Happy 2014,
everyone! I know we’re more than three weeks in, but this is my first blog of
the New Year, so I hope I find you all well and sticking to your resolutions!
One of my
New Year’s resolutions was to see more movies in the theater. I know January is the month where movies go
to die, but their trailers make me want to see them. Maybe the Academy should
start giving out Oscars for best movie trailer.
My first
movie of the year was “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” Originally, this was slated for release in
December, but for some reason it was pushed back to January. I’m not sure why the studio didn’t stick with
the original release date, but once I read about the push back, my hopes sank a
little for the film. Thank goodness it
didn’t persuade me to not check it out.
I’ve
enjoyed the previous installments of Jack Ryan including “The Hunt for Red
October,” “Patriot Games,” “Clear and Present Danger” and “The Sum of All Fears.” Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck were
all good in the lead role, but when I heard that Chris Pine was slated to take
over, I was excited to see what he would do with it, given his reincarnation of
Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek movie series.
“Jack
Ryan: Shadow Recruit” is essentially a reboot of the series. In this installment, we meet Jack before he
became a CIA agent. After 9/11, Jack
leaves the path to Wall Street and a lucrative job to join the Marines and
serve his country. A helicopter accident
leaves him with a broken back and an unclear future. With the help of his Doctor and future love,
played by Kiera Knightly, he begins to heal both physically and mentally, which
attracts a top level CIA agent, played by Kevin Costner, to recruit Jack to
become a financial spy in the world of Wall Street in order to uncover hidden
international bank accounts that may be used to fund the next terrorist attack.
“Shadow
Recruit” is a straight-up drama/action movie with a solid plot and no gimmicky
twists. Kenneth Branagh does a great job
directing, giving the movie a terrific balance between character development
and action. With most spy/terrorist movies
focusing on North Korea or Arab countries, it’s refreshing to be back in Russia,
and there is definitely a post-cold-war feel to it throughout the feature.
It’s a
shame more people didn’t see this opening weekend. Maybe the studio should have marketed it
better and kept the original date.
Hopefully, it will find an audience over the next few weeks in the
theater and/or when it’s released on Blu-ray and DVD. This movie is definitely worth your time and
money. If you like a good spy thriller
with plenty of action, then Jack Ryan delivers.
We’d love
to hear from you! Here’s all the information you need to find us!
Here’s where to find me with Fangirl Adventures.
Twitter: @Fangrladventure
Email: fangirladventures@gmail.com
For Strange Adventures Podcast:
Be sure to
listen to our latest podcast where we talk more Jack Ryan, Downton Abbey,
Sherlock and some of the latest Veronica Mars and DC news. You can click any of the links below.
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Thanks for
reading and listening,
Lisa
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