Taking place in a Jason Bourne-esque world full of intrigue, assassinations and potential political calamity, Jack Ryan (Chris Pine, “Star Trek”) finds himself a little out of his league in the new film “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” The movie follows Ryan from a university in London to a bank in Moscow 13 years later. By this time, Ryan has fought as a Marine and been recruited as an analyst for the CIA. Though “Jack Ryan” is a similar spy thriller to all the rest, it proves to be an interesting way to spend two hours with the excellent acting from its major stars.
After noticing some disguised Russian accounts at the bank where he works, Ryan speaks to his CIA contacts, expecting the government institution to send some agents to Moscow. Instead, Ryan is sent on the mission himself, much to the dismay of his physical therapist-turned-girlfriend, Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley, “Pride and Prejudice”). Not used to the world of deceit in which he suddenly finds himself entwined, Ryan gets a rude awakening when the private driver that picks him up at the airport attempts to kill him. Soon after, Ryan meets with Viktor Cheverin (Kenneth Branagh, “Hamlet”), the head of the Russian bank with the disguised accounts. There, he discovers that Russia intends to commit gigantic economic sabotage against the United States.
Pine as Ryan is every other covert operative, adding only a bit of flair with the backstory of injury sustained while fighting in Afghanistan. He is driven simply by a need to survive, and later, after Muller’s arrival in Russia, a need to protect the woman he loves. The truly phenomenal acting comes from a scene with Knightley and Branagh: Cherevin had kidnapped Muller and, in an attempt to discern if Ryan had informed the U.S. of his plans, threatens to kill Muller. Cherevin’s face is inches from Muller’s, forcing a lightbulb into her mouth which he intends to use to kill her. Tears drip from her eyes, voice strangling against fear, not believing that Ryan will get to her in time. Cheverin spends the entire film being especially malicious, from the first scene where he beats a doctor to a pulp for missing a vein while administering medicine to the last. Though the reality of such psychopathy is not probable, it strikes a note of fear in the audience.
“Jack Ryan” makes no great strides in cinema with a very typical plot for the genre, different from the others only through which country the villain comes from this time around. This film is also a reboot of the Ryan franchise, a series of books by Tom Clancy that begin with “The Hunt for Red October” in 1984, though this is the first movie not based on a specific novel. The film’s objective is not to create a vast number of questions about humanity or win a volume of awards, but rather to provide intense, edge-of-your-seat action for its 106 minutes. Even though this genre is not well known for its realism, “Jack Ryan” does make some attempts—depicting Ryan’s struggle to walk post-back injury, Muller’s insight and the lack of knowledge Ryan has about combat situations. Yet suspended realism can only go so far.
“Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” is an amusing enough film for those looking for a quick escape at the movies. There will probably be a sequel, as with most rebooted franchises, so if viewers miss out on Ryan the first time around, the second will probably suffice.
