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The Sum of All Fears (2002)
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Reviews Counted:7
Fresh:5
Rotten:2
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: A slick and well-made thriller that takes on new weight due to the current political climate.
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: In this high-intensity drama, based on the novel by Tom Clancy, Ben Affleck stars as Jack Ryan, the CIA agent from Clancy's THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, PATRIOT GAMES, and CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER.... In this high-intensity drama, based on the novel by Tom Clancy, Ben Affleck stars as Jack Ryan, the CIA agent from Clancy's THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, PATRIOT GAMES, and CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER. Here, Ryan is dealing with a terrifying new problem: a nuclear weapon has fallen into the hands of foreign terrorists who are determined to create a war between Russia and the U.S. As the film begins, a South African arms dealer (Colm Feore) acquires a long-lost nuclear weapon and sells it, at great profit, to a resurgent group of fascists led by Dressler (Alan Bates), who plans to lure the U.S. and Russia into a war. Soon after, the Russian premiere dies and the relatively unknown Nemerov (Ciarán Hinds) replaces him. But U.S. president Fowler (James Cromwell) smells a rat, and calls CIA chief William Cabot (Morgan Freeman) and special agent Jack Ryan (Affleck), the junior analyst who has been researching Nemerov, into action. THE SUM OF ALL FEARS is a powerful addition to Tom Clancy's techno-thriller series. Affleck is effective, and there are notable supporting performances from Freeman, Cromwell, Feore, Hinds, Bates, and Liev Schreiber as a CIA operative. Director Phil Alden Robinson manages the action with great skill. Particularly notable are the terrifying nuclear attack and the sequence of final reckonings intercut with Puccini's beautiful aria "Nessun Dorma." [More]
Starring: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell
Starring: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Alan Bates, Ciaran Hinds, Colm Feore, Bridget Moynahan, Philip Baker Hall, Ron Rifkin, Bruce McGill, Marie Matiko
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Screenwriter: Paul Attanasio, Daniel Pynee
Producer: Mace Neufeld
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for The Sum of All Fears
Deals with a chillingly topical nuclear attack on Baltimore. But perhaps more disturbingly, it rehashes it into a Ben Affleck action romance.
Director Phil Alden Robinson and his writers, Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne, do a spellbinding job of cranking up the tension.
It's a striking measure of the nervousness of the country right now that a movie so full of holes should be as gripping as it is, at least for its first two-thirds, after which it collapses into a swamp of sentimental mush.
Absorbing and disturbing -- perhaps more disturbing than originally intended -- but a little clarity would have gone a long way.
The nonstop action takes you all over the planet, and you'll find yourself totally caught up in this exhilarating adventure.
Vigorously directed by Phil Alden Robinson and tautly scripted by Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne.
Latest News for The Sum of All Fears
October 16, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: Chris Pine May Play Jack Ryan
This week's Ketchup includes the expected franchise reboots - both involving espionage types Jack Ryan and Matt Helm - potentially starring Chris Pine and Bradley Cooper, as... More...
March 20, 2008:
Sam Raimi, Meet Jack Ryan
It looks like Paramount really is planning a Jack Ryan revival -- and they're looking to Sam Raimi to help them make it happen. More...
January 23, 2008:
Ryan Gosling Starring in Jack Ryan Franchise Reboot?
Romantics swooned over him in The Notebook, and critics loved his turn as the doll-toting lead character in last year's Lars and the Real Girl -- and if the latest rumors are... More...
January 18, 2008:
Down but Not Out, HD DVD Soldiers On
The clock hasn't stopped ticking on the format, but HD DVD consumers can look forward to seeing new films on store shelves -- for at least the next few months, anyway. More...
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