This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Thank You For Your Service
Plot Overview
After serving heroically in
Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11, Lt. John P. “Jack” Ryan
is tapped by the CIA for undercover analyst work on Wall Street.
Says his recruiter/handler Commander William Harper (Kevin Costner):
“You have to keep it to yourself. Your employers won't
know you work for us. The people you love won't know you do,
either.” His boss thinks that as a compliance officer he tries
too hard, that he's in danger of being too reckless, of rocking the
boat as it were, when he traipses off to Moscow to pursue a hidden
anomaly in a partner's books. His girlfriend Cathy Muller (Keira
Knightley) thinks he's seeing someone else when he refuses to get
together with her in Paris once he's over there.
Ryan's inner James Bond emerges when
he acquires a glorified driver & bodyguard in the host company's
security officer Embee Deng (Nonso Anozie) a big buck Negro who's
the proverbial friend who obviates the need for any enemies. Then
since Jack is johnny-on-the-spot he gets to be the one (“You're
not just an analyst anymore, you're operational”) to penetrate
the office and breach the computer of bad guy Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth
Branagh) to discover his plot to blow up a section of New York's financial
district and concurrently dump veiled American debt on the
unsuspecting market to provoke a runaway sell-off collapsing
America's economy. And guess whose girlfriend on a surprise visit
(“grand gesture”) to check up on her peripatetic
lover gets to be the distraction.
Ideology
It's up for grabs how their romantic adventure will turn out, but
that's nothing new.
(Prov.
30:18-19) “There be three things which are too wonderful for
me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of
a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the
way of a man with a maid.” The writer of this proverb juxtaposed
three hard-to-track movements with romantic intrigue: a soaring eagle,
a slithering snake, and a tossed-about ship. “Jack Ryan”
employs images from the same three venues to prepare the viewer for the
unanticipated love machinations.
“The way of an eagle in the air”
corresponds to a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Jack has to work at the
relationship as he does with his physical therapy afterwards. The
missile strike shook up the passengers like potatoes in a lunch pail, but
it fortunately didn't explode on impact. Hang in there, buddy.
“The way of a serpent upon a rock” corresponds to Jack tossing his dirty clothes on the floor as if they will put themselves away. When Cathy folds Jack's pants over her arm preparatory to hanging them up, a ticket stub from the movie Jack saw in order to pass some documents in the dark drops onto the floor. Cathy being unaware of Jack's secret life suspects the worst.
“The way of a ship in the midst
of the sea” corresponds to Jack's mad drive to the river in
a van with a ticking time bomb in the back and a terrorist busy trying
to override the timer so he can trigger it himself. When
Cathy has the goods and Jack has to tell her something, will
it destroy their relations or be a cushioned shock?
Production Values
“” (2014) was directed by British Kenneth Branagh who in it played Russian villain Viktor Cherevin. It was written by Adam Cozad and David Koepp using characters developed by Tom Clancy in several of his novels. It stars Chris Pine, Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley. Other actors include Kenneth Branagh, Lenn Kurjawizki, Alec Utgoff, Peter Andersson, Elena Velikanova, Nonso Anozie, Seth Ayott, Colm Feore, Gemma Chan, and (uncredited) Mikhail Baryshnivkov. The picture's support cast gave excellent performances. Pine's version of Jack Ryan made him seem a real patriot developing hidden talents. He and Knightley had good chemistry together. Costner's character exudes experience, not all of it painlessly acquired. Branagh's brutal character loved his son and appreciated a beautiful cathedral. Go figure.
MPAA rated it PG–13 for sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language. The runtime of 1¾ hours seems meant to give a foretaste of action films to follow. There are good background settings, impressive spy technology, and swift legerdemain.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
The would-be spy's love interest is of a questionable shared response. Is she leading him on or does she really care? As a third year med student is she taunting him in order to improve his physical therapy results or is it from a personal interest? Later she wears her ring in a restaurant but must necessarily remove it when performing (eye) surgery. In Moscow she leaves it in the hotel room but Jack brings it with him as if being used to such tricks. This is supposed to be for benefit of the driver to make her seem more available to the guy he reports to and whom she'll be in a better position to distract if she appears less committed to her fellow. Is she cohabiting with Jack or does she just stop by for convenience? If it's a religious hospital she's with, she might be the kind of prude they attract. We can think of her as a good girl if we want; the movie doesn't demand otherwise. The tensions in her relations with Jack go right along with the tensions in Jack's line of work making this film a winner.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability for Children: Suitable for children 13+ years with guidance. Special effects: Amazing special effects. Video Occasion: Good Date Movie. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Five stars out of five.
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