Ben Affleck has a go at playing Jack Ryan, the Tom Clancy hero, in "The Sum of All Fears," a 2003 film also starring Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Liev Schreiber, Alan Bates, and Bridget Moynihan. I'll admit I'm not familiar with the books, but it does seem that either the screenwriter or Clancy made this an earlier story - by Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, Jack, Harrison Ford in those films, is married to Cathy; here, they're just dating. Also, Affleck is younger than Ford. That's odd, because this film seems to be cashing in on 9/11, so it should really be after the other films...so I'm confused.
That's what I mean about this movie - I enjoyed it, but it's one of those things that, if you think about it, makes very little sense. Here, some sort of Nazi splinter group has purchased an old bomb and is making the Russians think that the U.S. has attacked them and vice versa. Amidst the chaos of a huge atomic explosion that wipes out a stadium, it's up to Jack to reach someone in power before they push the red button and each country wipes out the other, leaving the world free for - who, Germany? - to take over. Not that there will be much left.
There's a lot of action, and the movie goes fast enough so that you don't notice the holes right away.
Affleck is likable, but you'll have a hard time lining him up with the Jack Ryan of Ford. Alec Baldwin has also played Jack; that's maybe a closer comparison. James Cromwell is terrific as a no-nonsense President; Morgan Freeman underplays and is very good.
People that have read the book hate this movie, so if you've read the book, I wouldn't bother seeing this.
That's what I mean about this movie - I enjoyed it, but it's one of those things that, if you think about it, makes very little sense. Here, some sort of Nazi splinter group has purchased an old bomb and is making the Russians think that the U.S. has attacked them and vice versa. Amidst the chaos of a huge atomic explosion that wipes out a stadium, it's up to Jack to reach someone in power before they push the red button and each country wipes out the other, leaving the world free for - who, Germany? - to take over. Not that there will be much left.
There's a lot of action, and the movie goes fast enough so that you don't notice the holes right away.
Affleck is likable, but you'll have a hard time lining him up with the Jack Ryan of Ford. Alec Baldwin has also played Jack; that's maybe a closer comparison. James Cromwell is terrific as a no-nonsense President; Morgan Freeman underplays and is very good.
People that have read the book hate this movie, so if you've read the book, I wouldn't bother seeing this.