The Sum of All Fears
The Sum of All Fears ★★½ 2002 (PG-13)
Affleck takes over as Jack Ryan, who is now just an analyst, and has a girlfriend (Moynihan) who's a young doctor (hmmm…), but the film is still set in the present-day. That's just the first confusing element of this complicated spy thriller. The first half is spent on set pieces that seem to have no connection, until a climactic event (which takes place an hour in). Ryan is trying to prevent a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. Neo-Nazis are the baddies who put the world on the brink, and give the audience a safe, cartoony villian to make up for the now alltoo-possible nuclear scenario. Affleck shows signs of growing into the role if the franchise continues, but he's not there yet. Pic is at its best when in the conference rooms of the White House and Kremlin, with each leader's advisors pressing their agendas. 118m/C VHS, DVD . US Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Bridget Moynahan, Liev Schreiber, Ron Rifkin, Alan Bates, Ciaran Hinds, Philip Baker Hall, Bruce McGill, Colm Feore, Josef Sommer, Ken Jenkins, Michael Byrne, John Beasley, Jamie Harrold, Richard Marner, Lee Garlington, Eugene (Yevgeny) Lazarev, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Lisa Bronwyn Moore; D: Phil Alden Robinson; W: Paul Attanasio, Daniel Pyne; C: John Lindley; M: Jerry Goldsmith.