Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (January 17, 2014) PG-13

Chris Pine is the new Jack Ryan, filling
the shoes of Harrison Ford and
Ben Affleck before him
(Photo taken from geektyrant.com)

Starring:
Chris Pine (Star Trek, This Means War, Carriers)
Keira Knightley (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
Kevin Costner (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Mr. Brookes, Dances With Wolves)
Kenneth Branagh (Valkyrie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Wild Wild West)

Despite the unoriginal plot and lack of surprises and twists, I enjoyed watching this spy thriller.  It would have been a "nothing movie" if not for the excellent acting of Chris Pine.

There was good character development in the beginning, but it did more to explain how Jack met his girlfriend rather than explaining how Jack had such incredible spy abilities.

The villian was nothing new, typical Russian who hates America and was going to destroy the United States similarly to how Al Queda did in 9/11.

Thoughts: The fact that Jack Ryan has a sub-title suggests that there will be sequels.  The character Jack Ryan has been in other Tom Clancy movies such as Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, and Shadow Recruit is a prequel to those movies even though it takes place today in our time.  It is blatantly and deliberate post-9/11, and yet it's prequel to movies from the 90s.

Jack Ryan meets his future mentor, Thomas Harper
(Photo taken from joblo.com)

I think the producers are going to treat the Jack Ryan character like James Bond.  We'll see multiple actors play him, and his stories could go on forever.