Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit *** (2014, Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley) – Movie Review

Chris Pine takes over Harrison Ford’s old role as covert CIA analyst Jack Ryan, recruited by Kevin Costner’s CIA boss man Thomas Harper, who uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack on downtown Manhattan. He’s sent to Moscow to deal with the plot’s evil mastermind, Viktor Cherevin (played by the movie’s director, Kenneth Branagh).

Adam Cozad and David Koepp’s screenplay is based on characters created by Tom Clancy. What that means is that it’s the first film in the five film series that isn’t based on a specific novel in the Jack Ryan book series. Apparently Cozad’s original screenplay was entitled Dubai and was intended to be an action film starring Eric Bana. Paramount later asked Cozad to rewrite his old script and to change the lead character to Jack Ryan.

This was a mistake. They’d have been better sticking with one of Clancy’s stories, for this one really doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. There’s nothing too much wrong with it, maybe. It’s entirely serviceable, but it’s not really anything much to write home about either.

In 2002, The Sum of All Fears, with Ben Affleck as Ryan, brought the franchise to a halt. Director Branagh and the writers make a heroic effort to resurrect the dead duck, and they do give it a fleeting kiss of life. But the result is clunky and unmemorable, while OK as a timepasser when it’s on screen. It’ll play well on TV in a few years time. But as a big-screen event  it lacks the special somethings that, say, Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass brought to the Bourne franchise. And those somethings are style, individuality and excitement.

Pine, Costner, Branagh and Keira Knightley, as Pine’s bewildered love interest who follows him to Moscow, are likeable as performers going valiantly through the motions. Again, they’re fine, nothing wrong, but no special thrills emerge. At least they seem to be enjoying themselves, Costner growling, Branagh relishing his phony Russian accent and fake villainy, and Knightley saddled with a dumb role and daft American accent (why didn’t they just make her English?)

Pine is appealing and a good actor but shows little command and charisma here, and the whole film falls heavily on his shoulders. It’s hard to believe in him as a brainy analyst, even less a spy, and he doesn’t even convince that much in the action, which is way over-blown and unbelievable when it comes.

Branagh directs highly conscientiously and professionally but anonymously and blandly, and the film is very carefully edited so that it’s a fast-moving. smooth ride, with an economical running time that ensures it can’t be boring. But that’s a mistake too. Some rough edges and odd corners are needed in spy films. The story’s too plain and straightforward for a Jack Ryan movie, lacking a mystery or puzzle to solve. But then this is a would-be action blockbuster, not a spy movie at all.

Pine’s visit to a cinema showing the old Barbara Stanwyck movie Sorry, Wrong Number is the one scene that seems to be nice and quirky, just right for a spy film. No reason for it at all. But that’s what makes it interesting. Ryan’s killing of the Russian agent who tries to take him down in his Moscow hotel suite bathroom is the one piece of action that would fit into a Bourne movie. So, it’s good. The rest is just movie wallpaper. It’s quite attractive, diverting and anodyne but never exactly thrilling.

Released in January 2014, it had an opening weekend that grossed $17.2 million, the lowest of all the Jack Ryan films. The $60million franchise reboot went on to make $130million at the box office over its theatrical run.

Discussing a possible sequel, Pine says: ‘No. I don’t think it made enough money for that to happen. That’s one of my deep regrets, that we didn’t totally get that right. It’s a great franchise and if it’s not me, then I hope it gets a fifth life at this point. It’s just great. I love the spy genre. I hope it’s done again and with a great story.’

Clancy died on October 1, 2013.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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