Sum of All Fears, The (2002)
Action | Drama | Thriller

Based on the best-selling Tom Clancy novel…

Ben Affleck stars as CIA agent Jack Ryan in a race against time to stop terrorists who plan to ignite a war between the U.S. and Russia -- by detonating a nuclear bomb at the Super Bowl!

Storyline: When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a young analyst to supply insight and advice on the situation. Then the unthinkable happens: a nuclear bomb explodes in a U.S. city, and America is quick to blame the Russians. Written by Sujit R. Varma

User Comment: Filmjack3 NJ • Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears is a fascinating and exciting examination of the worst of situations. When looking last year at Pearl Harbor and seeing Ben Affleck's talent squandered so horribly in a action picture it's good to see him in a movie of this magnitude, that echoes of post 9/11 fright and paranoia of the end of order with other countries.

Here, he plays Jack Ryan, a young Ryan (despite the mis-order of chronology that Ford and Baldwin were both older than Affleck is now when they played Ryan years before this took place which is one of the films odd flaws), who is entering the CIA via Cabot (Morgan Freeman, funny and interesting here) and investigating three missing Russian scientists. Then what unravels is something I shouldn't reveal here only to say that it involves the city of Baltimore- and the events that follow bring the film to tight suspense involving the President and his cabinet and Ryan trying to contact the President, and so on.

Some parts drag, and the very ending is way, way too Hollywood for the rest of the picture, but fans of Clancy, and the actors, will be delighted.

Summary: Packs a good punch

--- JOYA ---

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