As the much-anticipated followup to Patriot Games, Phillip Noyce and crew set out to tackle a far greater foe — the abuse of executive power in the government. Clear and Present Danger is a far more detailed narrative canvas that revisits the epic sensibility found in the Hunt for Red October, while also exploring the limits of the story’s — now familiar — hero, Jack Ryan. When the story begins, all seems to be going rather well for Jack. His family has recovered from the traumatic events of the previous film, and he’s returned to the CIA, continuing his work as an analyst. Of course, it isn’t long before Jack’s new-found equilibrium is disrupted. Upon the sudden illness of his close friend, and boss, Admiral James Greer, Jack is appointed the new Deputy Director of Intelligence of the CIA. He is wary of accepting the responsibility, but obliges nonetheless in order to help ease the mind of his ailing friend.
Shortly after taking his new job, Jack finds himself deeply entrenched in a political/military game to wage a secret war against the drug cartels in Colombia. The worst part is that he’s being kept out of the loop, and groomed for the eventual scapegoat if the covert operations go wrong. Naturally, Jack has a way of sniffing out the truth, and so he quickly sets out to unravel the conspiracy with the intention of disclosing it and clearing his name.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the “David and Goliath” narrative. In particular here, as Phillip Noyce so eloquently puts it, the film is about “the last honest man in Washington” and I must say that it makes for supremely compelling drama. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s my favorite film of this sub-genre — or even micro-genre — but it’s most definitely one of many favorites. If you’re like me and you tend to gravitate towards films involving political intrigue, conspiracy, greed, abuse of power, and of course, the one man that’s willing to fight the system, I highly recommend you check out this film. It is very different in many ways from the other Clancy films, and much of that comes from the incredibly epic scope of the conspiracy/covert operation.
While it might sound cheesy, when I watch films like these, by the end I can’t help but feel pride swell up inside of me — to see good triumph over insurmountable power, odds and corruption. For that reason, among many others, this film comes highly recommended from me. It is also the last great Jack Ryan film, and it’s sad to think that its been over 14 years since a good Jack Ryan film has been released. I’m still holding out hope that either Ford or Baldwin will eventually reprise the role of Jack Ryan and effectively reboot the series. It’s entirely necessary after the less-than-mediocre reboot, The Sum of All Fears.
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