Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - Review

Director: Kenneth Branagh Writers: Adam Cozad, David Koepp Studios: Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, di Bonaventura Pictures, Mace Neufeld Productions, Buckaroo Entertainment, Etalon Film, Translux Cast: Chris Pine, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner Release Date (UK): 24 January 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 105 min

Though touted as the big reboot of the “Jack Ryan” franchise, “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” is technically the third rejig for Tom Clancy’s all-American Cold War super-spy. Originally played by Alec Baldwin in 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October,” he was given a face-lift in 1992, reborn as the grizzled and commanding Harrison Ford for “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger” and then again in the younger form of Ben Affleck for 2002’s “The Sum of All Fears” (the film everyone remembers for the scene in which a football stadium is nuked to smithereens and not much else). Now Chris Pine steps into Ryan’s boots for what could be considered the “Casino Royale” of the “Jack Ryan” series, a modern-day origin story taking us back to our hero’s first day on the job.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, “Shadow Recruit” takes us on Ryan’s first mission as a covert CIA analyst: while working undercover at Wall Street he notices some fishy goings-on at the Russian stock market, where trillions of dollars have mysteriously vanished. Travelling to Moscow, he uncovers a terrorist plot headed by crazed Russian oligarch Viktor Cheverin (Branagh), who plans to bomb Manhattan and cripple the US economy. Guided by Kevin Costner's CIA honcho, Ryan works to stop Cheverin before his plan is fulfilled. And as if dodging hitmen and sneaking into badguy headquarters wasn’t enough, Ryan’s girlfriend Cathy (Keira Knightley) turns up out of the blue, suspecting her bf is having an affair, and learns of his secret CIA career.

Branagh brings little to the table that hasn’t been brought before by countless other spy thrillers — like its title, “Shadow Recruit” is awfully generic. Disappointing, given the bang-up job Branagh did in bringing Marvel's “Thor” to the big screen, though on-screen as the aggressively Russian Cheverin he does make for a chillingly intimidating villain. Pine brings to Ryan the same kind of smarts and agility he brought to his Captain Kirk, if less personality — a clearly established character, Jack Ryan’s only weakness! In fact, the whole film seems to be in need of its own identity: there's a bathroom punch-up that seems ripped straight from Bourne, the plot appears to be swiped from an Ian Fleming novel and the film has a general air of blandness that it never quite overcomes. “Shadow Recruit” isn't terrible: it diverts for its runtime and runs smoothly enough. But in the wake of the “Bourne” trilogy and “Skyfall” this is hardly remarkable, too safe and too familiar — maybe another reboot is in order for Jack?

Rating: 5/10