Film Review: Jack Ryan, Shadow Recruit

Someone decided we needed to see the process by which Tom Clancy's iconic Jack Ryan character earned his combat chops, met his future wife, and was recruited by the CIA. By golly, whoever got that idea was right.

The film shares the relentless breakneck pacing of the Bourne films and similar action thrillers. It is a headlong sprint from start to finish. The other DrC and I enjoyed it.

Kenneth Branagh directed the film, starring Chris Pine (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Princess Diaries 2) as the young Jack Ryan, Kevin Costner as his CIA "control," Keira Knightly as the doctor who becomes his fiancee, and Branagh himself as a villainous Russian patriot.

All four stars do a good job, particularly Branagh who is a Shakespearean actor of note but versatile as blazes. Remember his smarmy over-the-top Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

BTW, am I the only one who wonders why Keira Knightly doesn't have her teeth straightened? She's cute in spite of it, which is perhaps the idea, but it's vaguely distracting. We're accustomed to screen personalities being more-or-less flawless.