JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT
Starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
It may be a post-9/11 landscape but there is still ample appetite for CIA analyst-turned-spy Jack Ryan in todays movie world.
Late author Tom Clancys iconic character has been played by three previous actors (Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck) in four separate films. This time around, rising star Chris Pine teams up with Thor director Kenneth Branagh (who also serves as the main villain) for a complete reboot.
After a brisk setup that cuts right to the chase, we see Jack get shot down in a helicopter while serving in Afghanistan, complete some lengthy rehab after sustaining serious injuries and finally go to work for the CIA as a covert analyst who uncovers a Russian plot to collapse the U.S. Economy.
Casting is always key and Shadow Recruit gets full marks in that department Pine proves a formidable and genuinely likeable hero while Keira Knightley provides some beauty with brains. Kevin Costner establishes the mentor role extremely well.
The films story doesnt reinvent the wheel but recalls what audiences love about the Bond or Bourne franchises. Unfortunately, the action sequences are far too frantically edited to register any sense of what is happening on screen. Thankfully though, Shadow Recruit has enough intelligence and old-school thrills to compensate.
