Patriot Games (DVD) > Reviews > Good Film - Worth Watching

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Good
Soundtrack	Unmemorable

Advantages:	Great Film, Good Acting, Good Story,
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

FILM DETAILS:

Directed by Philip Noyce

Original Book: Written By Tom Clancy

Date: 1992

MAIN CAST:

Harrison Ford - Jack Ryan
Anne Archer - Dr. Catherine "Cathy" Ryan
Patrick Bergin -Kevin O'Donnell
Sean Bean - Sean Miller
Thora Birch -Sally Ryan
James Fox - Lord Holmes
Samuel L. Jackson - Lt. Cmdr. Robby Jackson
Polly Walker - Annette
J.E. Freeman - Marty Cantor
James Earl Jones - Adm. James Greer
Richard Harris - Paddy O'Neil

Runtime: 117 Min

ABOUT THIS FILM:

This is the film based on the book by Tom Clancy of the Jack Ryan saga.

Jack Ryan is a CIA Analyst who is in London visiting with his family when he stops a terrorist attack by the IRA on Lord Holmes (well played by Edward Fox). While doing this he kills some of the terrorists.

One of the terrorists Sean Miller is captured and imprisoned but breaks out of prison to gain revenge on Jack Ryan for killing his brother while saving Lord Holmes.

The story progresses with the plan by the group to get revenge on Jack Ryan and his family when he returns to London.

The story follows along a good line of the work that Jack Ryan does for the CIA and the plot of the Terrorists to attack his family and kill them.

This film really portrays the Irish problem from an American point of view but does not do too bad a job of it. Sean Bean plays the terrorist very well and his desire to kill not only Jack Ryan but also his family is well portrayed.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Harrison Ford is excellent in this role and really plays Jack Ryan very well. Samuel L Jackson is also very good and really plays the part of Robby Jackson well, exactly as I imagined it from the book.

QUOTE FROM THE FILM:

Sean Miller: How's the family, Ryan? Nearly lost 'em, didn't you? It's easy to get at them. Are you there?

Jack Ryan: Yeah

Sean MIller: I understand your little girl's feeling better. Lost her spleen, eh? Pity, that. Make it a might difficult for her to fight off infection, eh Jacky boy?

Jack Ryan: You sick son of a *****

Another QUOTE:

Sean Miller: I saw his wife and daughter die, but she and Neddy blew it. Ryan's still alive.

Kevin O'Donnell: They're not dead, Sean.

Sean Miller: What?

Kevin O'Donnell: They survived it. I can't say it any plainer than that. It doesn't matter. Your trip served its purpose.

Sean Miller: It *does* matter!

TRIVIA:

Sean Bean was filming the Lady Chatterly production at the same time as this film. He had a slight problem that for Patriot Games he had to have shorter hair, after having shot the end scene, Sean Bean phoned the Lady Chatterly production and advised them that he had good and bad news.

The good news was that he managed to keep his hair, the bad news was that he split his eye open. He needed 8 stiches where a boat hook hit him in the final scene.

The boat hook Sean mentioned was actually swung by Harrison Ford while filming these scenes, and the scar remains one of Sean's defining facial features, just under his left eyebrow.

OPINION:

I really enjoyed this film and do recommend it to anyone who likes a good thriller. Surprisingly it actually does the book justice and is worth seeing and it has some excellent acting in it.

Possible drawback is the very much American view on the Irish trouble, but I did not think that this distracted that much from the film.

Personally I think that this film really does carry on the story of Jack Ryan and Harrison Ford is excellent in this role. He plays the role of loving father and CIA employee really well. Having said that I think that Harrison Ford plays most roles well, so maybe I am slightly bias.

The story although slightly far fetched is stil reasonably believable and when the film was made the IRA were much more active and you could believe that a group might decide to take revenge. Personally I do not like films that are really far fetched and therefore this is good, you must make your own mind up however, I can only guide you.

Note: This is not a thriller where you will get scared or get jumpy, but is very well directed and entertaining.

All in all, this film, although not a classic is well worth watching should you be looking for something to do on a quiet evening.

Verdict: 3 out of 5