Monday, January 12, 2015

Get your Netflix fix: Tom Clancy and Jack Ryan (review of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit)

I grew up knowing one man as the face of Jack Ryan: Harrison Ford.  Yeah, I know Alec Baldwin was in The Hunt For Red October, but it was only one movie and, even though he did a good job, Harrison Ford is the one I think of.

I was a little taken aback at the opening scene of the 2014 movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, for he started down the path towards becoming a CIA analyst based on the attacks of 9/11.  However, I then looked at it through the lens of a new generation (in much cases, it's like James Bond--Roger Moore is the one I think about for that cinematic character, even though several more have played the role), and came to accept the concept.

Chris Pine did a fantastic job of playing the lead role, and both Kevin Costner and Kenneth Brannagh filled the rest of the cast nicely--oh, and Keira Knightly, as Jack Ryan's future bride-to-be, was superb.  Their courtship and her discovery of what he really was made for a fantastic plot thread.

The movie had a great blend of rapid action, sinister suspense, and slower scenes that allowed one to take a breather.  I certainly hope they continue on with sequels.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit isn't the only Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan movie currently on Netflix.  Of course, Netflix is known for taking movies in and out of their streaming movie list, so currently there are:

The Hunt for Red October

The Sum of All Fears

Clear and Present Danger

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