Jack Ryan: Ghost War Review – So I sat down and watched Jack Ryan: Ghost War and it was with somewhat high expectations. I was thrilled when this came out as a true fan of the Jack Ryan series, especially the first couple of seasons, and the geopolitical tension that defines the series. The trailer revealed a spy mystery that was set to span the globe, full of action, conspiracy and stakes. The film provides various of those things but it does at the same time struggle to justify itself as a standalone film and not a feature length episode of the series.
The first thing that caught my eye was the quality of the production. The film is very well composed from the very beginning to the sequences in the air as well as to the wide shots and the scenes on water. Each shot is an elegant filmic shot, and the locations are believable, not contrived. The visual presentation is always impressive, even if the story takes place in frenetic international environments or in secretive, spying missions. It’s obvious that they put a lot of money into developing a believable world and they did. This is a very accomplished production technically, it never gets bogged down.
Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) is correctly named and, somehow, always the best part of the franchise. Ryan is attempting to look after himself, when CIA comes to him with a seemingly simple assignment. He is instructed to go to Dubai to pick up a package, which is described as simple and safe. Things soon go awry, of course. Suddenly, Ryan is caught up in a massive international plot that could have devastating consequences, and is framed for murder. He must join forces with MI6 and other intelligence services to expose the truth and prevent a deadly enemy from causing catastrophe before anyone is put in danger and more than one nation is in peril.
I found throughout the movie that it’s not very much different from a long TV show. Despite its potential for a feature length film, the storytelling, pacing and structure is too often a streaming show to be a theatrical big screen film. It’s not necessarily a bad thing since many TV shows today have come on par with Hollywood movies, but it certainly does have an impact. I never felt I was in an event movie. Rather, it was as if it were a long chapter in a series.
The film does have a few good points to keep it picking up, however. The fact that John Krasinski is a perfect fit for the role should not come as any surprise. He infuses Jack Ryan with intelligence, determination and relatability, which is easy to root for at times when the script takes predictable turns. His performance is what holds the whole film together and adds a lot of emotion to it.
Additionally, I liked the speedy pace. The film is not at all inefficient, spending only about an hour and forty minutes. It’s a dynamic journey from place to place and a never ending series of missions, revelations and action scenes are just around the corner. This espionage element is well suited. The international aspect of the story is delightful as the CIA, Emirati intelligence and MI6 come to terms with a common enemy. That’s the entire world, which is one of the most fun parts of the film for fans of spy thrillers.
While there were many good things about this film, I thought that the screenplay was the one weak section. It is a huge, world-changing conspiracy, described so many times, but never as deadly as the characters make it sound. The antagonist is not sufficiently menacing or present to make the narrative more interesting; the mystery, when it comes, is sometimes too easy to guess. The movie is often very simplistic in its solution when it could be more suspenseful. Consequently, the wagers are less than they should be.
This is also an absence of urgency which is a problem in the suspense. The characters continually remind us how terrible it is, but I don’t really ever feel a concern about what would happen. The threat is more hypothetical than emotional. The plot goes rather smoothly, and there is not the usual tension that makes espionage thrillers so riveting.
I don’t mean to say I hated Jack Ryan: Ghost War, no I didn’t. Instead, it was quite entertaining throughout. It’s easy to follow and has plenty of action and intrigue to keep audiences hooked from start to finish. Anyone who has followed the franchise will enjoy spending more time with Jack Ryan, while those who love straight-forward spy-action will likely enjoy it as well.
While it doesn’t quite make for a memorable movie experience, Jack Ryan: Ghost War is a quick and professional espionage spy thriller. It’s terrific to look at, fast to move and John Krasinski’s reliability is a big plus. But its formulaic plot, weak antagonist and very minimal threat do not make it as good as the best in the series. To me, it was a fun-to-watch film that provided good content but nothing sensational.
Rating: 3.25/5
