The Sum of all Fears

Starring Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Liev Schrieber, James Cromwell and Bridget Moynahan

The sum total here is extremely disappointing. Tom Clancy’s novel, heavily adapted to fit in Ben affleck as a younger Jack Ryan (following in the footsteps of Harrison Ford is no laughing matter) simply never adds up. There is not one single plot twist in this espionage/terrorist thriller that isn’t telegraphed half an hour ahead of time. The film makers are cheaply, in my opinion, playing on new American fears and concerns about terrorist activity, and giving us a story where we can win against them simply because its what we all want so desperately to do. The reinvention of Ryan as a younger man, and the story about he and his wife’s early romantic stages provides an interesting thread only if you’ve seen and enjoyed the other Jack Ryan films, and in the end, it simply reminds you how much better they were than this one. 1 cell phone, don’t bother folks.