Review of Patriot Games (1992) by Martin D — 20 Feb 2012

Jack Ryan (Ford) is on a "working vacation" in London with his family. He has retired from the CIA and is a professor at the United States Naval Academy. They witness an attack on Lord William Holmes (James Fox), British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and a distant cousin of the Queen Mother. Ryan intervenes and kills one of the attackers, Patrick Miller, while his older brother Sean (Bean) looks on. Ryan is badly wounded.

The remaining attackers flee and leave Miller to be apprehended by the police. While recovering, Ryan is called to testify in court against Miller, who is part of a fictional breakaway group of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Ryan is awarded a knighthood and eventually returns to the United States.

While being transferred to Albany Prison on the Isle of Wight, Miller's escort convoy is ambushed by his comrades, including Kevin O'Donnell (Bergin), who kill the police officers, and he escapes. Miller and his companions flee to North Africa to plan their next attempt on Lord Holmes. Miller however, cannot shake his anger towards Ryan for killing his younger brother and persuades several members of the group to accompany him to the United States to murder Ryan and his family.

Ryan survives an attack outside the Naval Academy. Simultaneously, Miller and an accomplice attack Ryan's wife and daughter on a busy highway. They crash and both are severely injured. Enraged over the attack on his family, Ryan decides to go back to work for the CIA, having earlier rejected the appeal of his former superior, Vice Admiral James Greer (Jones).

Ryan's work leads him to conclude that Miller has taken refuge in a training camp in Libya. A Special Air Service team attacks and kills everyone in the camp while Ryan looks on through a live satellite feed. Unbeknownst to Ryan, Miller and his companions had already fled the camp and were on their way to the US to stage their next attack.

Lord Holmes decides to visit Ryan at his home to formally present his KCVO. With the aid of Lord Holmes' traitorous assistant, Miller's group tracks Holmes to Ryan's home, kill the Diplomatic Security Service agents and Maryland state troopers guarding the house, and attempt to kidnap Lord Holmes. Ryan leads Holmes and his family to safety while he attempts to lure Miller and his companions away from his home.

The FBI Hostage Rescue Team scrambles to pick up Holmes. Upon realizing that Ryan is leading them away from Holmes, Miller's companions try to persuade Miller to turn around, but an enraged Miller kills his companions and continues his pursuit of Ryan. Ryan and Miller fight hand to hand; Miller is killed, and his body is obliterated in the subsequent explosion of the craft.