The Sum of All Fears: B

The Sum of All Fears is the fourth movie made from a Tom Clancy novel based around the exploits of CIA analyst Jack Ryan. Not that it's important, but the filmmakers don't bother explaining at the beginning of the film that this is obviously a prequel to the other three. Here, Ryan (played by Ben Affleck) is an unmarried newcomer to the CIA (but, although a prequel, the action takes place in 2002 which puts the rest of the Jack Ryan canon in question).

I may have to see this film again to get all the names straight, but the basic plot goes something like this: A group of neo-Nazis have gotten their hands on a nuclear bomb and intend to use it to start a war between Russia and the United States by detonating it within the United States and making it look like it was the Russians. Apparently in the book it wasn't neo-Nazis, but an extreme Muslim group (they must have changed it because we all know that no Muslim group would ever want to do anything vicious to the U.S.A.). Ryan is a lowly analyst who happens to be an expert on Alexander Nemerov, the new Russian president (played by Ciarán Hinds). He is approached by CIA Director Bill Cabot (played by Morgan Freeman) to help explain the new Russian command. Ryan quickly gets into the middle of the action as he must attempt to get the correct information about the terrorists to those in power before World War III begins. The film isn't really based on action; it's more about intrigue. Those with the correct information are the ones who are powerful rather than those with the arsenal of weapons. Many of the scenes' establishing shots look like they've been taken from a satellite with a low frame rate. The KGB and CIA agents merely smile when they provide information thought impossible to know.

Some may say the filmmakers went to far, releasing this film in the wake of Sept. 11th (sort of like in the movie Airplane! when the in-flight movie was an airplane-disaster movie). I think we're beyond walking on eggshells now.

Affleck is surrounded by a few fun characters who, at times, really eclipse him, especially Morgan Freeman. Ryan's love interest is played by the cutie Bridgett Moynahan (who also played one of the cuties in Coyote Ugly). Probably the most fun character is John Clark, the operative who helps Ryan with some of the dirty work. This time around Clark is played by Liev Schreiber (the guy who played Cotton Weary in the Scream movies). Schreiber plays the spy/assassin role with a bit of ironic humor; a bit of a contrast to the way Willem Defoe played it in Clear and Present Danger.

Phil Alden Robinson (Sneakers) did an adequate directing job. My one complaint is that during the action sequences the camera work uses the jumpy hand-held method. Many filmmakers use it to show confusion and intensity, but it's more distracting from the action if anything.

Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne had the chore of making a present-day story out of the one Clancy wrote years ago. Several things about the book were changed to make the movie happen, but thankfully those who complain can just read the book again. Clear and Present Danger is rated PG-13 for violence (including a very large amount of people dying), a bit of Affleck's and Moynahan's skin and profanity (including the president of the United States uttering a very bad word).