Rating: 
Summary: the Sum of All BOREDOM ....
Review: How can you take a great character like Jack Ryan and completely destroy him? Easy, get a no-talent loser like Ben Affleck to portray him. Cause he may have just destroyed a great movie franchise.
But Ben Affleck's lack of any real acting skills and monotone somber voice cannot alone be blamed on this disaster of a movie. The producers felt it necessary to distance themselves from previous editions of Jack Ryan, which were portrayed flawlessly by Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford, by going back into history when Jack Ryan was in his first year at the agency for this story. This is one great area of failure because the film is set in present time. Huh? I don't understand the lack of loyalty to the previous films. Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger might have well not even been made because this film takes place after all of them .... and now he's young and single?
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Almost as stupid as casting Affleck as the lead role. On a lighter note, Morgan Freeman is his excellent self. Maybe they should have cast him to portray Ryan.
Rating: 
Summary: No big deal, sadly!
Review: This movie seems to evoke two totally different responses. Either it's the biggest waste of celluloid since Battlefield Earth, or the best movie of the year! The dichotomy of the reviews is very amusing. Fact of the matter is that this is just not a very memorable movie! The hatred from Clancy fans is understandable, and well deserved, but not everyone has read the books. Yet we still enjoy the Jack Ryan movies (up to this point, anyway!) I'd like to focus the rest of this review away from the obvious desecration of the original novel, and onto the movie itself, as is. Ben Affleck is just OK as Ryan. No more, no less! There's nothing in his performance that really stands out as either being good, or bad! Hell, even Alec Baldwin was a better Jack Ryan. At least there are moments of Baldwin's performance that you remember. This may have more to do with an average at best script, than with Affleck himself. Morgan Freeman is, as always, thoroughly enjoyable as his boss. He provides the best moments of the movie, especially the scene on the plane to Russia where he tells Ryan to phone his girlfriend to tell her that he's on a CIA mission. The scene at the subcommittee hearing is also funny. My biggest peeves had to do with the villains, and the scenes after the explosion. The fact that the villains were changed from Islamic terrorists to Nazi sympathizers took away any possible believability, and made the movie more cartoonish. I understand that the movie was all set to be released when the attacks on 9/11 occurred, and that they felt that the timing was wrong. The delay of the release, in and of itself wasn't a problem, but worrying about being "sensitive" to Muslims, and changing the villains, completely loses the tension that could (and should) have been created. If PC sensitivity was what they were striving for, then they could have added a scene or two showing the supposed dichotomy between the extremists, and the rest of the Muslim world. This would have added some needed depth to the plot, and would have kept the movie from losing money in the foreign markets, while retaining the more credible villains. But, this is Hollywood, and they can't have big budget films actually give us depth of plot, or character, or realism can they? You wonder, if the WTC had been hit by a bunch of white supremicists, or Nazi sympathizers, or Timothy McVeigh's, would Hollywood worried about offending peace loving, good and decent whites? I think Hollywood's track record, as of late, speaks for itself! The movie itself leaves you with the feeling of "been there, done that"! Still, there's nothing really to hate as an action/spy movie fan. It's not a Vin Diesel movie, and you certainly can find tons of movies far worse. The Bourne Identity was far more interesting, and clever (and not quite with the big budget!) If you remove all preconceptions about this movie, and just watch it as a movie lover, you'll be mildly entertained. This is a rather disposable film, but disposable doesn't always mean bad. I agree with everyone else though that the scenes after the bomb explosion were very cheesy! It's amazing how Affleck just happens to always be upwind of the radiation! Hmmmm!! I'd definitely suggest renting this first before buying it, if you haven't seen it yet. I myself will buy this to add to the collection I already own, and will pop it in the DVD player for an occasional night of mindless movie watching. If you've never seen the previous Jack Ryan movies, you'll probably wonder what the hell is all the fuss about, after you see it. For Tom Clancy's sake, he'd better be glad that this wasn't the 1st release in the series, or it would probably be the last! Get the 3 previous Jack Ryan movies before getting this one. Finally, while Affleck is OK, and might be better in a future movie, I'd like to suggest that Hollywood try to return the franchise back to the timeline of the book series. In other words, go forward in the series from CAPD, and get an "older" actor other than Affleck. I would suggest George Clooney, but he's a little too smug in his on screen persona to be Jack Ryan. Harrison would be good for the movie in which Ryan becomes president, but for the other books we need someone else not quite so old looking. I don't really have any good suggestions. I'd like to hear from Clancy fans as to who they think would be a better Jack Ryan. Kurt Russell perhaps? Just not John Travolta!
Rating: 
Summary: I miss Harry - and good writing
Review: Amazingly, "The Sum Of All Fears" takes a sure-fire premise and turns it into one of the dullest films of the year. Amid all the concern over whether Affleck could effectively replace Ford and renew this tiring franchise, the producers seem to have forgotten that the best pick-me-up would have been a decent screenplay. This one's awful. We know from the outset precisely where it's heading, and when it gets there - after an interminable hour of tedious preamble - it's a virtual non-event: the nuclear explosion which flattens Baltimore is realized with about as much visual flair as a White House press conference. Worse, the events it initiates rapidly mushroom into ludicrousness thanks to ham-fisted, telemovie plotting. Interest is quickly lost. The direction is patchy, Goldsmith's music is typically dire, and the performances are lukewarm at best. Apart from the nicely put together denouement montage, it's pretty standard fare. And Affleck? Sure, he's a nice kid, but there's no getting around it: brooding looks and boyish charm are no match for the paternal, patriotic gravitas of Ford. Spectacularly average.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent movie
Review: I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. Morgan Freeman is always good, and Ben Affleck does a nice job as the young CIA analyst. The two picks for the American and Russian president are right-on--Ciaran Hinds as the Russian president is really excellent, as is James Cromwell as his American counterpart. And the guy who plays the CIA operative is good, too (unfortunately I don't know the actor's name). But anyway, he's a pretty cool cat in this movie, and just what you'd expect of an experienced field agent. Also, the scene in which Affleck tells his fiance that he can't make their date because Morgan Freeman, the head of the CIA, wanted Affleck to jump on a plane to Russia with him is nicely done. It's short but provides perhaps the only moment of comic relief in the entire movie. The scene where the fission bomb goes off has some realistic looking effects, too. Overall, I'd say this is a pretty good movie. Big Steve says go see it and don't Bogart the popcorn.
Rating:
Summary: The Sum of All Fears- Clancy's New Thriller
Review: The Sum of All Fears was great. Of course now a days many movies are made that are based on Tom Clany novels. The film was a bit difficult and confusing, but I eventually understood it. Ben Affleck stars as CIA agent Jack Ryan, which was previously played by Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin in the other films, Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games and Balwin played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, all good films. Morgan Freeman plays CIA Director William Cabot, who directs Affleck in his action and missions which he must complete. Recently a bombing occured at the Superbowl in Denver, Colorado, and the president survived due to Affleck's quickness in alerting him and his men who attended the game with him. Soon, Affleck learns the Russians did not commit the deadly action, but it was somebody else, but who? From here we get banal violence and material that really stinks. But the film works out on its own terms, many female teens will rush to see this due to charming Ben Affleck, who I admit is a fine young actor, but that's all that I will say. The Sum of All Fears is rated PG-13 for Violence, Diaster Images and Brief Strong Language, so not the worst choice for preteens, but it maybe a little too intense for some. I enjoyed the film, I must say Tom Clancy can be a difficult author and his writer and be quite challenging and descriptive. He is a very good author. I would read the book or see the movie. See The Sum of All Fears, coming to Video and DVD: October 29, 2002. Own it or atleast rent it.
Rating:
Summary: Clancy & the films producers sell out!!!!!!!
Review: I have written a lenghthy review of this film @ IMDB.com which contains comparisons between the book and the movie. I will not repeat that review here. I don't want to put spoilers about the film in this review because I tried that before and Amazon.com would not post my review. So as not to violate the Amazon.com policy regarding spoilers. I will review the book and then comment on the movie. THE SUM OF ALL FEARS is a critical book in the Jack Ryan time line. In the book Jack is the Deputy Director of Intelligence and holds one of the highest positons in the CIA. The book then plots the middle eastern terrorists plans. It also goes into great depth to show the relationship between Jack, the President and the Presidents national security advisor. Agent Spinnaker the Russian spy helps to add to conflict as he feeds the CIA false data that will hopefully result in his becoming Russias new leader. Most importantly Jack forms an alliance with the Vice President Darling that will lead to Jack becoming Vice President after Darling becomes President in DEBT OF HONOR (DOH). After that Jack becomes President in EXECUTIVE ORDERS (EO). Next to THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER this is my favorite Clancy novel. This story has it all. It shows what a truely gifted writer Clancy is but then we come to the movie version of the book. I don't know how Clancy could support this baztardization of his book. Except for a nuclear weapon going off in the U.S. there are almost no other similarities between the book and the movie. And because Ben Affleck has assumed the role of Jack Ryan it is almost impossible to Make DOH or EO. In order to be President or Vice President the individual must be over 35 years old. Ben who was in his late 20's when this was made has a way to go yet. I understand that people who have not read the book may think that this film is okay but that is not who buys the majority of the tickets for the film. It is the fans of Clancy and the novel that buy the tickets. This movie had a built in fan base and Clancy along with the producers for this movie betrayed that base. I will never understand why Hollywood continues to make movies based on the popularity of a book and then changes the movie so drastically that it no longer adheres to the book itself. While movies such as TSOAF may generate some inital dollars it will not stand the test of time. Movies such as THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION which remained faithful to the books from which they were taken will stand the test of time and continue to generate dollars for the author and the producers. If this DVD has a commentary track on it I would like to hear the excuses they come up with for all the changes to the storyline. Lastly, if you saw the trailer for this movie you saw the best parts of the film. There are very few noteworthy special effects. The nuclear detonation in THE PEACEMAKERS was better than the detonation in this film. The brief scene of Russian fighter attacking a U.S. aircraft carrier only lasted as long the same scene in the trailer. What the viewer is treated to is too much of is Jack (Ben Aflleck) Ryan's dumbfounded expressions as he wanders from scene to scene.
Rating:
Summary: Disaster
Review: I'm a big Tom Clancy fan and the Sum is one of his best books. So it was a huge disappointment seeing this film. There were two drawbacks at the outset: Affleck (whom I like) playing Ryan, not Harrison Ford, and the modifications compared to the book. Apart from these (not important for those who don't know Clancy) the suspense and action of the book is totally missing from the movie. The story is very slow and predictable, the characters not convincing. All Clancy movies, even the rather bad Clear and Present Danger were much better.
Rating:
Summary: A huge disapointment
Review: I thought that this movie was going to be awesome, because it really did look cool on the previews, but it turns out that this was one of the most boring movies i've ever seen. The main character of this movie is terrible, and emotionless. The guy is a very bad actor and has a very dull personality. The whole movie was pretty boring and they don't even really show you the ending parts. the only exciting parts were The beginning part of the movie and the part where the Russian planes attack the aircraft carrier(that part was cool.)The beginning was really cool when it showed the Israeli aircraft carrying a nuclear bomb(they presented it in a way that made it emotional aned sad when he reached for the photo of his family). I'm honestly very glad that they shot down the airplane though because they were going to drop it and kill many innocent Arabs, so the pilot deserved what he got:)...)
Rating:
Summary: Pinnacle of Hollywood "Entertaining" Nonsense
Review: When I heard that Ben Affleck takes over Jack Ryan role, I sais, like -- "Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan????" Later I saw this film and I know, you see, Harrison Ford definitely didn't want this script. It's tired, clithed, 'unworkable' -- the last word being from his interview. Though I personally don't like him very much, I admit Ford is clever to bail out of the Jack Ryan series. Yes, even though his anticipated "K-19" turned out a commercial failure. That doesn't mean Ben Affleck is awful. His is different Jack, so I get over it while watching it. Though he was much. much, much better in the little-seen (but infinitely superiror) film called "Chasing Amy," Ben is OK. Just OK, but no complaint. His love story with Bridget Moynahan is tedious (as is his with lovely Liv in "Armageddon"), but let's talk about something else. What is really, stinking awful is the story. Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst, after his rather hasty, hot-shot behavior at the high-level military meeting at the US government, is given a job to follow the trace of three missing Russian nuclear scientists. At the same time, a nuclear bomb that was hidden in the ground of the Golan Heights, falls into the wrong hand. Those two incidents gradually lead to the catastorophe that happens in Super-Bowl Game in Baltimore. The first half of the film goes steadily, in the fashion of John LeCaree novels. Without showy explosions or gun-shots, the film maintains its suspence until the event that everyone probably has already known. The film, until then an OK film, suddenly turns into a sheer nonsense -- actually, the film is from the beginning based on purely imaginative power, not close observation on history (when you loses a A-bomb, you usually try to find it, as Cuba Gooding Jr. film "Men of Honor" tells you), but after the big explosion, everything go derailed. It's so laughable. As many reviewers seem to have pointed out about the absurd use of computers or internet, let alone Jack Ryan's (who is still a novice in CIA) amateur diplomatic skill over phone call, so let me add this only. If you get into the city of Baltimore like he does, it is most certain that he is exposed to (lethal) amount of radioactivity, thus possibly culminating in his early death, or cancer. Whoever knows something about the deadly accident in Russuan nuclear reactor that happened years ago, or much before, the US soldiers who witnessed the nuclear ground experiments in Nevada, will teach you precious things for Jack to know. The way "The Sum of All Fears" treats nuclear weapons is a great insult to the victims and our intellect. I know (or hope) the Hollywood really knows the truth; perhaps, they changed the truth for the purpose of entertainment value of the film. But there's a limit to anything, and there should be in Hollywood. I tried to ignore this kind of ignorance they commit, for instance, in "True Lies" -- where Tom Arnold tells people, when a nuclear missle explodes out at the sea of Miami, to cover their eyes with hands and it's okay. Doesn't he know something named radioactivity? Awful ignorance. I tried to ignore these follies in Hollywood, but couldn't. (In this sense, "Indepenence Day" was much less absurd in the description of nuclear weapons.) And they did it again in "The Sum of All Fears." The second half of the film is, even after forgetting that scene, full of incredible events and bad acting. Morgan Freeman is good as ever, but his choice of roles is suspect these days; if you see his turn in "Street Smart," you see he is wasting talent in this rubbish. Ben is so-so, but it is James Cromwell who needs another lecture on his overacting as the US president, and Henry Fonda in "Fail-Safe" would teach him how to play this kind of character. The film ends in very unsatisfactory way, with bad guys punished (like in many other B-action flicks), and good guys smiling, vowing to live in peace, and Ben and Brigdet, talking about love on the sunny, green lawn, as if nothing happened in Baltimore. This is unacceptable. even at the level of entertainment. You say this is an entertainment, but are you really "entertained" with this? Arnie's "Collateral Damage" was severely attacked because of its story involving terrorism, but it at least knew what it was doing as entertainment, with its larger-than-life situation and big, loud actions. "The Sum of All Fears" apparently takes a more serious pose, capitalizing on our growing fear of these days. But what it offers is insensible, ridiculous Hollywood routine that reaches the offensiveness. To me, anyway.
Rating:
Summary: This movie was not intended for anyone who has read the book
Review: I am one of the people who have read the book, actually i have read almost all of Tom Clancy's books and this movie was truly painfull to watch at times. Aside from the deviations from the book that had been made, the bomb was detonated by if i remember correctly arab terrorists, the bomb was detonated at the super bowl in Denver. there are a great number of derevations simmilar to these. including the fact that jack ryan is about 20 years to young in this movie and his wife is supposed to be under the impression that jack is having an afair. all the signature simultaneous stories that occur in a clancy novel seem to be streamlined in this movie. in the sum of all fears (the book) there are upwards of 6 simultaneous stories that join together at the end. Over all i believe that tom clancy is one of the most masterfull writers and this is a pseudo bastardization of one of his best books, however you must keep in mind that this movie must be able to hold the attention span of the average american holding an iq of 110 so any of the signature characteristics that make tom clancy beloved by many must be avoided in the name of financial success in the theatre. would the average american be able to follow a tom clancy novel? i dont think so. if you take this movie as just what it is, a movie, and forget that there was ever a book. it passes as an alright movie. however in this case i do believe that anyone who sees the movie really ought to read the book.
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