Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

Content by Tony Macklin. Originally published on January 22, 2014 @ tonymacklin.net.

In Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, actor/director Kenneth Branagh comes up with a new form: IMAX-EGO.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a film that reels, stumbles, slides, and jerks. Behind the curtain - and in front of it - is Branagh. He gives himself a very generous amount of screen time. He loves close-ups of himself.

Branagh probably was tempted to go shirtless in some scenes, but thought better of it. So instead he limits Chris Pine to one brief shirtless scene, so that Pine doesn't draw unnecessary attention.

Branagh may remind one of a Charlie Rose interview, where the answers are unimportant. Only Charlie's questions matter.

Branagh portrays Russian minister Viktor Cherevin. He plays him broadly. And the only surprise in the entire film is a sudden action by Cherevin.

I'm sure Branagh would have preferred the title Victor Cherevin: Shadow Minister. But he's stuck with Ryan.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is the tale of a young Jack Ryan (Chris Pine), who is studying at the London School of Business when his country is struck on 9/11. That motivates him to join the military. After being severely wounded in Afghanistan, Jack undergoes a lengthy rehab, meets nurse Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley), and is recruited by CIA honcho Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner).

Ten years later, Jack - Pine looks ten days older - goes to Wall Street on a covert assignment to keep track of money that might be going to terrorists. He discovers what may be a plot, and is sent to Russia to uncover what information is hidden in their computers. In Russia, Jack gets in a battle of wits with Cherevin (Branagh eats scenery like Borscht).

Throughout the film, composer Patrick Doyle nearly buries Jack Ryan alive. He covers our squirming hero under tons of music. Doyle, who has worked with Kenneth Branagh in the past, slathers the film and its intrepid CIA analyst with unrelenting music. Branagh and he seem to think music equals suspense.

Filmmakers today often substitute music for sense. And Branagh's concept of action is blurry motion.

The skimpy screenplay by novice Adam Cozard and veteran David Koepp doesn't help. In one scene in a movie theater, which serves as a drop site, it's a bit hard to rationalize their showing previews on the screen of Sorry, Wrong Number when that is the movie showing there.

Even less reasonable is a scene in a mobile crisis center as New York faces attack, when nurse Cathy leaps up and tells the agents that the building Jack works in is on the screen. They didn't seem to recognize it. Oh, those sly writers.

Although the writing is mediocre and the direction is haphazard, the cast is generally appealing. Chris Pine makes a pleasantly boyish Jack Ryan. Kevin Costner underplays effectively. Let him direct next time, and they'll be a next time. Keira Knightley bounces between winsome loyalty and dour disdain.

But as we're informed on the screen: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a Kenneth Branagh film.

Agh.