Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Grade: C+
Patriot Games is old-fashioned, traditional entertainment. Ok, so should that be taken on an optimistic, or a pessimistic side? This is the second entry in the Jack Ryan film series. The first installment, the Hunt for Red October, was completed in similar fashion to Patriot Games, but more importantly, it offers some of the most thrilling and daunting looks at submarine life that cinema has to offer. For that, and for its production values, entertainment qualities and dexterous set up, made it a film I held in high consideration. So it’s unfortunate that the sequel, Patriot Games, is a major step down from its commendable predecessor. While the Hunt for Red October offered new surprises at every turn, in Patriot Games, everything is taken to a far more straightforward manner: protagonist kills antagonist’s brother; antagonist vows revenge; protagonist finds this out; protagonist and antagonist wage game of cat and mouse versus each other. Still though, Patriot Games is a credible entry into the Jack Ryan film series. I thought it would have been nice to have seen something more efficiently updated, but if conventional movie watching should be taken as satisfactory, then Patriot Games serves simply as an adequate thriller.
C+
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