User Reviews

It's ironic that "Jack Ryan" is part of the title for this one because this is the furthest from the character that any of the films have been. Beyond a some what similar back-story, the doctor soon to be wife, and that he works for the CIA, Ryan is not Ryan. They turn him more into a spy/field agent than the brainy analyst that he's meant to be. As a result, there is nothing in this movie that makes it stand out from the rest of it's genre. It's just another spy movie with an over the top villain that's plotting world domination. It's predictable and generic. They sacrificed what made the Jack Ryan character unique.

I'm not saying that the movie didn't work as some Bond/Bourne/Mission Impossible wannabe with bits and pieces slapped together from every spy thriller ever made. It captured successful elements from those films pretty well. It's just a shame that they relied on recycling tired and over used narrative when there is still a bunch of great Ryan books that they have yet to adapt. There should be no reason to slap together this films story when a much more talented writer like Clancy still has more stories to draw from. I agree with Peter Travers comment "It's a product constructed out of spare parts and assembled with computerized precision."

Despite following a predictable formula very closely instead of the source material, the movie still works as entertainment. Chris Pine is great, despite the writers failing him, and he really carries the movie. He could be a great Jack Ryan if they actually wrote the character correctly. Branagh delivers a pretty good villain, even though he's more suited for a Bond film. There are a couple of scenes that deliver good suspense. It's just not a Jack Ryan movie. It seems that they only used Jack Ryan for the brand name rather than faithfully trying to tell a story about him.

After the terrible events of 9/11 "Jack Ryan" (Chris Pine) quits college and joins the Marine Corps. He is then sent to Afghanistan and suffers a severe injury requiring hospitalization and therapy at Walter Reed. As he is about to be released he is offered a a position in the CIA by a man named "Thomas Harper" (Kevin Costner) to essentially work as an undercover financial analyst in which he specializes in finding shell organizations that pump money to terrorists organizations. In the course of his duties he finds a lead which takes him all the way to Moscow and the discovery of a terrifying plot. Now rather than reveal any more of this film and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that I thought this was a pretty good movie overall. I especially liked the complex plot but in all fairness I must admit it got a little bit over-the-top in the end. In any case I rate it as above average.

Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) is moved by 9/11 to go from the London School of Economics to fighting in Afghanistan. His helicopter is shot down and he goes through intense rehab with med student Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley). Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) recruits him to work for the CIA. Jack gets a Wall Street job to find hidden terrorist financing covertly. Ten years later, he's at Harrman Brothers and living with girlfriend Cathy. He finds irregularities with the accounts of Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh). He seems to be propping up the US dollar. Jack is sent over to Russia to meet Cherevin but the analyst is thrown into the deep end.

I like Chris Pine's version of Jack Ryan. He is indeed a fish out of water. Keira Knightley has good chemistry with him. Kevin Costner is a bit stiff although he has the commanding presence. Branagh is passable as an evil Russian. In general, this is a good introduction to the character. However financial analysis is always going to be a hard sell and I don't buy the premise in this movie. It's the best that could be done with the material. It has a small bit of action. It probably suffers from being smaller than the other action thriller genre. Nevertheless, this is a good 90s thriller.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Updating the Jack Ryan character to modern times somewhat, here we have Ryan (Chris Pine) as a young man when the 9/11 terror attacks strike whilst studying at the London School of Economics. Compelled to make the world a safer place, Ryan enlists in military service, only to suffer near mortal injuries during a helicopter attack. Whilst struggling to recuperate, and beginning a budding romance with Cathy (Keira Knightley), the nurse helping him back to his feet, Ryan is approached by CIA hotshot Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner), who recruits him as a financial analyst. When he notices some unexplainable financial records in the file of Russian industrialist Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh), it sets him on the trail of a plot to launch a terrorist attack on American soil before crippling the United States economy.

The late Tom Clancy's most well known and formidable creation, Jack Ryan, obviously enjoys enough of a cult following for this modern day update of his back story and adventures to justify it's existence. Which is just as well, as it ranks among the more cerebral and fulfilling of the more recent big screen adaptations. With Pine, the current go to man for filling the shoes of actors in the same role decades before, forming an effective leading man, and a vibrant mix of more modern and old school performers in the main roles, Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit is a slick, polished affair that scores far more hits than misses and serves as a sleek, impressive production all round.

It might be a fair guess to estimate that Kenneth Branagh must be a fan of the books, crawling back out the woodwork after some time away to not only play the villain, but also serve on directing duties. Ken can always be relied on to pull off a professional effort when starring and directing, and if anyone had forgotten that, this assures a new generation of his competency. He's got every detail just right, right down to his fine Russian accent, as well as handling an intelligent, well thought out script that shines a light on the thin threads that hold our stability and democracy together in these turbulent, uncertain times, and all the work the government agencies must do to insure this.

As much as the thinking man's action thriller as it is, somehow all the components to raise it that one benchmark higher to excellent aren't quite there, and there is not quite enough dynamism behind the hero and the villain and the end outcome to really get the emotions running. But in a time when any meaningless pap seems to do, this has to be admired for being a more solid , demanding adventure. ***

Maybe this should've been released closer to Jack Reacher. Don't get mad, I'm not comparing those too, but it might have helped this with its Box office a bit. It wouldn't have helped story wise though. Or movie wise if you will. And while this is checking many boxes, it never really achieves anything special. Keira Knightley looks good and you know where this is going with her. Even added "dialog" and some story concerning her does not really add much depth.

Kevin Branagh has played in much richer roles, though he seems to relish the fact he can be bad in this one. And he has an accent (not British that is). Solid job as does Kevin Costner who also seems to bring some gravitas to it all. The "origin" story sounded nice on paper and has some charm, that's why this is not a total misfire (no pun intended), but it never gets really good to a point where you're like: I had to watch that

This film tells the story of a economics university student, who is recruited by the CIA to fight against financial crime. He quickly stumbles upon a series of mysterious accounts when he is working undercover in a financial company, thereby uncovering a terrorism plot.

"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" tells an thrilling story about a man having to face a Russian crook who have masterminded an elaborate terrorist plot. Though he has much support from his team, there are many occasions where danger is real and imminent. It delivers thrills and excitement, and the stylish office in Russia is pleasing to look at too. I enjoyed watching this film.

All in all, the story line, chronology, acting etc in this movie are okay, but too cliché as most scenes are predictable. Keira Knightley does not portray a natural chemistry in her role as a girlfriend or mission assistant. I find the awkwardness of her scenes has drowned the tension & intensiveness of the movie.

At a positive view, Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) did a pretty good job. His cool, humorous kind of charisma paid off in this movie. There were some scenes where I actually felt funny & LOL.

My initial vote for this movie was '5' & he is the reason why I added '1' more vote.

In 2002 the underwhelming The Sum of All Fears - with Ben Affleck in the lead role - put the Ryan franchise in the morgue. 12 years on and the famous CIA analyst is back on the big screen with a brand new story and a fresh face. Perhaps they should've waited another dozen years, as this reboot is utterly forgettable and offers nothing in the way of originality or inventiveness. The action has no pulse, the plot is straight out of 1980 and there's no thriller element to keep you guessing as the "Trust No One" tagline on the poster would suggest; which is all a shock when you consider Kenneth Branagh was at the helm and his last effort Thor, was such a gleefully entertaining motion picture. It also doesn't help that the latest incarnation of Jack Ryan, as portrayed by Chris Pine, has about as much charisma as a tree. Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner and Branagh are serviceable as love interest, mentor and villain respectively, however there's little any of them can do to boost the excitement levels. It's not a bad movie per se, just a run- of-the-mill affair you'll struggle to remember after the end credits.

What an utterly sad and offensive legacy for Tom Clancy. In Hollywood, truly, nothing is sacred.

Instead of the thought provoking, truth to power story we came to expect from a Jack Ryan movie, this brings us more of Hollywood's waronterrah porn.

It was interesting a bit back in 2002 maybe. Let it go. As propaganda, you've pretty much saturated your market. For the rest of us, you've actually made expensive CGI FX boring.

The thing that made Jack Ryan more interesting than a Steven Seagal character was he was thoughtful, intelligent, and not an action figure. And Clancy raised some fascinating dilemmas with American might and power.

What is this? Garbage.

Exciting and moving prequel in which a young analyst , Jack Ryan, must carry out a risked assignment in Russia , there then goes into action ; being professionally played and directed by Kenneth Brannagh with a good cast such as Chris Pine as Jack Ryan , Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner . It deals with Jack Ryan, at the beginning he joins the U.S. Marine Corps after the 9/11 attacks . He is a Marine second lieutenant when the chopper he is riding in is shot down over Afghanistan . Ryan is critically wounded and during a lengthy rehab , he attracts the attention of Dr. Cathy and falls in love for her . Later on , as a young covert CIA analyst , he uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack and then he goes to Moscu . But his girlfriend Cathy (Keira Knightley, though Felicity Jones, Evangeline Lilly, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel were considered to play her ; however , Knightley was the early front runner and she ended up being cast) shows up and Jack has to tell her the truth about his undercover operation . Jack (at one point Ryan Gosling and James Franco were consider for the character, but in the end Chris Pine got the part) along with a ranking member (Kevin Costner) attempt to destroy a terrorist faction led by a magnate (this is the first time that Kenneth Branagh has played a Russian character), Cherevin company's owner , (whose logo clearly resembles one of Enron's drawing parallels between Enron scandal and Wall Street manipulation depicted in the movie) that threatens to induce a catastrophic conflict between the United States and Russia by detonating a bomb in New York City .

Jack Ryan's entry with lots of noisy action , thrills , chills , tension and amazing thriller . This blockbuster is an acceptable adaptation of the novel by Tom Clancy , companion to other prior renditions and it is first film in the franchise that isn't based on a specific novel in the Jack Ryan book series . Stirring outing filled with emotion , suspense , twisted intrigue and extraordinary nail-biting action scenes . This film is a prequel to the others in the Jack Ryan series . The 'Harrison Ford' films are direct follow-ups to The hunt for Red October (1990) despite the recast of Alec Baldwin's role . Therefore this film might be best understood as a reboot of the Jack Ryan series . Interesting screenplay plenty of twists , turns and thrills by David Koepp . The original screenplay written by Adam Cozad 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 . Good production design , in fact , many scenes were filmed at the actual headquarters and adequate scenarios . The picture has a very good support cast who gives excellent performance such as Kenneth Branagh , Peter Andersson , Gemma Chan , Mikhail Baryshnikov and Colm Feore had a supporting role Sum of all fears (2002), the previous reboot of the Jack Ryan franchise starring Ben Affleck , he'd also played a main villain in Kenneth Branagh's Thor . Special mention to veteran Kevin Costner , he was actually the first actor offered the role of Jack Ryan Hunt of the Red October (1990), which was the character's first film appearance, but turned it down to make Dancing with wolves (1990) instead . Spectacular musical score fitting to action and suspense by Patrick Doyle . Colorful as well as atmospheric cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos , mostly filmed on location in Moscu , Russia . The picture was well directed by Kenneth Brannagh , though Jack Bender was originally attached to direct this film until he was replaced due to his commitment to work for another project .

This blockbuster is an entertaining adaptation of the novel by Tom Clancy , companion to ¨The hunt for Red October¨ by John MacTiernan with Alec Balwin and Sean Connery , followed by ¨Patriot games¨ (1992) by Philip Noyce with Harrison Ford taking over the role of Ryan from Alec Baldwin and again ¨Clear and present danger¨(1994) by Philip Noyce with Harrison Ford and Anne Archer as his wife . Then Harrison Ford dropped out of reprising the role of Jack Ryan because he and director Phillip Noyce could not agree on the script and Noyce ended up dropping out of the film as well . Furthermore , the prequel titled The Sum of All Fears (2002) by Phil Alden Robinson with Ben Affleck , Morgan Freeman , Bruce McGill ,John Beasley , Colm Feore and Philip Baker Hall . And finally , this Jack Ryan : Shadow Recruit (2014) , Tom Clancy's last film as a writer before his death on October 1, 2013 .

AN international spy thriller with a character-driven narrative and a plot relevant to our modern day are the crucial elements to give this well-balanced blockbuster the backbone for some decent viewing. In Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, the genesis of Tom Clancy's much adored creation makes its way to the big screen with Chris Pine taking control of yet another one of Hollywood's big characters. Kenneth Branagh — director of Thor and known for his performances in and direction of Shakespeare plays on both screen and stage — directs a stellar cast in the first screenplay not to be based on a Clancy novel. Jack Ryan is an undercover CIA agent working on Wall Street and it is his job to monitor irregularities in international money trading that could eventually lead to terrorist funding. When he notices an anomaly happening with a Russia-based company, he is sent on a mission to Moscow to uncover a potential threat against the United States economy. In the past, the character of Jack Ryan has been depicted by Hollywood old-timer Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin and an attempt to "reboot" the character in the 2002 Sum of all Fears with Ben Affleck, was neither a hit nor a miss. Hopefully, Mr Affleck can put in a star performance in 2016 when he dons the cape and cowl. After giving a commanding rendition as Captain Kirk in Star Trek into Darkness last year, Pine once again puts in a solid performance of carrying a well-educated Jack Ryan throughout the film. His character is damaged, untrusting, and fragile and puts his country before anything. One scene that really leaves audiences with discomfort is when Jack Ryan makes his first kill. It is brutal, effective and realistic — reminding me of the cold opener in Casino Royale. Kevin Costner gets a large chunk of screen time acting as Jack Ryan's mentor, while the beautiful Keira Knightley shines as the girlfriend — but is sometimes annoying with her fake American accent. And then we have Branagh, who plays the good, old-fashioned Russian tough guy antagonist. Putting it quite simply: Branagh is brilliant. This is not an action film. It is an espionage spy thriller with a few action scenes. So if you are expecting a film with more explosions than dialogue, you might be disappointed — it is directed by Kenneth Branagh after all. Just like Skyfall, the action scenes aren't anything new or breathtaking, but the tension and intensity built up on screen will keep audiences content. If the Dishfire reports are getting too real for you, head down to your local theatre and watch Jack Ryan take on the international villains instead.

Kenneth Branagh a Shakespearean Friendly Actor/Director is Always an Interesting Filmmaker. His Dead Again (1991) is an Overlooked Neo-Noir that just Snaps with Style. Branagh is Behind and In Front of the Camera in this Modern Update of the Tom Clancy Cold Warrior.

This is a Spy Movie of the Old School with Very Limited CGI as it goes for the Suspense Thing and does it Quite Well. It Moves at a Rapid Pace and has Enough Set Up to Reinsert the Character and the Today of a Wall Street Ticking Time Bomb.

The Russians are Still the Bad Guys here and there is some Chatter about Afghanistan and how it Chews Up the Gung-Ho Kids of Superpowers. The Trio of Lead Alpha-Male Actors Chris Pine, Branagh, and Kevin Costner as a Military-Cia Veteran are all Called to Duty and Serve Admirably.

Not So for the Female (Keira Knightley) and it Might be a Case of Miscasting but the Character (Ryan's Finance) Comes Off as a Toothy Whine and the Expression Never Seems to Change in Ever Changing Situations.

Overall Die-Hard Action Fans may be Disappointed but this is a Refreshing Diversion from All the Overblown Stuff that Lands in the Multiplexes and Disc Machines. A Perfectly Professional, Tightly Wound Restart of a Character that did have His Day. Time will Tell if this Clancy Stuff will have Any Weight with Moderns.

Before I write anything I should make it clear that I've never read any of Tom Clancy's books. Perhaps if I had I'd better understand the negative reviews. It certainly wasn't as good as the Bourne movies, but I did enjoy it for the most part. There were some clichés, but if you aren't a die-hard fan of Jack Ryan I'd wager you would be entertained by the film.

This reboot feels like a knockoff similar to A Good Day To Die Hard. Both have chase scenes in Moscow and both were made relatively cheaply, well this one even more so. What disappointed me most was the attention to detail that Clancy was always famous for. A great deal is smoothed over to forward the plot in it's brisk pace. Previous Ryan films were capable of bringing depth to the peril and stakes as the players made their moves. Where previous Ryan films had large political stakes that brought real tension, the stakes here seem to be more economic than fear for great loss and limb, although the third act implies some mayhem. In general you can't really compare this cheap knockoff to a minor tent pole film that has a big enough budget to have a larger scope and sexier action scenes. The car chase is too generic in jump camera shots, etc. to feel much tension. But other spy thriller moments do thrill, so I will give this film enough credit to deliver on some of the goods. Another unflattering comparison is the Bourne Legacy reboot. It also suffered from lack of budget for a decent action punch.

Pine as Ryan is less inspired for me. Perhaps because his face has been seen quite a bit lately, or his characterisation has less depth. Same goes for the mentor character played by Kevin Costner. There is too little meat to chew on. A better move would have added a few more wrinkles (not necessarily plot twists), such as more than just a few shots of the terrorism plot brewing in the United States. I would support a sequel to this reboot if a better budget with some more meat pieces, and a story that is fleshed out better. I believe director Branagh is a capable but not exceptional director, and some scenes slightly miss the mark. The overall slick look that is also a trademark to Ryan films is missing here, although the production design is not lacking. My final analysis is that this is a film not based on a Tom Clancy novel that is an average of 900 pages of background, substance, and real drama. That lack of depth makes this thriller too transparent.

When Ryan and fiancé meet the Russian for dinner, Jack tried to fill his wine glass from a carafe and spills some which left the carafe empty. Next shot he is filling his glass again and the carafe still has wine in it.

Tom Clancy's durable creation Jack Ryan rides again in this well written (Adam Cozad and David Koepp) and well directed (Kenneth Branagh) new version – JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT. Previous actors Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck all contributed their own versions of this bright and clever and strong willed intrigue hero, but Chris Pine steps in now and may be the best choice for future incarnations of the character. He is a solid actor, maintains a boyish innocence beneath his bifurcated roles as a near PhD in Economics and as a CIA analyst. His supporting cast is essentially on target and together they make this one of the better Jack Ryan adventures to date. This is Tom Clancy's last film as a writer before his death on October 1, 2013.

The film begins when Ryan (Chris Pine) was attending the London School of Economics and 9/11 happened. He enlisted in the USMC and was assigned to Afghanistan. His helicopter was shot down and Ryan saved his comrades but suffered severe spinal injuries that would require intense rehab: in rehab he is guided by 3rd year med student Cathy (Keira Knightley) and there is a definite chemistry. While there, he is noted by a man named Harper (Kevin Costner), who works for the CIA and would like him to finish his studies and get a job on Wall Street so he can find out of any terrorist plot through their finances. A few years later, Ryan finds anomalies in the accounts of a Russian named Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh). Jack knows he should go to Russia to investigate his findings and Harper instructs him to tell no one, including his now live-in girlfriend Cathy. Cathy observes situations which make her doubt Jack's fidelity. Jack goes to Russia and Cherevin assigns him a Bodyguard (Nonso Anozie) but upon escorting Jack to his lush hotel room the bodyguard attempts of murder Jack and jack drowns him in the bathtub. Obvious Cherevin is hiding something so Jack goes to meet him, and he says he will bring his fiancé along. But Cathy shows up and Jack has to tell her the truth. Harper says Cathy has to go with Jack when she meets Cherevin. Jack doesn't want her to but Cathy says she's going. So the action begins that leads to the climax – a very fast paced, excellent chase and resolution.

Other fine actors add to the story - Colm Feore, Alec Utgoff, Lenn Kudrjawizki, Mikhail Baryshnikov among many others. The urgent musical score is the work of Patrick Doyle and the cinematography is by Haris Zambarloukos. It is interesting to see how people are mentioning subjects like Keira Knightley's teeth and Chris Pine's complexion. Both are unrelated 'flaws' in this fine little film.

This Jack Ryan was more involved in events rather by choice as oppose accidents. Compared to the Ryan of Ford and Affleck this Ryan was more equipped for fighting than using his brains.

The acting was good, the interaction between characters was very good, the fight scenes and SFX were up to standard. Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans are your most popular bad guys these days and whats happened to the Crimea adds some weight to the story line.

Ryan is known for his cerebral power outsmarting his opponent or identifying solutions to problems. The movie was entertaining with lots of good fight scenes and technology but you could easily call be titled Mission Impossible or male version of SALT.

I've been a Tom Clancy fan for a long time. Loved the Hunt for Red October and Ford movies. This was just awful. I'm the type of person that has to finish what I've started so to turn off a movie means it was really bad.