My Movie Review on Clear and Present Danger (Plus, a Bonus) · 12:41am Apr 1st, 2023
Greetings and salutations, my friends.
This is your top-of-the-line film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for my 290th film analysis, and for my 5th and final review on an installment of the Jack Ryan franchise, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Clear and Present Danger".
Considering the fact that this movie is directly based on the book of the same name, I hardly think a summary for it is necessary. The only things that I really believe should be mentioned are that the film features the final reprisals of Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, Anne Archer as Cathy, and James Earl Jones as Admiral Jim Greer. And that this was the last Jack Ryan film to be directed by Phillip Noyce, and to feature James Horner as the composer.
It's hard to believe, isn't it?
After all this time, I've finally come down to making what may be my final review on a member of the Jack Ryan franchise. Whether Paramount is ever going to make a new Jack Ryan film or more is something I don't know, but I'm not interested in checking out or reviewing the TV show starring John Krasinski as Ryan or the movies starring Michael B. Jordan as John Clark.
Anyway, looking back on "Clear and Present Danger", I think it was perhaps the very first Jack Ryan movie I ever saw, in that I watched it with my family back when I was really young. Of course, I couldn't understand the apparent situations back then, which I believe may have been because its themes and subject matter were things only adults could understand. Heck, the very time I started gaining an understanding of politics and economics was during my 20s, which helped me realize that the Jack Ryan series in general is geared more towards adults no matter the rating.
On the subject of this particular movie...
As with the other Jack Ryan movies I reviewed, the one thing I wasn't pleased with was the cussing. It wasn't as recurring, but the very times profanity was used caused me to get squeamish, particularly because there were some words that really shouldn't have been included in a PG-13 film.
Other than that, I wasn't very fond of Bob Ritter, the CIA Deputy Director of Operations. Don't get me wrong, Henry Czerny's portrayal was genuinely well-done, and he made great use of his character's dialogue. But, Ritter himself was infuriating, in large part because he had zero sense of personality and always came across as an angry individual with a tightly-screwed rear end. He's also hopelessly one-dimensional, because compared to President Bennet and James Cutter, he neither becomes regretful of his actions nor develops any signs of remorse.
Outside of these nitpicks, though, "Clear and Present Danger" was still an amazing film. A worthy successor of "Patriot Games" too, because it's the only film that directly continues after another.
For instance, the performances of the other cast members, characters, and character development were marvelous.
Reprising his role from "Patriot Games", Harrison Ford's portrayal and interpretation of Jack Ryan was as powerful as ever, and he projected so much depth that everything about his performance felt so natural, which is honestly another reason as to why I prefer Ford's work as the character over Alec Baldwin's interpretation and portrayal of the character in "The Hunt for Red October". The same can pretty much be said about James Earl Jones's reprisal of Admiral Greer, whose presence was instantly grappling even when his character's health was declining. Plus, both Jack Ryan and Admiral Greer had brilliant developments throughout the film, and they were still as lovable and three-dimensional as before.
Outside of Bob Ritter, the rest of the new characters were also quite awesome, and the performers who played them gave remarkable portrayals.
In fact, there are two new characters and additional performers that I'd like to particularly mention:
Villain-wise, Colonel Félix Cortez may not have been the most remarkable of the Jack Ryan antagonists. But, Cortez was still a welcoming successor to Sean Miller, and his craftiness, ambitions, & overall personality make him someone people should not underestimate. Joaquim de Almeida did a wonderful job portraying the part, and Cortez wasn't without development either.
If I had to pick what my all-time favorite of the new cast members and characters were, though, it'd be Willem Dafoe and his character of John Clark. Every time Clark was on the screen, Dafoe would instantly steal the show with his commanding presence and the sarcastic sense of humor he incorporated, and he projected every piece of dialogue he had with emotion that never seemed rehearsed. Clark himself had dynamic development throughout the film.
The direction by Phillip Noyce, and the screenplay by John Milius, Donald E. Stewart, and Steve Zaillain, were terrific as well.
When it came to making this movie an unpredictable, suspenseful, and action-packed thriller, Noyce & company brilliantly did just that. Every step of the way, I'd find myself on the edge of my seat, eagerly wanting to see what happens next and what the outcomes would be. The biggest reasons for why are because of how tension-filled things often got, as well how exhilarating the action sequences were. The film itself wasn't without its snippets of wit, and the dramatic scenes and emotional resonance it contained were all gut-wrenching in the best way.
The themes and morals of the story were likewise quite well-done, and so was the political subject matter. I loved how the film was teaching that governments in general should never be meddling in the affairs of other countries, even when one of its authority figures doesn't give a stamp of approval. It also taught the importance of upholding promises, the values of of loyalty and repaying it, and the importance of honoring one's country. Each of these things are what President Bennet, James Cutter, and Bob Ritter didn't do; the sad truth is, everything I mentioned is also what Joe Biden and his administration haven't been doing, and it was consistently proven that they're guilty of several shady dealings similar to what Bennet, Cutter, and Ritter did.
In conclusion, "Clear and Present Danger" may not be 100% perfect, but it's nevertheless an awesome movie to watch. It was a fitting finish for the involvements of Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, Anne Archer, Phillip Noyce, and James Horner, that's for sure.
So, I rate "Clear and Present Danger" 4½ out of 5 stars.
Before I conclude this post, I'd like to share with you guys an original painting I created a while back:
So, what do you guys think? Of this review? And my painting?
