It may be a reboot of a spy film, and it may have been one that was needed but it seems that the entire genre is still massively owned by either the brainy Bourne or the brawny Bond. Jack Ryan films have been floating around for quite a while now in one form or another, but none of them have been as exceptional as either of the world’s best known spies (thought not necessarily awful either).
Don’t get us wrong here, there is almost certainly enough room to manoeuvre with the secret spy genre, there is never a shortage of the need for a new action flick or a new hero to pin our hopes on, but somehow it has never really been achieved with Jack Ryan.
The character originates from a Tom Clancy series featuring the CIA agent. Originally beginning his career as a marine, Ryan is secretly recruited by the CIA to perform secret missions abroad. The film adaptations have included Clear and Present Danger and the Hunt for Red October, based on the first book in the series, both of which would be much better to check out than the latest film.
Shadow Recruit was always intended to reboot the series with a view to possible sequels. After this instalment, we might not see good old Jack for quite a while.
Given that the film is a reboot, we are treated to the reasons why Ryan signed on to the marines, updated to a recent event, the attack on the Twin Towers. Fast forward to a few years later, Ryan is on a mission in Afghanistan, a mission that goes horribly wrong, resulting in the end of his service and a long road back to recovery.
However, following a visit from Thomas Harper, Ryan joins the CIA and is re-assigned to Wall Street to keep an eye on large investments being made which could be traced back to terrorist organisations. When he notices something a little out of the ordinary, Ryan ends up in Moscow, out of his depth with a very powerful enemy on his tail.
There are no two ways about it, Shadow Recruit is probably one of those films that you should probably miss in the cinema and check out on DVD. Despite a reasonably good cast, the actual plot and the attempt on its behalf to try to out-act Bourne is almost laughable.
The script seems to be the main problem, there is absolutely no meat to any of the characters, Knightley, who is actually a fine actress, is woefully underused, as one critic described her “Ikea Knightley, flat-packed girlfriend.” On top of that, Pine is not really a great agent, certainly not a good secret agent; let’s face it, you would spot Chris Pine on a street pretty much anywhere, he’s certainly pretty to say the least. Kevin Costner’s Harper is about the only interesting character, yet another unexplored inclusion.
Then comes Branagh, a caricature of a Russian villain with one of the most crazy motivations for trying to bomb the States ever to hit the screen. How come no one ever wants to bomb anywhere else? No, just America. Why? Because that’s why. As a director, you expect a little bit more from him, considering his classical training and the fine instalment of the first Thor.
The action, though quite good when it gets to it, is very late in the game. In fact, it is about an hour in before there is anything really gets blown up, something that makes everything just that little bit more drawn out and boring.
There are quite a few fun scenes, although sometimes these come at the expense of the film. It’s fine, just not worth your ten euro.
