Z/Web

Author: Tom Clancy

Excellent film. I don’t remember hearing much about this in the theaters, but I wish I’d gone. It’s great on DVD, though, with surround sound to capture the awesome nuclear explosion. Ben Affleck as the young Jack Ryan is great, and the script really sets him up correctly as being both young and precocious. The plot involves a stolen nuclear bomb that ends up being detonated by terrorists in the U.S. in an effort to provoke war between the U.S. and Russia, and it almost works except for Jack Ryan’s interference. Intelligent and thoughtful writing, with good performances. I’ve never the book (though I want to now), and I gather this is different, but I still like it. I hated the last one (Clear and Present Danger) but this one definitely reinvents the franchise and I look forward to more.

A predictable plot, this goes a little slow for my tastes. It’s about an 11-year-old boy in Northern England who decides to become a ballet dancer. His dad and older brother are miners on strike and of course can’t stand the thought of him being a sissy boy. The boy must learn to stand up and fight for his dream. Well done, with excellent acting (the boy is great in the lead), but way too much fighting and swearing for such a feel-good film (I certainly wouldn’t call this a family film). And while visually impressive, the pace is slow for such a predictable plot. It’s good at 2x on DVD, though (turn on subtitles and you won’t miss anything).