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Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

2014 | Action, Drama, Mystery

7.2

(5 Ratings)

Movie Rating

This is not your father’s Jack Ryan; but it should’ve been.
Chris Pine stars as the famed Jack Ryan in this reboot of the character. We open the movie with Ryan

attending school in London on the day many won’t soon forget: September 11, 2001. The events

this day push Ryan into enlisting in the Marines and we join him 3 years later where we see Ryan in

a helicopter with some brothers-in-arms. It doesn’t take long for the helo to be shot down, but not

without Ryan becoming a hero. After extensive rehab from a broken spine, Mr. Ryan is approached by

Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) to join the CIA as an analyst.

This intro to the movie was short. But what lacks in length it makes up for in the eloquence in which

it delivers the back story for Jack Ryan, thus setting up a whole new franchise and getting new viewers

ready for the ride. After this intro, we flash forward 10 years later to find Ryan working on Wall Street,

but he’s undercover and is an analyst for the CIA. He is with his one-time physical therapist, Cathy

Muller (Keira Knightley), and he discovers the details of a planned economic attack against the USA.

It isn’t long before he is whisked away to Russia to do some wet work, and he bumbles into the life

of a field agent facing off against the mastermind of the villainy in the film, Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth

Branagh).

Some may find that the movie lacks the quick-paced, non-stop action that we have seen from spy

movies these days (including the famous 007), but it does keep a good pace and puts an intelligent story

line on the screen and actually entices the audience to think, all the while including some action for the

adrenaline-junkies.

Pine plays a very believable Jack Ryan. He portrays a character that is more closely linked to Tom

Clancy’s original stories and vision for the character than even Harrison Ford did in Patriot Games (which

I thought was an excellent movie). He nailed the bumbling analyst-turned-field-agent in such a way that

you’d believe it was really his personality. They explain his ability to handle himself with the military

background so expertly set up at the beginning of the movie. Adding Costner to the cast was a stroke

of genius as he plays the mentor/superior part extremely well, but he wasn’t in the film so much as

to distract from the focus of Ryan. Branagh (who also directed the film) played an excellent Russian

adversary to Ryan, who was nothing short of a genius in the way he delivered his character’s stoic

responses and reactions.

If I had to name one gripe with the movie, which believe me was no small feat, it was the Cathy

Muller character. Don’t get me wrong, the character was amazing and Knightley did an admirable job

portraying her. I just felt that she seemed to accept things that most people would question a little too

quickly, and without any reservation.

Other than that, the movie rocked. The action scenes were gripping and the actual story-line was

intelligent. The best thing is that story was plausible. It was not over the top or wildly impossible in the

real world. The scary part is just that. The plot of this movie could actually happen. I would definitely

recommend checking it out in theaters, and it most certainly made my “gotta buy it on bluray” list.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Gold (2017) in Movies

Jul 12, 2019

Gold (2017)

2017 | Drama

5.6

(5 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The pursuit of the big gold strike drives Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) deep into the jungles of Indonesia. Wells is a third generation Nevada prospector trying to keep the mining company from going under. He is unable to secure a loan or investment for mining projects. He is watching his reputation take a major hit, being seen as an alcoholic and laughing stock in the industry. He is down to his last dime and working out of a bar when he pawns his girlfriend Kay’s (Bryce Dallas Howard) watch and gets on a plane to Indonesia. He is headed to meet an eager geologist Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramirez) also in the last throws of his career in. The put together Acosta and disheveled Wells strike a deal. The unlikely duo head into the uncharted jungle in search of the mother lode. After months of failure, through Wells bout with Malaria, a crew who quit and monsoon weather the impossible happens and the two have found what looks like the largest gold deposit in history. The two men who were outcast in their fields are now the most popular miners on the planet. Everyone wants to be a part of this deal and get a piece of the gold. While Acosta stays in Indonesia to operate the day to day of the mining operation Wells heads back to Reno to secure money for digging up the gold. It’s not long that major mining companies and Wall Street investors are knocking on Wells door. Whisking him off to New York in private planes and throwing lavish parties. The now begins the real test to see if he can handle the success and not blow the largest strike of his life.

Directed by Stephen Gaghan (Syriana) Gold is a wild, based on true events, story. Which means it probably has some truths, some half-truths and some almost too wild to be true but maybe true moments. McConaughey’s performance as Wells is excellent. The character at times is a slobbish, out of control alcoholic, that appears to be over his head and out of his element. But most of the time his determination to make a name for himself and his never say no attitude has you rooting for him, even when his is passed out in his underwear on the floor. The rest of the performances are good in support. The relationship with Ramirez’ character and their unlikely friendship is really well done. It took two people who seemed completely different and allowed us to see how they could come together for one goal to become good partners and friends. The story overall is good not great. It took us on a journey with Wells and mixed in really serious themes with outlandish situations. There are times that Wells antics seem forced and don’t completely disrupt the flow but definitely slow it down. It had those moments that definitely made me laugh and others that were really emotional and raw. In that way it was a blend of comedy and drama. Which for the most part mixed together really well. The film took place in the 1980’s and definitely was shot in a way that gave it a feel of the era. I enjoyed the overall the cinematography not overly spectacular but good.

The film was an enjoyable experience for me. A couple of memorable moments and a surprise, to me, at the end. There were some stretches in the story and some over the top antics but still fun.