Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War

Directed by Andrew Bernstein, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War follows John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan as he springs into action after a rogue black-ops soldier (Max Beesley’s Liam Crown) starts stirring up trouble. It’s workable subject matter that’s employed as a springboard for a dull and hopelessly generic thriller devoid of any actual thrills, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the progressively impenetrable narrative plays a key role in perpetuating the tiresome, interminable atmosphere – with the baffling vibe exacerbated by a recurring reliance on bland, forgettable action sequences and set-pieces. And though Krasinski offers up a relatively strong, charismatic central performance, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War‘s almost total absence of character development makes it virtually impossible to work up any real interest in Ryan’s ongoing exploits (and this is to say nothing of the wafer-thin portrayal of the picture’s various periphery figures). By the time the tedious climax rolls around, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War has ultimately confirmed its place as the worst of the Jack Ryan pictures – which is a shame, certainly, given the strength of every single previous adaptation.

*1/2 out of ****