How To Reboot A Franchise: Step 1: Hire Chris Pine ... "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit"

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

Rated PG-13 for language and violence

Starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Costner

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

The Story:

This is the story of how Jack Ryan (Pine) becomes an analyst for the CIA.  We will meet his mentor (Costner), his wife (Knightley) and even some pesky Russian villain (Branagh).  In short, this is the origin of America's James Bond.

So the question:

Is it worth it?

In a word: Yes.

While this is not The Hunt For Red October, this is clearly the best Jack Ryan we've been treated to in a generation. 

Honestly, I remember very little about the Ben Affleck version of the franchise, but perhaps that is for the best?

Branagh spins a tight tale behin the camera, while portraying the bad guy in front of it.  With Thor and now Jack Ryan under his belt, his days of being just a Shakespearean director are long gone.

Chris Pine steps in to the role of Jack Ryan, and does a nice job of making anyone that remembers the old movies forget Baldwin, Ford and Affleck.

Of course, this is a lot easier than stepping into the role of Kirk in Star Trek, but just like that franchise, a fresh coat of 21st century paint shows there are a lot of miles left in these franchises.

The only real problem...

Will audiences tire of seeing Chris Pine in everything?

Adding Costner as Ryan's mentor works nicely.  They now have a character that could be spun into his own movies if the mood strikes, either prequels or sequels with or without Ryan as the partner.

Anyway, a good first effort, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Not a bad reboot to the franchise.  I'd be willing to own/watch it again.

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 33 ~ The Hunt for Red October

A movie I not only own, I saw it for the first time in the theater.  Though until I saw it at home, I was under the impression that the entire movie was just some crazy dream, because I had missed the opening scene where Alec Baldwin explains that he can never sleep on an airplane.

So yeah, I walked out a little disappointed the first time I saw it!

The Jack Ryan franchise began here.  Not sure what is truth and what is fiction after all these years...

Harrison Ford was originally offered the part, but didn't like that Connery would receive top billing... which seems strange since they had just worked together on The Last Crusade.  Either way, Ford would get the part later, but those movies just don't hold a candle to this one.

Maybe it's the screen presence of Sean Connery... maybe a tighter script...  maybe a little less focus on Jack Ryan...

Either way, this is a heckuva thrill ride from start to finish.

For those that have never seen it:

A Russian submarine captain decides to defect to America, taking his state of the art submarine and officers with him in the process.

The Americans think he's attacking, so they set out to sink him.  The Russians are also out to sink him.

But one man thinks he knows the truth...and they have to try and save him.

Directed by John McTiernan...the man has only directed a total of 11 films in his career, but nearly all of them are exceptional films to watch, and there is one still to come on the countdown.

The film is an all-star cast, with no stunt casting or people wasted in their roles.  They all take a back seat to the story, and you'll sit glued to your seat enjoying it...regardless of how many times you've watched it.

It is available to stream from Netflix as of this review.