Rating: 
Summary: Keeps your eyes on the screen
Review: My husband and I rent videos now and then and more often than not, they're pretty much a waste of time. We both found this one very suspenseful and entertaining. We stayed quiet throughout the film, except when I got really scared and whispered "Help! Help!" to my husband. The next day, I was moved enough to write this review.
Rating: 
Summary: Young Jack Ryan is now back into the past
Review: This is the latest in the series of Jack Ryan movies, although it is based on one of Tom Clancy's most ponderous novel, written in 1991. This book is also the only Clancy novel I just could never finish, despite trying to commence it on at least four occasions (including an airplane, which for me is the ultimate test). Since Clancy has taken Jack Ryan as far as he can go without making him either God or the ruler of the entire world, the money-makers have had to take us back in time to another vehicle. The plot is pretty standard. In Europe, a neo-Nazi acquires the bomb (one which was somehow lost by us and our allies in the Middle East). The plan is to detonate it in the U.S. in an effort to start a war between Russia and the U.S. They intend to do so at the Super Bowl in Baltimore, which the President is attending. The special effects are great when the bomb goes off, in a sequence which is breathtaking and a sobering reminder of what may well lie in store for us one day. As another has noted, the center of the movie is the aftermath of the explosion. Millions are killed or injured, the government is in disarray, hospitals are overtaxed, and incongruously, as the U.S. rushes towards hell in a handbasket the only thing working is Ryan's PDA / cellular phone (wish I could find that model and service plan!!!) Of course, we must have the inevitable comparison between Affleck, Alec Baldwin (the first Jack Ryan) and the most popular - Harrison Ford. I was most enthusiastic with Baldwin, and saw Ryan as a younger man, less of the "everyman" whom Harrison Ford seems to have played in every role since Hans Solo. Young Ben does not do it for me, but certainly many many will disagree. I do agree that this is one of the best Clancy films made (and for the most part they are all better than average, so this bar is set particularly high).
Rating:
Summary: A great movie
Review: This movie was great but it didn't have everything. IT was very realistic. They could added some more scences though to make it longer.It is still a good movie for most people. You should get this if you like CIA type movies. But u need to be old enough to understand what happens, or you would just be clueless. I'm 14 but i'm really into that CIA kind of stuff.
Rating:
Summary: A Thought Provoking Contemplation of "Where" We Are Today
Review: "The Sum of All Fears," directed by Phil Alden Robinson, is a cautionary tale that is thought provoking and all too valid, especially in the wake of 9/11. The screenplay was adapted by Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne from the novel by Tom Clancy; the story is a proposition of what could happen if a nuclear bomb fell into the wrong hands, how the preeminent governments of the world would respond and what the outcome would mean to the average citizen living in the Ukraine or in Podunk, U.S.A. It's a hypothetical situation that, quite frankly, a few years ago would've been perceived by most as being as close to reality as "The Martian Chronicles." But not anymore. Looking beyond the drama of the story and the way it's presented, the actual events depicted here are almost too close for comfort and will no doubt evoke a sense of denial in many viewers who still refuse to accept the state of the world as it is today. The film itself is, of course, a big budget, Hollywood production-- which in not a BAD thing-- but as such the drama is a bit stiff and stilted at times, and the presentation by director Robinson lacks originality and imagination; too often we see exactly what we expect (when a member of the Russian cadre, for example, demurs to the cold reality of their plan and announces his withdrawal, we know that he's signed his own death warrant. Seeing him garroted by the silent, hulking henchman before he reaches the door is anticlimactic; it would have been entirely more effective had Robinson taken a page from David Lean's Book and left it up to the viewer's imagination). But the performances are to the last actor solid and convincing, and late in the film the story takes a decidedly unexpected turn that allows for a suspenseful climax; after a point you can speculate as to the final outcome, but you cannot know absolutely until the very end. >The real strength of the film, though, lies in the very honest depiction of the events and the way they play out, from the unimaginable success of the terrorists to the confusion, uncertainty and irresolution of those in power. >As Jack Ryan, Ben Affleck gives an acceptable performance, and though he's convincing he lacks the intensity of his predecessor in the role, Harrison Ford, or even that of Alec Baldwin, who first created the character in 1990's "The Hunt for Red October." Buy this is a younger Jack Ryan, new to the C.I.A. and not yet married, which may provoke some confusion in fans of this series, as on one hand this story predates "October," and yet the events seem to reflect more recent incidents, subsequent to all that happened in the first three "Ryan" films. P>The most notable performances are turned in by Morgan Freeman (Cabot) Liev Schreiber (Clark), Philip Baker Hall (Defense Secretary Becker) and Ron Rifkin (Owens). But in the final analysis, "The Sum of All Fears" says something about who we are, "where" we are and the state of the world in which we live today; things we would probably rather not contemplate, but nevertheless, must.
Rating: 
Summary: A no-win situation
Review: The Sum of all Fears is a gripping thriller in which a young Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck) must by himself stop the US and Russia from blowing each other to pieces via nuclear war. The exciting climax comes about because of a nuclear attack. The US thinks it is Russia and are prepared to retaliate. The nuclear attack was in fact caused by a third party. Here is the problem of the movie. In Clancy's original novel, the terrorists were anti-Israeli Islamic extremists. Before the 09/11 tragedy, the movie decided to the politically correct route and replace the Islamic terrorists with facist Nazis. Thus, thousands of Americans die by a nuclear bomb and the movie portrays it as the responsibility of only a few deranged Nazis. In retrospect, the producers would have made a better movie by keeping the bad guys as the Islamic terrorists, but I don't think anyone would want to see that kind of movie. It would be too realistic. So Sum of All Fears is a good movie that uses bad guys (Nazis) that aren't really a threat instead of someone like Al Queda, who are a threat, to get to the thrust of the movie. If you can overlook who the bad guys are, this movie turns out to be really exciting.
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Summary: Hauntingly realistic movie
Review: Okay, very few movies are ever as good as the novel, and that's certainly true of every Tom Clancy movie made yet. That's not to say that they're not great movies. THEY ARE. However, like all of the previous Clancy films, you'll be a lot happier if you watch this one and forget about the novel. The novel was a great book, and this is a great movie, but the two are only loosely connected. I thought the nuke scenes were horrific, and extremely realistic (You be the judge when one goes off in the US someday). There were a lot of "modifications" to the plot with political correctness in mind. Ironically, 091101 happened, and that PC flavor collapsed with the towers. Instead of muslim extremists (as in the book), the bad guys are neo-nazis (it's always been ok to see NAZIs as bad guys, so it was a safe modification). Of course, had they kept true to the book, this movie might have been too realistic and provocative to release. As it is, the US is under a constant state of terror alert (in real-life), and in this movie today's War on Terror and the possible war with Iraq are very similar to today's realities. I suggest going to see this movie. It's fun, entertaining, rewarding, and informative. It'll help you realize and get a feel for the world in which we now live. BUT DO NOT GO EXPECTING TO SEE THE BOOK. Oh yeah....how was Ben Affleck? Well, he's good, but he's not the Jack Ryan people remember from the book. I'm not an Affleck fan, but I thought some of his scenes were kinda good. At the very least, this movie is better than just a rental. Have fun!
Rating: 
Summary: Awful
Review: Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan? What's next, Carrot Top as James Bond? This movie was laughingly horrible.
Rating:
Summary: Not So Fancy Clancy
Review: This is a gripping film -- but it should have been so much more. The story's the problem -- not up to Mr. Clancy's true standard. The plot devices -- a Russian military system without controls that would prevent a commander from sending bombers to war without confirmation, a Pentagon without serious bars to entry, an extremely unlikely set of villains -- simply slide by, one after another. If you can ignore them and focus on Ben Affleck, who does a pretty good job, you'll be entertained. If you demand more reality from your movies, stay away.
Rating: 
Summary: Unsatisfying
Review: This movie can't be compared to the other Jack Ryan's movies starring Harrison Ford. It's slower, almost boring. Maybe it was the cast, Ben Affleck, maybe it was the story, that should have remained in Clancy's book.
Rating:
Summary: Fear and Loathing.
Review: A major dissapointment. Because of all the terrorist action lately, I was intrigued to the point of obsession to see this movie. When I finally viewed it, I felt cheated. Not only was "Sum of All Fears" boring, it was also completely lacking of sincerity and depth. After the bombing of the sports arena and the surrounding areas of Baltimore, the movie seemed to disregard the monumental tragedy, and trivialize it. Of course the President's life was spared while all others had to perish. Nothing was mentioned on any news footage about the attack, nor did they show the devasting effects of a bomb leveling a major stadium and how it destroyed an entire city, because the movie was too busy making Ben Affleck sooperhero!....to the rescue!!!!! Woohoo!.......I thought "The Sum Of All Fears" was going to be more of a commentary on terrorism and how this kind of tradegy would affect our community and culture, but it turned out to be an action vehicle for Ben Affleck. And by the way, his girlfriend nurse at the hospital would have died in real life, they even showed her being blown away in one scene, but somehow, he meets up with her later, and she has a little scratch on her head....yeah right!!!!!
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