Amph Jack Ryan (Amazon Prime Series)

No Wocky was right. Quantum of Solace was probably the most grounded of the lot, along with Licence to Kill.

 

Skyfall is more grounded in that it's more interested in its characters than gimmicks.

Quantum of Solace thinks it is. It isn't.

 

Silva is basically a gimmick. Come on.

 

But a gloriously acted gimmick nonetheless.

 

I simply cannot support the egregious lack of J.W. Pepper in this video.

 

Needed more Moore too. It was mostly him but you had, what, seven films to sandwich into that video, plus DAF and DAD?

 

No, I think he's pretty interesting. A villain who just can't bring himself to kill his target because he genuinely loves her - hasn't been done in Bond, at any rate.

But it's Bond and M at the core, really.

 

Wait, this is a Jack Ryan film? I was sure it was Star Trek III.

 

Even Zack Snyder knew that space can't handle Kevin Costner.

I assume Knightley is doing this so she can get a gig in some sort of prospective fair dinkum Branagh film.

 

What have they done to her face in that poster? Most women get photoshopped thinner on glossy print.

 

This.

 

If this is a ret-con, then why not just use Jack Jr and The Campus?

 

I just wanted to post and clarify that in spite of being more "grounded" Quantum of Solace was still a completely terrible movie.

I'd have to go with casual sentiment and call the recent Casino Royale the most grounded of the series to date. I know Ender has serious, pretty legitimate objections to the way they depict financial transactions, and that's fair. However, that's more an issue of poor advice from their technical experts than anything. it's a bit like some astronauts complaints of technical errors in Gravity: Yes, it's not like real life, but it's more accurate than anything else to date. Further, the idea of a underworld financier over-extending himself and having to pay-off everyone is certainly a plausible idea, even if the way he lost the money is not.

 

For Your Eyes Only is the first that comes to mind when I think grounded. No crazy-ass gadgets... the most outlandish thing is the opening, with Lobot controlling the helicopter.

So some parts of the ski chase wouldn't have happened, but I find them easier to swallow than certain elements of the Casino Royale chase sequences.

 

Because those ideas were so gobsmackingly terrible EVERYONE abandoned them except for the people who feel Call of Duty presents accurate scenarios to players.

Jabba-wocky - Casino is also grounded, but I disagree Quantum is a terrible film. It shouldered an enormous burden as CR's sequel, but once you have figured out what happens in the Bourne-esque action sequences and can follow them the whole film is pretty rewarding. It just takes a few views to get there. Then it's magical.

Four-dot; OHMSS?

 

OHMSS to a degree, but the Angels of Death remove it from reality. Unless Telly is actually playing Hugh Hefner.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that's actually what happens in the Playboy Mansion.

 

I will grant you that Teeth of the Tiger was kind of shaky, but that may have been the result of Tom Clancy trying reboot his own universe and not quite succeeding. That aside, Dead or Alive and Locked On were both first rate action thrillers, and there is a lot of story telling potential in The Campus for either film or television.

 

Has anyone seen the recent Jack Ryan TV show on Amazon Prime?

Any chance this thread can be renamed to accomodate other Jack Ryan movies and the TV show?

 

So Jack Ryan has been portrayed by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and now John Krasinski. It's like the casting directors for these movies (and now the Amazon series) really have no "type" (age, appearance, etc.) in mind for the character other than "white male".

 

John Krasinski was well cast in this I thought. Harrison Ford was always my favourite though.

 

Second season has dropped on Amazon Prime. It's definitely better than Season 1 so far which I didn't think could be done. Opening title sequence is beautiful, love it

 

Recent watch April 16 - 18
The Hunter for Red October [1990]
Jack Ryan: Alec Baldwin
I remember watching this movie with my dad when I was 9 and too young to appreciate and understand it. 31 years later, I find that this movie is very well done. The special effects are outdated and you have to suspend your belief but the story and acting is solid and compelling. Highly recommended.

Patriot Games [1992]
Jack Ryan: Harrison Ford
There is a huge tonal shift from the first to second movie. (1) The focus changes from Russia to Irish Republican Army (IRA), (2) the main target of retribution is Ryan and his family while the threat to the US as a whole is present but minor, and (3) since the tension is mainly focused on the main character (and family) it doesn't feel as epic as its predecessor. The movie ends on a cliffhanger regarding the sex of Jack and Cathy's baby which leaves you wanting more, but at the same time leaves you unsatisfied.

Clear and Present Danger [1994]
Jack Ryan: Harrison Ford
To keep things fresh, the antagonist is now the Columbian drug cartel...or is it? More on that later. Thankfully, the focus shifts from Jack's family (who are essentially in one shot in this movie where you get to see that they had a son) and now the focus is back on the US government, specifically the President and two cabinet members. The main plot focuses on the war on drugs and what the US government is willing to do to win that war. While the "Jack Ryan / analyst" storyline is played for suspense, we are treated to action in the form of a secret US operation in Columbia. As the movie unfolds, you can see what the script was trying to do to keep the audience interested as the plot deepens to reveal the US government has been in bed with the Columbians the whole time. The slow burn of Jack uncovering the enemies on both sides results in the movie kind of dragging and only slightly gets more interesting in the third act. Unfortunately, we get another unsatisfying ending with Jack in court bringing to light the corruption within the US government with no resolution on what happens after the fact.

Overall, I will say that all three of these 90s films do a good job of sprinkling in the facts about Jack Ryan. He's a former marine, whose helicopter went down, and because of his injuries he could no longer serve so he somehow ends up working in the CIA as an analyst. He's super smart and he's able to see patterns that others miss. He also has an innate ability to determine how a person is going to act before they act. It almost feels like Homeland's Carrie Mathison is essentially a female Jack Ryan.

Fast forward to 8 year later...
The Sum of All Fears [2002]
Jack Ryan: Ben Affleck
In this reboot, before the word reboot was part of the lexicon, we are treated to a movie that tries to be more epic and intriguing as its predecessors. It's a little disjointed and messy, but mostly does an okay job. I liked that we got a younger Jack and that we got to see his budding relationship with Cathy. It would have been nice to see a young Greer but instead we get Morgan Freeman playing the character of DCI William Cabot who ends up passing away for dramatic effect. While the movie's plot pits the US against Russia, the real enemy is a secret Neo-Nazi group. This group is only able to enact their plan because they get their hands on a nuclear weapon that was lost years ago and has only been recently uncovered. Similar to "Clear and Present Danger" Jack gets to see some action, but most of it falls in the hands of Liev Schreiber's character of John Clark (played by Willem Dafoe previously and will be played by Michael B. Jordan in 2021's "Without Remorse"). Jack's innate ability to predict what the Russian president will do saves the day and we get a satisfying conclusion where a peace treaty is signed and all the Neo-Nazi's are taken out. It's a little unrealistic and confusing at parts, but thankfully the movies doesn't leave any part of the plot open ended. Jack proposes to Cathy and the movie ends.

***
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit [2014]
Not included on Amazon Prime Video without an additional cost so skipped it.

April 20
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan [2018]
So far, I've only watched the first episode on Prime. I thought it was just okay and very predictable. Most of the joy that I got out of it was making the connections to the movie characters. I especially smiled at the intro of Cathy as I didn't expect that. I definitely got some "Homeland" vibes, but it isn't there yet and it hasn't hooked me like Homeland did. I will probably check out one or two more and decide from there if I'll continue watching.

 

I'm just starting the 6th episode of Jack Ryan and the show has definitely improved with each episode. The third one was a little rough with the VERY weird introduction of the drone pilot and the whole casino bit but I liked where they took that story in the end and how he saved the woman from being raped.

I wasn't sure about Cathy at first but she is definitely starting to grow on me. It seems like her and Jack's worlds may collide very soon and I think that's a very clever way to bring it all together instead of her eventually just finding out what he does like how it was portrayed in Sum of All Fears.

 

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan [2018-2023] Seasons 1 - 4
Jack Ryan: John Krasinski

Season 1's antagonist Suleiman is a well written villain as there is also some good in him. He's easy to hate one minute but sympathize another. Since he hails from the Middle East, there are a lot of "Homeland" vibes for better or worse. This season ultimately shines due to the partnership / buddy cop relationship between Jack and Greer (the character of James Greer is played by James Earl Jones in the 90s movies).

Season 2 shifts from the Middle East to Venezuela with the questionable antagonist of President Reyes. It's a decent enough season. The highlight is the inclusion of a new character named Mike November (Michael Kelly) adding some "House of Cards" vibes, but only the good kind.

Season 3 takes us back to Russia and by "back to" I mean in association to the first film. This time, instead of a nuclear sub, there is a project that began in the early years of the Cold War called "Sokol" that has just been reactivated. The good guys get some help from some Russians wanting to do the right thing, again invoking the same ideas from "The Hunt for the Red October". I recall the ending being a little unclear and not super satisfying, but I think this season was a little bit better than season 2. Both dragged at times but kept my interest for the most part.

The 4th and final season focuses primarily on Myanmar (formally Burma) located in Asia. Many of the villains in this season are both foreign and domestic so it keeps you guessing in this tight compact 6 episode season (where the 3 previous were 8 episodes). Again, Jack, Greer, and Mike are fun to watch and they have a great dynamic. Michael Pena's character of Chavez is a new and welcome edition to this season. I don't want to say any spoilers, but I like how it ended and I feel these series can connect nicely to the early 90s films.

If you liked Homeland, this series is worth your time. John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, and Abbie Cornish are great. Also, like I said above, Michael Kelly was a great addition in season 2-4, and Betty Gabriel's character of Wright is a standout as well. Lastly, if you liked Derek Cecil from House of Cards, you'll love him in the final season.