The Sum of All Fears Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)June 5th, 2002
"Sum" Rounds up to a Good Political Yarn by Homer Yen
(c) 2002
"The Sum of All Fears" is so good in so many areas that you wonder why you have this uneasy feeling that something went terribly amiss when you leave the theatre. It certainly wasn't the nuclear bomb that finds its way into a populous American city where its detonation catapults the United States and Russia towards an apocalyptic collision course. This brings about many wonderfully tense moments of desperate diplomacy in an effort to avoid Armageddon. Incredibly, the ticking time bomb that destroys this movie is the Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck) character. It's not Ben Affleck's fault; his character is just not given enough importance.
Yes, to criticize Jack Ryan is to criticize Tom Clancy himself, but that's not the point here. Outside of the Jack Ryan story, the rest of the film has its own healthy heartbeat and plays itself out with purpose and a sense of majesty. For example, the musical score is operatic during its most crucial scenes and the dialogue exchanged between the leaders of the two countries (James Cromwell as our President; Ciaran Hinds as the Russian President) is crisp and draws your attention. Morgan Freeman also has good presence as Ryan's boss who deeply understands the political machine. And, Liev Schriber, who plays a stealthy spy, makes you wish we had more people like him on our side.
Jack Ryan, however, is a dud. This is ironic since his work is instrumental in saving the world. The story unwisely gives him a love interest (Bridget Moynahan) whose purpose is to provide some comic relief and to give Jack a personal stake in what he is doing. The film also shows Jack as young, unseasoned, and a bit reluctant and overwhelmed. Yet, while it may be necessary to have the Jack Ryan character grow, it seemed more important to save the world. In that vein, it would have been preferable if Jack Ryan was ready to accept his awesome responsibility and better equipped to handle his situation.
All of the other characters certainly did.
The story focuses on an atomic bomb that went missing several decades ago during a battle in the Middle East. Recently found, it was sold on the black market to a right-wing Neo-Nazi. His plan is to explode the device in an effort to draw the US and Russia into nuclear war with one another. With both superpowers reduced to ashes, his regime can ascend to unhindered power.
There are two very effective stories at work as the film progresses. One involves the mission to discover the identity of the arms dealer and his buyer. We see spywork that is ruthless, cunning and resourceful. It seems more genuine than any James Bond film can hope to become.
Meanwhile, the political element begins to surface as the leaders and their staffs of opinion-givers inject their theories, response alternatives, and possible ramifications. It's interesting to see everyone yelling at each other because it would seem genuine that there would be little sanity under such intense pressure. This element is weakened by Jack Ryan's work, and thus the overall dramatic impact is a notch-and-a-half below other similar works such as "Thirteen Days" and HBOs 1990 "By Dawn's Early Light". "The Sum of All Fears" appeared genuine. Take Jack Ryan out, and this summer offering could have been the real thing.
Grade: B
S: 0 out of 3
L: 2 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
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