FOR MOVIE AWARD SHOW LOVERS DONT' FORGET TONIGHT ON TBS AND TNT THE SAG   (SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS) AT 8 PM. I AM ROOTING FOR

                              MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY AND JARED LETO!!!

Chris Pine is following in the footsteps of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Afflick in playing Jack Ryan, a character created by the late novelist Tom
Clancy, and though he is good looking and has the most beautiful blue
eyes since Paul Newman, he doesn't have the gravitas of the actors mentioned and,
hopefully, that will come as he ages. As this is a prequel it sort of
throws off all that happened in the other 3 pictures as this takes place
in the mid 2000s just before the recession hits.

Pine, as Jack, obviously has the smarts to deal with all the modern technical equipment which
seems to be used in so many modern action films. We watch him as he
watches the 9/11 attack while attending school which he quits to join
the Marines, and being in the hospital from a helicopter crash in
Afghanistan, is recruited by a veteran CIA, William Harper, played very efficiently by Kevin Costner.

We next see Jack living with Cathy Muller, played by Keira Knightley, who had nursed him back to health and is now a doctor, who refuses to marry him--but that's
another movie! He is now working as a financial analyst on Wall Street
trying to track unknown deposits. Next we see him in Moscow and meet the
villain of the movie, Viktor Cheverin, played by Kenneth Branagh,
who also directed the film which may explain a few lingering shots on
him. He has lost a son, for Russia, is heavy into medications and is
hoping to bring down the value of the American dollar and at the same
time hold another terrorist attack on Manhattan.

This is an action film and, except for a few 'love scenes' between Pine and Knightley, there are many car chases, explosions, long walks along, between and on buildings which all feature glass elevators.

As
an action film you can, as I usually do, sit back in the middle of the
movie, forget what all the mislaid plans are about, and just enjoy the
actors and the action on the film. Do you really have to know why Cathy
won't marry Jack but lives with him fir years? Can you guess what will
happen to Viktor?
Does it all mean anything except for 105 minutes---yes, a film that
doesn't run overlong for no purpose at all--of being entertained,
looking at Pine's blue eyes, watching old pros like Costner and Branagh and not caring if Knightley says anything as long as she looks great?
This is a fun, spy, action movie that may provide Chris Pine with a second franchise, along with the Star Trek movies, but not something you have to see.