Premise: While Jack Ryan is recovering from a helicopter crash, he is recruited as a CIA analyst and must take down a dastardly Russian businessman. Starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, and Kenneth Branagh. Directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Pros: In wiping the slate clean, the makers of Shadow Recruit had to pick a good Jack Ryan. Chris Pine, sure enough, does a fine job. I’ve always liked him in the Star Trek franchise, but other than that I haven’t seen him that I really liked. Here, he’s given another chance to shine in what might be a second franchise. We’ve seen him as the hot-blooded Captain Kirk, but here he plays a different beast, a calm, (mostly) collected secret agent who’s a consummate professional.
The film starts out a bit slow, but when it gets going it’s quite fun. It may not exactly do much new, but Shadow Recruit does have some bite, especially in non-action espionage scenes.
One thing that annoys me in action films is an unnecessary love interest. Every time I see a love interest that’s just kind of there, I gag, even if they’re not especially annoying as characters. However, Keira Knightley’s Cathy isn’t like that. She’s cunning, resourceful, and can actually help Ryan. A nice change of pace.
Cons: Kenneth Branagh really needs to work on his action directing. Oddly enough, I thought he did a fine job directing Thor, including the action. But here, the action is average at best. At its worst, it’s unbearably shaky and lacks the smooth touch of, say, the Marvel franchise. In an action film, you’ve got to have good…well, you know. It’s in the name. But here, I was sorely disappointed.
And then there’s Kenneth Branagh the actor. I think he’s a great actor. Fans of his version of Hamlet already know that. But here, he plays a typical cartoonish Russian villain. At times it’s fun, at others it’s very distracting. He’s so evil that even the Devil himself would throw him right out of Hell. He’s introduced hitting a henchman! I mean, come on! And that accent? Please.
Verdict: Overall, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a fun movie despite sub-par action and an uninteresting villain. To stay on the safe side, I’m gonna give it a 6/10.
Pierce at the Movies 