What to watch: Jack Ryan is back and kicking ass

There are action spy flicks, and then there are action spy flicks. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is one of those movies. It’s action-packed, undemanding and fabulously entertaining. It follows perfectly on the four seasons of the television series that preceded it. Same character, same cast. Just as much fun.

So, it’s three years later, and Ryan has traded the CIA for a suit job on Wall Street. In his mind, he’s retired from global espionage. But of course, the formula does not allow an easy, stress-free life beyond spycraft. Instead, almost as quickly as the opening credits fade, Ryan is reeled back into the world of the somewhat dark arts. Reluctantly so.

It sounded like an easy job at first, as these things go. His former CIA colleague James Greer persuades him to collect a package from an MI6 operative in Dubai. The assignment becomes a stinker when the British agent is murdered, leaving Ryan and his old friend Mike November caught in a deadly conspiracy.

The trail leads to Project Starling, a secret American intelligence programme established after 9/11 and supposedly shut down years earlier. Except, it seems, somebody forgot to tell its former chief, Liam Crown. He’s gone rogue and is arranging a series of terrorist attacks to demonstrate why governments still need ruthless folk like him.

Agent gone rogue

Ryan becomes his nemesis and, along with MI6 agent Emma Marlow from across the pond, sets out to stop him. Trouble is, Crown always seems to be one step ahead. And as the bodies pile up, it becomes apparent that the rogue operative has some powerful friends.

At this point nobody has to state the obvious.* Ghost War* is a classic spy, skop, skiet and donner movie that follows a familiar narrative. We’ve all seen the basic storyline before, but it’s the manner in which storytelling is spun that creates the entertainment. Strong performances, solid direction and snappy editing can make all the difference between a yawn and a good popcorn moment.

Watch the trailer

Jack Ryan: Ghost War delivers far more than a single popcorn moment. John Krasinski returns as Ryan, with Sienna Miller as MI6’s Emma Marlow, Michael Kelly as Mike November, and Wendell Pierce as James Greer. It’s an impressive cast that serves up the goods. And does so really well.

Krasinski slips comfortably back into the role, while the chemistry between the returning characters gives the movie a familiarity that works in its favour. There’s no need to spend half the running time establishing who’s who. Instead, the action gets going and seldom lets up.

The conspiracy that ties everything together is as formulaic as it is unexpected, yet somehow predictable at the same time. But who cares? Ghost War counts among the most entertaining watches of the year. For its genre, that is. Forget ponytail critics and take some time out for a bit of Hollywood self-care.