For thriller-lovers seeking a fresh twist on a classic Tom Clancy character, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a well-executed depiction of Clancy’s original vision.

However, for casual moviegoers, it’s not much more than just another action flick: fast-paced and entertaining, but predictable.

The movie begins with Jack Ryan (Chris Pine), a math prodigy, studying at the London School of Economics. Jack is between classes when he passes people huddled around a television. Jack looks, and the camera pans to footage of the World Trade Center towers, burning in the aftermath of the September 11^th attacks.

This is the first deviation from the original Jack Ryan story, as, in a manner similar to the James Bond franchise’s 2000s reboot, Shadow Recruit places a familiar character in newer, more modern circumstances.

The film then moves to Afghanistan, where Jack, now a Marine, is in a helicopter following a mission. The helicopter is shot down, and Ryan miraculously survives, though doctors say he may never walk again.

Ryan is rehabbing back in the United States when he catches the eye of Thomas Harper. Harper, observing Jack’s smarts and drive from afar, eventually confronts him about joining the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA will be able to place Jack on Wall Street with a financial analysis job that will allow him to track suspected terrorist plots.

Ryan, still eager to serve his country, agrees.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit again flashes forward, this time to downtown Manhattan. This was one of the frustrating aspects of the movie, because though skipping some time was necessary to set up the majority of the film, the movie bounced from London, to Afghanistan, to Maryland, and, finally, to New York City, a span no longer than fifteen minutes.

It was also unclear how much time was supposed to have passed when Jack was rehabbing, and how long he had been at his company. The impression that the audience gets is that Jack has been in NYC for about three or four years, which would set the film in about 2008 or 2009; however, Jack is shown using a Nokia Lumia several times, a phone that came out in the fall of 2011.

Once in NYC, Ryan is well-liked and well-respected at his company, but still doing undercover work for the CIA. He finds that an account named Cherevin, based in Russia, is suddenly hidden from his company’s network.

Jack and Harper discover that the accounts are a part of a larger conspiracy to bring the American economy to its knees. They and their team must find a way to foil the conspiracy and save America from what Jack calls “the second Great Depression.”

A pleasant surprise of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was the quality of the acting by its star. Chris Pine, though unflappable in fighting scenes, did well in showing the confusion and worry that someone thrown into his situation might.

Another good thing was the finance-based attack. It was a wise move for writers Adam Cozad and David Koepp, as it allowed the movie to highlight the chess game of international politics. Additionally, an economics-central plot reflected more present-day anxieties.

Cozad and Koepp also devised a logical and largely believable plotline, something that many action movies struggle with. The perfect coordination of the CIA team, which was exhibited over and over, became a little difficult to believe, however.

Additionally, the action scenes were well-shot, blending chaotic and shaky shots that imitated real fighting and shots that allowed the viewer to understand what was going on. The brilliant strategies of Jack and his team allowed for limited but more believable gun fighting.

However, about mid-way through the movie, the antagonist’s plan is clear, so Jack and his team are able to attack it with ease. Shadow Recruit could have used a more creative twist to make the final segments of the movie more captivating.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a more modern take on the classics of action films. It moves quickly and employs a script that depends more on tactics than on gunfire. However, it can be hard to follow, and you can see the ending coming from a longs ways a way. It didn’t lurk in the shadows after all.

Published on February 4, 2014 at 10:38 pm