Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

The Jack Ryan franchise has been mentioned before in these reviews, and there's no doubt that the films range dramatically in terms of quality. I maintain the Harrison Ford vehicles are the best (Patriot Games [1992] and Clear And Present Danger [1994]) with Ben Affleck's The Sum Of All Fears (2002) at the other end of that scale. And unlike many others, I don't think The Hunt For Red October (1990) is much cop if I'm honest. So Kenneth Branagh's reprisal of the character makes complete sense; in a post Bourne world, audiences have some sort of appetite for this kind of thriller, even if there's not much hope of producing a franchise anywhere near as good as Paul Greengrass' three Bourne films. Chris Pine is a good choice as Ryan even if he lacks some of the hardened worry of Ford's version, but then again this incarnation of the character sees Pine take the reigns of Ryan at the very beginning of his career; Ford's was a hardened veteran. The plot involves Jack traveling to Moscow to check the credentials of a suspicious businessman (Kenneth Branagh sensibly casts himself as the villain) and somewhat unsurprisingly uncovers a terrorist plot to blow up a large portion of downtown Manhattan. Pine is ably supported by Keira Knightley as his fiancee, although one questions her total lack of queries on finally being told that her husband works for the CIA. It's nuts and bolts stuff, Branagh makes the film serviceable and enjoyable without being particularly thought provoking and it's a shame the film didn't make enough to spawn a sequel; it's certainly a better film than either of the tepid Jack Reacher adaptations (2012-2016). Kevin Costner also turns up as Ryan's boss, an M type character akin to Ralph Fiennes' portrayal of the character, and I would have enjoyed seeing this cast again in the world of Jack Ryan that Branagh has presented us with. 6.7/10