Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

1/11/2023

Chris Pine does a really good job, brings his A-Game. Keira Knightley, well, OK, she is pretty under-rated and ALWAYS seems to bring her A-Game even to the worst possible movies.... and she brought her A-Game again. And Kevin Costner, well he can be off the mark every now and again, but he seemed to try his best to make this movie good. And that is why it's watchable. Pine, Knightley, and Costner all bring their best games to this film and do their absolute best to make Shadow Recruit a good movie.... .... and this is despite the HORRIBLE SCRIPT and mostly incompetent direction. Branagh has always been a better actor than he ever was a director, and when it comes to a movie that needs to be taunt and stressful.... they needed someone else. But then, they also needed a script

8/4/2024

Chris Pine takes on the mantle of the eponymous US intelligence officer who survives an helicopter crash in the Mediterranean Sea only to be recruited by "Harper" (Kevin Costner) into the community at Langley where he is to investigate dodgy financial activities. It's this task that alerts him to the dubious antics of "Cherevin" (Kenneth Branagh) who seems to be mis-declaring his accounts and syphoning off large sums. Why? Well the conspiracy theorists readily believe his suggestion that this is all part of a not very cunning plan to destabilise the dollar and bankrupt his United States. "Ryan" is to be sent to Moscow but that poses two problems. He's just an analyst and reluctant to take to the field, and his rather possessive girlfriend "Cathy" (Keira Knightley) suspects that he's at it!