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Clear and Present Danger

Clear and Present Danger

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Tom Clancy classic piece. One drawback in the series...
Review: Goods: I really did enjoy this movie. It was a wonderful piece.

A man willing to sacrifice all that he had for what he knew was the right thing... that's a powerful statement.

Even with the violence inherent in this movie, I believe it is a great movie for the kids to watch.

Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, James Earl Jones... all incredible talents. Loved it all.

Bads: Ya know, after Star Wars, et. al., my belief is that Harrison Ford plays swashbucklers... add in Witness and other rough and tough movies, and you can't help but type cast this guy. It's hard to keep the continuity between the Hunt for Red October and the somewhat timid "Gee I can't do that since I'm not a field agent" and Han Solo... Alec Baldwin should have played this part to keep things believable.

The romance between Anne and Harrison was explored only slightly... and even there, in Hunt for Red October, the wife was played by Gates McFadden (Yay Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek The Next Generation)... yet another faux pas in the film.

Overall: It would easily be a five with the original characters from Hunt for Red October. Sorry, it's only a four.

Still, I loved it, bought it, and you should too.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: BEST depiction of a small-unit Direct Action mission
Review: Clearly, this is Clancy's most realistic book/film because it was taken from current events and merged into a fictional story. When it was written, America had just abandoned the CONTRA freedom fighters by cutting off funding. The U.S. Government left men behind in Korea and Vietnam, so the depiction of a small Special Forces (SF) team being abandoned to their own devices is possible; its already happened during time of war. The point of the book/movie is to get public outrage over this so when our men become "shadow warriors" that in return for their loss of identity that the secret government keeps faith with them and sees to it that they return home. This is the rousing conclusion at the film's end when Ryan testifies before Congress demanding more oversight over special operations.

The greatness of this film is that Jack Ryan's character IS willing to put it all on the line to rescue them in a thrilling climax. Before we get to this point, we see how a small unit of SF operators with a context of jungle cover/concealment (contrast this with McNab's Bravo Two-Zero's desert environment) can do a tremendous amount of damage with hand weapons and explosives. The need for a communications "lifeline" is paramount and how seemingly mundane places like a hotel room can be the nerve center for a field operation. The depiction of SF terminal guidance of a laser-guided munition is instructive. When the SF team is surrounded by superior numbers of inferior quality men, the result is still negative and provides a warning---reaction forces must be ready to pull men out of enemy areas and the new Air-Mech-Strike concept (See David Grange's book by the same name) offers a way to storm into such areas using tracked armored vehicles and extract the men then later on fly out by aircraft rather than trying to insert/extract them from rooftops just by vulnerable, unarmored helicopters (Blackhawk Down!).

The RPG ambush of the rubber-tired armor bodied SUVs (Somalia, 1993) when the VIP is assassinated is also instructive as wheeled vehicles simply cannot be armored to the level that a tracked vehicle can be. The need for better VIP weaponry to include smokescreens, and fire supremacy-gaining heavy machine guns to defeat the urban ambush mitigates against the denial and non-chalance complacency so common because these would seem "too war like". The issue of OPSEC is covered well when the Secretary who is seduced by the drug lord operative gives away a piece of information that results in the VIP being targeted and killed.

The musical score of this film is rousing and a triumph, I hope its available at Amazon.com.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Stop right now.
Review: Do NOT buy this movie. I wouldn't even recommend watching it, unless you've seen everything on the Weather Channel recently. It is nothing like the book, which was very good. So, after you finish reading my wonderful and informative review, go to the "Book" section, then buy this book, because it's actually worth your time.

I suppose the reason why I'm so disappointed by this movie is (much like "Starship Troopers,") I thought so highly of the book that the movie would almost have to be a let-down.

My problem with the film version of this book can be summed up thusly: Hollywood's Bob Ritter is a disloyal, Beltway-political sleaze who cuts off the commandos simply because it's easier than fighting for them. Clancy's Bob Ritter holds loyalty as the highest virtue. He made his name in the CIA by going against orders behind the Iron Curtain to effect the escape of one of his agents whose cover had been blown.

I also feel compelled to correct some other erronious statements made by another reviewer. Benjamin Bratt was NOT the sniper. Bratt was the captain in charge of the team. One more thing: CAPITAL LETTERS SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR EMPHASIS ON SPECIFIC POINTS. THEY LOSE THEIR EFFECTIVNESS IF YOU TYPE EVERYTHING IN CAPS, LIKE I'M DOING NOW. It's much better if you use them to accentuate specific points, like how STUPID some Hollywood scriptwriters can be when they butcher my favorite books.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Very Poor script
Review: Harrison Ford plays Jack Ryan in this thrid and weakest story in the Tom Clancy book to film series. It's an overly complex story of the White House wageing a secreat war on the drug overlords of South America, and Ryan is stuck trying to discover if there is anyone left in Washington he can trust.Very dark and cynical look at the White House and The US Goverment in general (which has been more effectively done in other movies like All The President's Men). A weak film and Tom Clancy has gone on record as saying he did not like it. So do I. More recycled music by James Horner only adds to the film's weakness.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Entertaining Thriller
Review: In the world of books, Tom Clancy is the undisputed king of the techno-thriller. In the world of the movies, though, his title is a little less secure. "The Hunt for Red October" was a very taut and exciting film. "Patriot Games" was rather ordinary with only occasional glimpses of Clancy's magic. This third entry in the series is somewhere in between.

Harrison Ford is back as CIA analyst-extraordinaire Jack Ryan, only this time he's been promoted to acting Deputy Director of Intelligence. With his new job, though, comes new responsibility and accountability, something he finds that he is not altogether happy with.

The clear and present danger referred to in the title is the threat posed by the powerful and violent drug lords of the Colombian cartels. After the cartels kill a close friend of the President's, he decides that something must be done. Unfortunately, he does not have the legal authority to implement the course of action that he desires. If you think that is going to stop him, though, you are in for a surprise.

In a review of this sort, there is always a temptation to reveal more of the plot than one should. I will resist, however, and not give anything else away. Let it suffice to say that the story is interesting, reasonably complex and enjoyable, even if the ultimate outcome is never in doubt.

Harrison Ford is the kind of actor who is always fun to watch, even when he doesn't have much to work with. Here, though, writer John Milius and his collaborators have given Ford a good, well-written role and he makes the most of it. The Ryan character hasn't developed much since the last film, but that is forgivable. The emphasis in these pictures is always on the plot and the characters are made to serve it, rather than the other way around.

Ryan is joined this time by the mysterious Mr. Clark, a mercenary and former Company man. Clark is well-played by Willem Dafoe, an actor who doesn't get to work as much as I would like. It is too bad because he is very good. Clark will no doubt be spun-off into a sequel of his own, as Clancy himself has done with the later books. Clark is a good character with a lot of potential and I am eager to see what is in store for him next.

My main complaint with this film is a common one: it is too darn long. Like "Forrest Gump" and "True Lies," "Clear and Present Danger" clocks in at over two hours and twenty minutes and there is simply no reason for it to be that long. It would play much better had it been edited down to only two hours or so. A drama like "Schindler's List" can justify an extended running time. A thriller like "Clear and Present Danger" cannot.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Military sniper
Review: THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST FILMS EVER MADE, THE FILM HAS MANY PARTS TO IT AND EACH ONE IS BROUGHT OUT VERY CLEARLY AND IN GREAT DETAIL. I REALLY LOVE SNIPERS AND THE SNIPER IN THE FILM BENJAMIN BRATT IS VERY, VERY GOOD AT BEING A SNIPER AND ALL THE SCENES WITH THE MILITARY ARE GREAT. EXPLOSIVE AND FULL PACKED ACTION THE BEST FILM EVER!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good but...
Review: It is a very entertaining movie. William Dofoe as usual doing a great job of playing his role. But for 20 bucks, I wished the publisher would have added more features. I also had hope they had published it in anamorphic format or dual format, wide screen and anamorphic letterbox.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: terrific . . . .
Review: Of the three Tom Clancy novels made into films, "Danger" impresses almost as much as 1990's "The Hunt for Red October". Based on one of the best of Clancy's novels, "Clear and Present Danger" is a complex story. In a nutshell- the President is furious when his best friend and family are murdered by drug dealers, so he enlists his National Security Advisor and the head of Operations at the CIA to run an illegal covert operation (including the insertion of troops) designed to strike at the Cali Cartel's operations. (Shades of Iran-Contra . . .) Naturally things go wrong (the FBI director is assassinated in retaliation, which kicks off a retaliatory bombing from a US fighter-bomber that kills almost the entire cartel), and Jack Ryan finds out. Does Ryan cover his butt in the time-honored Washington tradition? Or does he do the right thing, rescue the troops and report the President's misconduct to Congress? Gee, what do you think?

I liked Ford's turn as Ryan this time around- he brings a different dimension to the character that works well here. Ryan's a good man who does the right thing- others wouldn't. (The author of this review is baffled as to why "law & order" conservatives were so quick to excuse the behavior of a felon like Ollie North.) I also liked Willem Dafoe's performance as John Clark (in the novels- a darker version of Clancy's hero Ryan). The rest of the cast shines- the director did a superb job recruiting actors who make the most of their scenes and the action sequences are exciting- more so than in "Patriot Games".

This is a very good movie. Better than "Red October"? I don't know about that, but "Danger" gives it a run for its money. Two thumbs up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely a feast of an adventure thriller
Review: This is realy one of THE thrillers of the 20 th century.I have personally seen the movie some 6 times and never tire of it.The actors are such fine craftsmen/women that it is a pleasure to watch over and over.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Much more deeper theb Patriot Games, A truly heroic film.
Review: Harrison Ford reprises his role as C.I.A agent Jack Ryan in a film that blows Patriot Games into Clear And Present Danger.Truth needs a hero and it also needs a new deputy director of intel. Ryan is named acting director of intleligence when his best friend James Greer become gravely ill but while holding that position and investigating an political murder of a friend of the president.He finds that the presidents friend has ties to the columbian drug cartel, but without Ryan knowing

some of the political staff have orderd a small excursion force to go over to stop the columbians.

Ryan then finds out that he not only has enimys in his ploitical staff , but over in columbia as well.When Ryan finds where these drugs came from he goes over to columbia as well as his friends.When Ryan arrives he and his political staff are the target of an attack. Ryan angry and frustrated and betrayed he want's answers and is willing to stop this excursion at all costs.And finally seeking the real truth , confronts the president finding out why he risked and put amarican soldiers in harms way.Because truth needs a soldier and Harrison is it.

This DVD is awsome and has incredible sound Harrison Ford gives his best performence ever in a thriller.This is one DVD that you don't want to resist crystal clear cinimatography brought out by DVD and good options make this one to add to your list.If this is whatbeing a soldier is about well Harrison is one man i wouldn't mind having lead any engagement into battle.Truly tense and perfect in every way.


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