriefs with his CIA mentor Thomas Harper ( Kevin Costner) and reflects on this moment of violence. Although Shadow Recruit positions Jack as a trained military man, Pine’s naivete as he’s thrust into the espionage world retains the everyman spirit that is essential to the character. Pine’s interpretation of the character retains a refreshing earnestness that is rare among modern action heroes. Although it reimagines Ryan as a post-9/11 protagonist and deals with the global financial market, this is mostly an old-fashioned spy thriller in which Chris Pine fistfights assassins and Kenneth Branagh speaks in a goofy Russian accent. The notable difference between Shadow Recruit and its predecessors is that it’s not directly based on any of Clancy’s novels, instead focusing on Ryan’s origin story.
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