Watched 20150524 (Netflix, Instant)
Patriot Games (1992) Phillip Noyce. 117 min
Relevant Links:
Patriot Games (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Patriot Games (IMDb.com)
Patriot Games (RottenTomatoes.com)
Summary:
Jack Ryan is in England with his family when an attack on members of the royal family. As the events occur, Ryan instinctively takes action and involves himself with the incident, wounding some of the attackers and killing one of the attacker's younger brother.
The remainder of the movie centers around getting revenge.
20150524:
Looking for a reasonable short movie which wouldn't be too draining, I decided to watch Patriot Games. While there were other action movies available, I had previously seen Clear And Present Danger (1994) (also starring Harrison Ford) and The Hunt for Red October (starring Alec Baldwin), so I was definitely drawn to the idea of watching another Jack Ryan film.
Thoughts:
While the film is a bit old, I enjoyed the action and got the simplicity which I was hoping for.
I do, however, enjoy both Clear and Present Danger and The Hunt for Red October more than Patriot Games. In particular, I thought both had plots which were more structured and easier to follow than the plot of Patriot Games.
With that being said, the trouble with both Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger is that Harrison Ford looked too old to be Jack Ryan (see age analysis below).
Recommendation:
Patriot Games is a good action film so if you like action films or Harrison Ford, then it's probably worth watching at least once. However, as mentioned, Ford did look too old to be Jack Ryan and such a detail can deter the suspension of disbelief.
It should also be noted that Patriot Games is a sequel to The Hunt for Red October, so movie series completionists may also have an incentive to watch Patriot Games (and subsequently Clear and Present Danger).
Age Analysis:
A Google search revealed that even Tom Clancy himself found Ford too old to be Jack Ryan.
For comparison, Alec Baldwin was 32, Harrison Ford was 50 & 52, Ben Affleck was 30, and Chris Pine was 34 when their respective movies were released. All things considered, their respective Jack Ryans were 31, 34 & 38, unknown, and 33.
These ages were derived from switching the occurrences of The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games where novel Jack Ryan is 34 and 31, respectively; the age of novel Jack Ryan in Clear and Present Danger is 38; and lining up the Shadow Recruit Jack Ryan's backstory with the novel Jack Ryan's backstory.
Instant Comments:
Thora Birch, I recognize her from Monkey Trouble (1994)
Damn, revenge has no logic. Well nothing happened yet, but it's clear that he'd want to get revenge for his brother's death, and yet a logical person would reason that it was the involvement in a dangerous situation that got his brother killed. [This trope is called "Avenging the Villain."]
"That's me holding my temper, Jimmy Boy."
"Ah, ye're not gonna make me wear a rubber, are ye? Ye know, the church says wearin' one o' them's a sin, darlin'."
Ah, that hits my point exactly. "I didn't make this happen, sir. He did."
I rewind to the twenty-two minute and turn on the caption.
If he had a lawyer, then the lawyer would say, "Leading the witness."
Nintendo Game Boy
This movie definitely has an old feel to it. Like as old as Die Hard (1988) [Well, I'm not far off: Patriot Games was released in 1992]
Huh. That other car intentionally went over? After rewinding, it seems he was just road raging.
Interesting, the revenge acted on revenge. ["Cycle of Revenge" + "It's Personal"]
"You tell O'Neil that you're looking for a girl, he gives you the pictures of a girl. He obliges you to get you off his back. And you believe him?" "I didn't tell him I was looking for a girl, Marty."
Oh, I thought the previous line implied Marty was a mole, but I guess it was only meant to imply that O'Neil gave truthful information.
I hope they turn on the lights when some of these people have their night vision goggles on. Or just shine a flashlight on it.
Haha. Second best: lighting flashes at one of them.
Oh, yay! Two of them via lights on.
Haha. He hits their man on the inside.
Holy shit. "That's not my mission!"
Lol. Is the baby a boy or girl? All we get is "Thank you."
Patriot Games (1992) Phillip Noyce. 117 min
 |
| Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) |
Patriot Games (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Patriot Games (IMDb.com)
Patriot Games (RottenTomatoes.com)
Summary:
Jack Ryan is in England with his family when an attack on members of the royal family. As the events occur, Ryan instinctively takes action and involves himself with the incident, wounding some of the attackers and killing one of the attacker's younger brother.
The remainder of the movie centers around getting revenge.
 |
| Cathy Ryan (Anne Archer) |
Looking for a reasonable short movie which wouldn't be too draining, I decided to watch Patriot Games. While there were other action movies available, I had previously seen Clear And Present Danger (1994) (also starring Harrison Ford) and The Hunt for Red October (starring Alec Baldwin), so I was definitely drawn to the idea of watching another Jack Ryan film.
Thoughts:
While the film is a bit old, I enjoyed the action and got the simplicity which I was hoping for.
I do, however, enjoy both Clear and Present Danger and The Hunt for Red October more than Patriot Games. In particular, I thought both had plots which were more structured and easier to follow than the plot of Patriot Games.
With that being said, the trouble with both Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger is that Harrison Ford looked too old to be Jack Ryan (see age analysis below).
 |
| Sean Miller (Sean Bean) |
Patriot Games is a good action film so if you like action films or Harrison Ford, then it's probably worth watching at least once. However, as mentioned, Ford did look too old to be Jack Ryan and such a detail can deter the suspension of disbelief.
It should also be noted that Patriot Games is a sequel to The Hunt for Red October, so movie series completionists may also have an incentive to watch Patriot Games (and subsequently Clear and Present Danger).
Age Analysis:
A Google search revealed that even Tom Clancy himself found Ford too old to be Jack Ryan.
For comparison, Alec Baldwin was 32, Harrison Ford was 50 & 52, Ben Affleck was 30, and Chris Pine was 34 when their respective movies were released. All things considered, their respective Jack Ryans were 31, 34 & 38, unknown, and 33.
These ages were derived from switching the occurrences of The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games where novel Jack Ryan is 34 and 31, respectively; the age of novel Jack Ryan in Clear and Present Danger is 38; and lining up the Shadow Recruit Jack Ryan's backstory with the novel Jack Ryan's backstory.
 |
| Sally Ryan (Thora Birch) |
Thora Birch, I recognize her from Monkey Trouble (1994)
Damn, revenge has no logic. Well nothing happened yet, but it's clear that he'd want to get revenge for his brother's death, and yet a logical person would reason that it was the involvement in a dangerous situation that got his brother killed. [This trope is called "Avenging the Villain."]
"That's me holding my temper, Jimmy Boy."
"Ah, ye're not gonna make me wear a rubber, are ye? Ye know, the church says wearin' one o' them's a sin, darlin'."
Ah, that hits my point exactly. "I didn't make this happen, sir. He did."
 |
| Admiral Greer (James Earl Jones) |
If he had a lawyer, then the lawyer would say, "Leading the witness."
Nintendo Game Boy
This movie definitely has an old feel to it. Like as old as Die Hard (1988) [Well, I'm not far off: Patriot Games was released in 1992]
Huh. That other car intentionally went over? After rewinding, it seems he was just road raging.
Interesting, the revenge acted on revenge. ["Cycle of Revenge" + "It's Personal"]
I don't give a shit whether you did it or not. And neither will anyone else. But I will put such a stranglehold on your gun money you'll be out in the streets throwing rocks. I will fucking destroy you. I will make it my mission in life.Oh I see, they planned to run inside to avoid satellite imagery.
"You tell O'Neil that you're looking for a girl, he gives you the pictures of a girl. He obliges you to get you off his back. And you believe him?" "I didn't tell him I was looking for a girl, Marty."
Oh, I thought the previous line implied Marty was a mole, but I guess it was only meant to imply that O'Neil gave truthful information.
 |
| Robby (Samuel L. Jackson) |
Haha. Second best: lighting flashes at one of them.
Oh, yay! Two of them via lights on.
Haha. He hits their man on the inside.
Holy shit. "That's not my mission!"
Lol. Is the baby a boy or girl? All we get is "Thank you."
No comments :