Review of Clear and Present Danger (1994) by Walker W — 10 Jun 2009
CONSENSUS: CLEAR & PRESENT DANGER stands on equal footing with THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, easily the two best Jack Ryan films. It is also an improvement on PATRIOT GAMES (itself a fine picture), in which Harrison Ford established himself as a much better pick for the lead than Alec Baldwin.
The film as a whole is intelligent (involves a lot of dialogue that requires close attention in order to understand fully what is unfolding), realistic, and has a dose of genuine American patriotism. A stellar cast including Ford, Willem Dafoe, Joaquim de Almeida, James Earl Jones, Henry Czerny, and Harris Yulin that remains in tip-top shape throughout the picture.
Suspenseful, emotional, intense, and incredibly satisfying, it is a shame that the next film in line was the largely forgettable THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, with Ben Affleck creating an abysmal version of a young Jack Ryan.
One of the best films of 1994. MY GRADE: A-.
This review of Clear and Present Danger (1994) was written by Walker W on 10 Jun 2009.
Clear and Present Danger has generally received positive reviews.
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