Rating: 
Summary: Affleck plays this role well
Review: Ben Affleck stars as Jack Ryan--a role usually assigned to Harrison Ford. Ryan is an "historian" to his girlfriend, but he really works as an analyst (specializing in Russian) for the CIA. Earlier in his career, Ryan wrote a paper about Nemerov, a rising star in the Russian political scene, and Ryan believes that Nemerov may well be the next Russian premier.It is Ryan's interest in the Russian politician, Nemerov, that puts Ryan in the spotlight and brings him to the attention of Chabot (nicely played in typical low-key fashion by Morgan Freeman). After the sudden death of the Russian premier, Nemerov takes power--a move that has the Washington and CIA analysts contemplating changes in the relationship between Russia and the US. Washington is especially nervous about Nemerov's attitude towards the Chechens. Little do the analysts know that a Nazi is actually behind the scenes making it appear that the Russians can't be trusted by the Americans. The Nazis plan to have the Americans and the Russians at each other's throats, so that they are free to conquer the world. Ryan is whisked off to Moscow by Chabot to meet Nemerov and to inspect a nuclear facility. Ryan notices that 3 nuclear scientists are missing and concludes that they must be off somewhere building an atomic bomb. Chabot decides to send Ryan on a secret mission to confirm the construction of a new bomb, and Liev Schreiber plays agent John Clark who drags a semi-willing Ryan along for the ride to the Ukraine to find the scientists and the bomb--if it indeed exists. That is enough of the plot--see the film if you want to know what happens. I haven't read the book, so I can't say if it is better than the film, but I thought the film was completely implausible. Obviously spy films are supposed to be--to a degree--implausible (look at the James Bond films, for example). However, I think the argument is that one is supposed to be swept away by the plot (and excitement?) and not really have time to stop and say "wait a minute--that doesn't make an ounce of sense." Part of the problem, I think, was that the film started back in 1973 with scenes of an Israeli plane loaded with a nuclear bomb. The plane crashes and leave its atomic bomb buried in the Golen Heights. This is followed by a modern day scene in which the President of the US, his advisors, generals, etc take off for an underground bunker. Here they prepare to make an attack with nuclear weapons. The scene was presented as the "real thing" until a phone call from the president's wife breaks the atmosphere, and everyone starts talking about "the drill." I think it was a mistake to put two unconnected scenes full of characters who haven't been identified right at the beginning of the film. The viewer hasn't yet committed to the characters, or the plot, and I found myself expressing disbelief out loud at the notion that anyone could "lose" a nuclear bomb and forget all about it for 29 years. The beginning of the film set the tone for the disbelief, and it never really left. Ben Affleck did a great job as the analyst who would like to hang on to the security of his desk, but can't resist seeing his hero, Nemerov in the flesh. But that brings me back to implausible again....
Rating: 
Summary: Typical Clancy
Review: I preferred reading this book, the movie has several inconsistancies. For one, if the timeline was pre Hunt for Red October, then why does Morgan Freeman carry a Motarola v60 cell phone. Why does Ben Afleck have a Palm Pilot, I don't think the CIA handed out palm pilots in the early 80's...Something to ponder on while watching this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: A friend of Phil Robinson's
Review: I did not see the theatrical release of the film and was anxiously awaiting the DVD. Much to my disappointment it is only
offered in the widescreen format.On my 27 inch TV I get to see only 9 inches of viewing area, so puchasing the DVD would be a big waste!It's a real shame that the television receiver industry
has not kept up with the DVD format(unless I want to shell out
3,000 dollars for a new receiver). I won't be buying any DVDs when I have to squint to see the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie, so-so Jack Ryan film
Review: Actually 3 1/2 Stars.
I actually expected The Sum Of All Fears to be a bit different than what it was. This is perhaps the worst of The Jack Ryan movies but it is still enjoyable. One scene in paticular that was just incredible was a bomb going off inside of a football stadium during what one would assume to be the Super Bowl but because of doubts from the NFL about using the Super Bowl and real NFL teams in a setting where a bomb would explode the producers had to invent fictitious teams and refer to the football game as simply 'The Big Game'. Those wary of movies containing this sort of subject matter after 9/11 would be wise to avoid 'The Sum Of All Fears' which is full of terrorist plots and scenarios.
The last Jack Ryan film we had was 'Clear And Present Danger', a film that had it's share of complications but at least we got the Jack Ryan we all know and love, Harrison Ford.
Ben Affleck now fills his shoes but he might as well be a whole new character, he doesn't give off the same energy and intelligence that Harrison Ford did and he lacks the older actor's seeming maturity for the role made famous in Tom Clancy novels.
Don't get me wrong, Harrison Ford was getting way to old to play a character that is supposed to be in his thirties.
Ben Affleck should have more experience in the next Jack Ryan movie and he seems to be physically the exact mental image of Jack Ryan. The biggest problem with this fourth film is the fact in that the director changed the terrorists from Arabs to Neo-Nazis.
Give me a break. No doubt for the reason that he didn't want Islam or Arabs to get any sort of a bad rap after 9/11.
I guarantee you that had 9/11 not occurred the terrorists in this film would really have been Arabs. But, oh-I-see, because it really was Muslims who were the terrorists on 9/11 it would be unfair to sterotype them now. What?
You won't see another movie like 'The Siege' or 'The Peacemaker'
in this day and age because of that reason. Because of cowardly directors, producers, and studios who can't be anything but politically correct for fear of being labeled racists.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, bad title.
Review: I saw the movie before I read the book. When I watched the movie, I liked it so much that I saw it again in theaters. When I read the book, I realized how much the movie ripped off the book. The movie is completely different than the book besides the end. I would have given this 5 stars if it had followed the book a little more.
So basically, I highly recommend you read the book after you see the movie so you aren't as disappointed in the movie.
If you have seen the trailer and the movie, you will notice that a lot of scenes in the trailer were deleted from the movie. The problem with this is that the dvd is not including deleted scenes. hopefully they will come out with another dvd with full screen format and the deleted scenes.
Rating:
Summary: Keeping My Fears In Check
Review: The latest Jack Ryan novel to be adapted to film THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, takes a step back in order to go forward. When Harrison Ford, bowed out of the chance to play Ryan again, the producers had to recast the role. Hero Jack Ryan is now played by Ben Affleck. Due to the casting change, the story picks up early in his job as a CIA analyst, and before his marrige to Cathy Muller (Bridget Moynahan). When world events dictate Ryan be brought into to assist a member of the President's (James Cromwell) cabinet, John Cabot +(Morgan Freeman), things between Russia and the U.S erode toward nuclear war. Thanks to a neo Nazi, who is really pulling the strings, a nuke is detonated in Baltmore MD.. I never read the book, by Tom Clancy, therefore I can not compare and contrast the book to the film. Since the author is a producer on the film, I would think that he approved any changes. As a film, it's pretty good, but not great. Affleck is ok as the title character. I gotta give him credit for taking the role. After all, he had some mighty big footsteps to follow, and he aquits himself fine. There are some nice moments between Moynahan and Affleck. However, the best performance in the film, comes from Freeman. No matter what the film is, if he is in it, he always elevates the material. Given the state of our world today, the scene of the bomb blast, now seems all too real. It is definately uncomfortable to watch and will most likely make you shudder as you watch the sequence.. Recent events make the movie more topical than it was probably intended The film takes some artistic freedoms during its second half that bothered me. For example, I doubt that cell phones would work that well after a radioactive blast. Normally, I wouldn't even care about something like this, but since it happens more than once, it's impossible to ignore. There are a few other moments like this throughout the film's latter half that gnawed at me. I had no problem seeing this film in theaters so soon after Sept.11, (in June 2002) I think it never hurts to be reminded of what did happen and could happen again. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson, SUM, is a good film that gets away from plausabilty for a bit. I know it's only a film but even movies like this should be held to a certain standard. I really miss Ford here but I can live with Affleck. The DVD looks pretty good as far as the extra features are concerned. I guess Paramount finally wised up and is putting the DVD format to good use. Now if they would only do the same with the other "Jack Ryan" films in the series. Even though, I had some reservations and problems with THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, I still plan to revisit it on DVD (as a rental)
Rating:
Summary: The Sum of All Fears
Review: Are you kidding? Ben Affleck a worthy successor to Harrison Ford? You should be writing jokes for Leno & Letterman. Affleck makes a horrible Jack Ryan. He does not show the mental acuity that is necessary in order to play Clancy's protagonist. Affleck is simply too dull. Morgan Freeman performs well as always and Bridget Moynahan is fabulous in a small role --- but they can't save this film. Between the casting of Affleck as Ryan and the screenwriters politically-correct rewrite of Clancy's story (so as not to offend Arab Americans I suppose), "Sum of All Fears" is a fearsome flop.
Rating:
Summary: The Sum of All Fears.
Review: Finally a return to a Ryan of an appropriate age for the part. I love Harrison Ford, but he looks like a 50 year old man trying too hard to play a 35 year old man and Anne Archer looks like a 55 year old woman trying too hard to convince me she is a 35 year old woman of child-bearing years. They are so totally physically wrong it is sad. Fans of the books know that they start in Ryan's early 30s and proceed through the 40s. While it is fashionable to slam Alec Baldwin, he was far more right for the part than Ford. Ben Affleck is also far more right. It appears that the Arab anti-discrimination league has a better lobby in Hollywood than the neo-nazis. How else do you explain the major changes from the book. It is one thing to leave out characters or sidelines that do little to further the main plot in a two hour movie condensed from a 798 page book. It is quite another to switch ethnic groups to please those with the loudest lobby and then claim the same title and source material. No one believes that all Arabs are terrorists, but with the current climate in the Middle East, the story line in the book is plausible and should have been continued in the movie. Shifting the time-frame to a premarried Jack and Cathy in their mid 20s, and the location from Denver to Baltimore, and with little mention that the football game is the Super Bowl hurts the script far more than helping it. Ben Affleck deserved better. He still did as well as anyone could do with the script he was given. Liev Schreiber as John Clark was more than adequate, but if you haven't read the books, there is no foundation to believe he is anything but a garden-variety psychopath. Morgan Freeman is excellent as always. The man is simply a great actor. Yet with all of that, this is still either the second best (behind HFRO) or best of the Clancy movies. I hope Affleck weathers the storm and the Ford psycophants and carries on with the franchise. Some age continuity from Ben and Bridget would be nice.
Rating:
Summary: Political(ly Correct) Thriller
Review: I'll bet the producers feel like fools now. Who was the genius who decided the Islamo-facist mastermind of the novel should be replaced by a (yawn) neo-Nazi? And why did this neo-Nazi detonate a nuclear bomb on US soil? We don't know, and this film doesn't tell us, either. A sublime novel by Clancy has been turned into a silly (but sometimes effective) film for some other age, but certainly not our post-9/11 world. Saddest of all, the metaphorical vision (look it up) of Tom Clancy's villainous cast--an Islamic terrorist dying of cancer, a Native American activist lost in a fever-dream of romantic primitivism, and an East German female Bader-Meinhoff type who never figured out the 1960s are over--is nuked by an incredibly stupid plot involving those evil white men, at it yet again. Don't blame Ben Affleck for this mess. Take it out on the suits!
Rating:
Summary: Really bad movie.
Review: I can't believe that Clancy would sign off on such a horrible version of one of his best books. Everyone heed my words, BOOK GOOD, MOVIE BAD. First off, when I went to see this I said if you have never read any of Clancy's books or seen any of the previous movies the it was ok. If you have then you will know what I am talking about when I say it is a bad movie. Once I saw the movie I then went to see why it was so bad. Just as I thought. They produced [messed] up everything just to fit Ben Affleck in. Let's see what they did wrong. They didn't use Alec Baldwin (Best Jack Ryan) or Harrison Ford. In the book Ryan is older than in the previous movies. Ryan is no longer married. Ryan is now just a CIA worker and not Deputy Director CIA like he is in the book. Willem Dafoe did not play Clark and they left out Chavez. They left out the Islamic extremists. Finally they left out half the plot that made The Sum Of All Fears what it was meant to be.
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