Sat 24 Nov 2018
TV Review: TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN “Pilot” (2018).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Espionage & Spies[8] Comments
TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN. “Pilot.” Season 1, Episode 1. Streaming on Amazon Video, beginning on August 31, 2018. (All eight episodes were available on the same date.) Based on a character created by Tom Clancy. John Krasinski (Jack Ryan), Wendell Pierce (James Greer, Ryan’s boss at the CIA), Ali Suliman (Mousa Bin Suleiman), Dina Shihabi (Hanin Ali, Suleiman’s wife), Abbie Cornish (Cathy Mueller, Ryan’s girl friend). Director: Morten Tyldum.
The place to see action thrillers such as this has definitely shifted from the movies to cable and streaming TV, no doubt about it. Previous versions of Jack Ryan stories have starred Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine, but the point to emphasize is that they appeared in movies made for the big screen. This latest version is a solid indicator as to which way the future is going, if indeed it isn’t already there.
I’ve seen only this first episode, but if anyone wanted to, all eight could have been watched in one long evening from the very beginning — all were available at the same time, which is just another way series TV is changing. Before our eyes, so to speak!
If this were a comic book, this first episode would be considered Jack Ryan’s “origin story,” for it goes back to his early days at the CIA, where he’s a financial transactions analyst covering the Middle East. Boring, yes, but when he uncovers millions of dollars in funds accumulated covertly over a short period of time, it tells him him that another Osama bin Laden may be on his way — an Islamic terrorist named Suleiman — his life is, as they say, turned upside down.
At first his new boss at the CIA, James Greer, disparages Ryan’s conclusions, but soon enough Ryan is hustled off to Yemen to help interrogate two suspects that have been picked up there on the basis of ordinary surveillance. At which point all hell, in terms of guns, bombs and every other kind of firepower you can think of, breaks loose.
There is more to the story, of course, but I can’t tell you anything more, since this all I’ve seen. I’m sure most of the primary threads of the story line to come have already been planted, but no more than that. Everything is extremely well done. The locations look authentic, the acting is top notch, and the explosions and all are impressive as anything I’ve seen in the past, big screen or small.
Maybe I have to sign up with Amazon. I’ll definitely start sampling more of their various series while I can, and see if I can’t finish this one. You might say I’m hooked, and all they need to do is reel me in.
The Jack Ryan series —
The Hunt for Red October. Alec Baldwin. 1990.
Patriot Games. Harrison Ford. 1992.
Clear and Present Danger. Harrison Ford. 1994.
The Sum of All Fears. Ben Affleck. 2002.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Chris Pine. 2014.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. John Krasinski. 2018.
November 24th, 2018 at 6:24 pm
Ironically the back story about the terrorist and his wife fleeing him with their children is far more compelling than most of the Ryan material though there are some good set pieces, and Krasinski makes the most of his part. Not as good as THE NIGHT MANAGER or THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL, but then it’s Clancy and not Le Carre.
November 24th, 2018 at 11:02 pm
I agree about the subplot involving Suleiman’s wife and children. I’ve now watched five of the eight episodes and it’s obvious how important that particular story line is going to be.
Nor have all of the characters survived so far, a story telling technique that also helps keep everyone watching.
One thought I’ve had, though. Once finished, will I have any desire to ever watch this again? Or is this fated to become no more than another 24?
November 25th, 2018 at 5:25 am
I’ve just watched the last three episodes. [WARNING: Possible Plot Spoilers Ahead.] The last one, which ended the first season’s story line, while it had its moments, seemed rushed, not as focused and not nearly as involving as I expected.
I haven’t quite decided how well I care for John Krasinski as Jack Ryan. He doesn’t seem to have the same inner intensity in the role as, say, Harrison Ford did, but then, what other actor in roles such as this one does?
It doesn’t help that he looks a lot like Paul Ryan, or is that just me?
I thought that Jack’s girl friend, the doctor specializing in infectious diseases, was going to have more of a role in the ending. No, nothing more than another chase through a busy subway station.
More thoughts later, perhaps, if and when they come to me. Overall, I’d rate the entire season a solid B Plus. If I were to give it a rating, which I don’t do any more, and I never gave out many A’s.
November 25th, 2018 at 8:11 am
I haven’t watched this, but Amazon Prime is definitely worth having, if only for BOSCH.
November 25th, 2018 at 2:01 pm
I don’t know if ratings of any kind are available, but I suspect that with five seasons under its belt, BOSCH is Amazon’s number one hit attraction. What’s also different with Amazon from network TV is that they seem to have no interest in releasing the series on DVD.
November 25th, 2018 at 12:26 pm
I throughly disliked director Morten Tyldum’s “The Imitation Game”. It’s one of the least authentic portrayals of real life people in film history!
Probably this isn’t ideal film fare for me.
I do better with crime shows that have a lot of comedy mixed in.
November 25th, 2018 at 2:04 pm
No, other than the occasional light banter between the main characters, there are very few comedic moments in JACK RYAN. It’s definitely not that kind of movie!
November 25th, 2018 at 8:52 pm
Unlike NIGHT MANAGER I didn’t want to watch this one over soon after I finished to catch what I missed, but then a solid B for a made for television thriller of this sort isn’t bad really. Hopefully they will do better with the next go round.