Review of The Sum of All Fears (2002) by Mikko E — 26 Jan 2008

Horribly idiotic plot. (Spoilers ahead.) A nuclear bomb is found inside an Israeli fighter plan shot down over the Golan heights during the Yom Kippur war in 1973. A group of European neonazis buys this bomb and smuggles it to America and blows it up in Baltimore, hoping to start WW3 by making the US government believe America has been attacked by Russia.

What is the motive behind this "clever" scheme? Well, we are supposed to believe the neonazis think they can take power in Europe after America and Russia have destroyed each other in WW3. Hello?? Neonazis taking power in Europe?? Why not Martians or Sauron or Darth Vader??

And why would it be in the interests of the neonazis to destroy Russia and America? They are supposed to be white racists, so why would they want to kill millions of white Americans and Russians in a nuclear war? And why would WW3 make it easier for the nazis to take power? Isn't the exact opposite more plausible, as governments usually become stronger during wars and crush all opposition. E.g. Hitler became stronger during the war, and his opponents were weakened by the war; his opponents would not have tried to provoke a war to overthrow him because getting rid of him would have been much easier before the war than during it.

Neonazis coming to power in Europe through WW3?? This is supposed to be realistic?? Hello??

The only reason why I gave it one star instead of zero is that is does contain some interesting action scenes, like an attack by Russian fighter planes on an American aircraft carrier in the North Sea, and the nuclear explosion in Baltimore, with a Hiroshima-style mushroom cloud and all. This was rather daring for a Hollywood movie, especially since this film was released so soon after 9/11. Kudos for not making the Americans appear invulnerable.

P.S. Contains some seriously shitty acting, with a lot of stupid cliches, like the protagonist in bed with a beautiful woman, getting a phone call from his employer, forcing him to leave, with the woman becoming jealous and suspecting the man of cheating on her.