Although I'm not familiar with Clancy's books or any of the Jack Ryan films, I had really high expectations for this movie—mainly due to Amazon Prime's gripping Jack Ryan series adaptation. I figured there would be no shortage of flying bullets, car explosions or hand-to-hand combat, and thankfully, I wasn't wrong.
Just a few seconds into the film's opening scene, I was wide-eyed and hungry for more action. John and his team are stealth like ninjas as they work together to rescue a CIA operative held hostage in Syria. And just three months later, someone begins to target everyone who participated in the mission, leading to the death of John's wife (played by Lauren London) and their unborn child. Naturally, what ensues are a string of deadly confrontations, fiery explosions and the unraveling of a secret conspiracy. Still, as entertained as I was by these action sequences, I was even more captivated by Jordan's performance.
Even while he's fuming and hell-bent on revenge, the 34-year-old actor is quite charismatic. I loved seeing his character display such bravery with the team, but I was especially moved by John's emotional reaction to his wife's death. The unbridled rage in his screams when he revisits the crime scene, the pain in his voice when he insists that it was all his fault—all of it felt so intense and so raw.
As for the plot itself, it did feel a tad formulaic. From the beginning, I had a nagging suspicion that turned out to be true, so that big "twist" towards the end didn't really have the desired effect. However, I did enjoy the few moments of suspense and the chemistry between the main characters. Would I say it's worth the watch? Well, take it from someone who is clueless about the books—Jordan will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
