Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Phil Alden Robinson, Paramount Pictures, PG 124 Minutes.
Directed by ‘Sneakers’ filmmaker Phil Alden Robinson, ‘The Sum of All Fears’ is the fourth exciting Jack Ryan movie in the enthralling four-part series featuring Ben Affleck (‘Argo’) as the lead character replacing Harrison Ford in two previous productions.
As the story opens a fighter jet is shot down in 1973 during the Arab-Israeli conflict and an intact nuclear bomb is buried in the desert only to be found by an Arab scrap metal dealer.
It is then sold to international arms dealer Olson (Colm Feore – ‘Chicago’) and in turn offered – for a price – to Dressler (Alan Bates – ‘Meanwhile’) the leader of an extremist faction group in Russia, who has orchestrated the death of former Russian President Zorkin.
At the same time CIA analyst Ryan is called to Washington by Director Cabot (Morgan Freeman – ‘The Dark Knight’) to provide details on the new Russian President Nemerov (Ciaran Hinds – ‘Munich’) besides accompanying Cabot on his visit to Russia.
On learning of the disappearance of three top nuclear scientists Ryan is sent back to Russia in a covert operation, together with CIA operative John Clark (Liev Schreiber – ‘Salt’) where they find them murdered – and the bomb shipped to a stadium.
Unable to prevent the nuclear explosion Ryan attempts to convince US President Fowler (James Cromwell – ‘Space Cowboys’) that the Russians were not responsible but was actually part of Dressler’s plan to provoke a nuclear confrontation between the US and Russia.
At first Fowler is cautious about the advice and places the military on a war footing as does Russian President Nemerov having been driven to take this course of action by certain hard-line generals including one loyal to Dressler.
Racing against time Ryan is finally able to get a message to Nemerov explaining Dressler’s grave plan with a plea to stand down his military just prior to the missile silos opening and the launching of the strategic bombers.
In adapting Tom Clancy’s surreal political thriller Robinson has certainly injected a captivating and intense storyline of a possible nuclear crisis that is filled with many suspenseful scenes deserving of Clancy’s original intention.
Apart from Robinson’s clever direction as well as the pleasing performances from such prominent stars as Morgan, Cromwell and Affleck it would have been far better if Ford had been chosen to once again portray Ryan in this enjoyable thriller.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 ½ Stars
Sum Of All Fears is being televised on Channel9 at 8.30pm on Friday 26 November.
