Patriot Games (1992)

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1. 

   Siskoid

   Patriot Games marks Harrison Ford's replacement of Alec Baldwin in the main role, which turned me off at the time and still does today. Baldwin's Jack Ryan was a slick CIA analyst, the smartest man in the room, and though able to handle himself, uncomfortable with the role of action man. Ford has a reputation for playing action men, and his attempt to play Ryan as clumsy and awkward doesn't quite sit right, especially when the film decides to turn the climax of the book into a facile action sequence. But perhaps it's less a matter of performance than it is of casting. An older man, Ford veers the franchise into family film territory, spending a lot of time with his wife and child, and actively placing them in danger. The trope is "this time, it's personal", which just feels contrived and manipulative. Even the film's cliffhanger is a family matter. As with The Hunt for Red October, we spend a lot of time with the villain, but like Jack Ryan, Sean Bean's Irish terrorist is a bit of bumbler. It's hard to be too afraid of him. 8 years 10 months ago
2. 

   mook

   Renegade IRA assassin Sean Bean vs former US Marine Harrison Ford. Solid thriller based on a Tom Clancy novel. 7/10.
   
   Follow me on Twitter @LastFilmSeen 11 years 5 months ago

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