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8/7/2015 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit http://www.ourmovietalk.com/movies/jack-ryan-shadow-recruit/ 1/2 ourmovietalk.com http://www.ourmovietalk.com/movies/jack-ryan-shadow-recruit/ By admin August 8, 2015 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit By Debbie Elicksen Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a Paramount Pictures and Sundance Productions film (2014) based on the Tom Clancy novel. The script was written by Tony Peckman, Adam Cozad, and David Koepp. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also plays the Russian villain Viktor Cherevin. The story begins with Jack Ryan (Chris Pine ) signing up for duty after 9-11 and then getting shot down on a mission over Afghanistan. We see his therapist Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley ) work with him at the veterans’ hospital and then in the next frame, they’re living together. Ryan has been recruited by William Harper (Kevin Costner ) for a secret mission and he discovers the Russians are trying to collapse the United States economy with an elaborate plan. Those who love a good espionage thriller might enjoy parts of this movie but some of it might fall short. The storyline is good and so are some of the action parts. However, the relationship between Ryan and Cathy is sorely lacking. For one, it jumped from hello to a marriage proposal without any context in between, so Ryan’s frantic obsession in trying to rescue Cathy seems a bit off, especially when her character is one-dimensional at best. Cathy is somewhat unlikable, non-supportive, suspicious, and there isn’t much chemistry there. Branagh’s character Viktor was a welcome injection into the movie. Although my fondness for a Slavic accent might have had something to do with that appreciation. There are a lot of missing pieces to this flick, but the viewer can forgive most of them because of the moments of heightened action.
