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by Jim Pappas Published: June 1, 2002
The problem with a film like “The Sum of All Fears”, the 4th Tom Clancy novel brought to the screen by producer Mace Neufeld, is that encountered by any film dealing with a potential nuclear war: How to depict the build-up to launch in a realistic way, and how to depict the people involved in pressing these buttons so that any one of us can empathize. That empathy is only partially realized in this movie. I felt more connected to the Russian president, Nemerov, played by Ciaran Hinds, than I did with the American president, Fowler, played by James Cameron. The film depicts “our” side as being potentially the biggest threat for starting a nuclear war than anyone else, and that is indeed frightening. The movie opens with the loss of a nuclear bomb by an Israeli fighter jet during the 6 day war in 1973. The bomb is buried by the sand until it is uncovered 29 years later (so we are told) by some desert scavengers digging, apparently, for anything they can find to sell. They eventually sell the bomb to a man named Olson (Colm Feore) who pays them $400 for it. The man is connected to an organization whose intent (as we find out later) is to provoke the United States and Russia into going to war with each other. Enter the latest incarnation of Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck). This new version is actually Ryan as depicted at the beginning of his CIA career. He is a lowly researcher, who happens to also be the resident expert on the newly sworn in Russian president, Nemerov. Ryan is asked by CIA chief Bill Cabot (Morgan Freeman) to accompany him to Russia to conduct a nuclear arms inspection under the terms of the SALT treaty. This causes Ryan to have to break a date with his new girlfriend, Cathy Muller (Bridget Moynahan). The scene (part of which is featured in TV advertisements) where Ryan calls Muller to explain the date cancellation is very amusing. There is also a poignant moment when Ryan and Cabot enter the Russian nuclear weapons facility and Cabot remembers when the facility was secret, and the men he lost trying to infiltrate it during the Cold War. Meanwhile, the mysterious organization that has the missing bomb has recruited 3 Russian scientists to make it operational. Ryan notices the fact that there are 3 scientists missing from the Russian nuclear weapons facility, and later realizes their expertise is such that together they could construct a nuclear device. Inexorably, the bomb makes its way to the United States with horrific results. I will not give away what happens from here on, but I must say that the result is the United States and Russia end up on the brink of an all-out nuclear war, and it is up to Jack Ryan to save the day. This is a thoughtful and well constructed film, despite some obvious plot holes, and it does a good job of moving along at a pace that keeps the viewer interested and engrossed. The musical scoring is solid (courtesy of the always dependable Jerry Goldsmith), and contributes to the overall atmosphere created by director Phil Alden Robinson. The acting is solid in this film, as everyone in the cast does a complimentary job, especially Ciaran Hines. The screenplay, by Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne, is crafted so that we take the story and dialogue seriously, which probably makes Co-Executive Producer Tom Clancy happy. There are always going to be problems with any movie that tries to “bring us” to the brink of nuclear war, as this has been done so many times before. But, “The Sum of All Fears” breaks a bit of new ground, and that is always welcome. I rate this film a solid “B”, and recommend it to anyone who wants a break from the cartoons of summer. Overall Rating: B |
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