*** Official "THE SUM OF ALL FEARS" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[MickeS]

With all due respect, I think that Tom Clancy might be a in a better position to make that decision than you or I...
/Mike

 

[John_VI]

MikieS - Sure he is, since he wrote the book and has "sign-off" rights on the script. But as a Clancy fan I am thoroughly outraged at the changes made in the story, all in the name of political correctness. I thought higher of Clancy than that, and I therefore expected much more of him. Now if he didn't have sign-off rights on the script I would blame it on an overly politically correct Hollywood, but that ain't the case here, is it?

Why bow to political correctness? The story is the story, and it shouldn't be changed so dramatically just to fit (or not offend) some group's sensibilities. If they couldn't be faithful to the story, then don't make the friggin movie.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

What do you expect? He's a "big, fat idiot" to quoth Al Franken.
Dan

 

[MickeS]

John, how do you know it was due to "political correctness"?

 

[rutger_s]

I know the chages to Jack Ryan were personally made by Tom Clancy who approved Ben Affleck in the role. Clancy even jumped at the chance to "re-imagine" Jack Ryan in this film.

 

[george kaplan]

God, I'm just itching to make a joke about Rush and other things he's spoiled, but I'm shocked this thread hasn't already been closed, and I don't want to get kicked out of HTF, so I'll bite my tongue.

 

[Rob T]

oh well. what do you expect from him?
I'm, personally, a Stern fan, who at least knows how not to spoil movies for the audience.

 

[Todd K]

Clancy even jumped at the chance to "re-imagine" Jack Ryan in this film.

So this movie won't follow the other films at all, it will just have a guy named Jack Ryan who works for the CIA? Boooo.

 

[Lance Nichols]

Hell, the other films didn't follow the books.

HFRO was published first and the movie was done first, but chronologically PG is the first in teh series. Well, not actually time-line wise, it is the third in the series/Jack Ryan Universe.

Chronologically they are:

Without Remorse

Patriot Games

Hunt For Red October

Kardinal of the Kremlin

Clear and Present Danger

Sum of All Fears

Debt of Honor

Executive Orders

Rainbow Six

The Bear and the Dragon

All are published chronologically Except WR, PG and HFRO. IIRC, WR was published after SOAF. It is implied in Rainbow Six that Ryan seeked out and was confirmed for a second term in office.

Note: I had forgotten The Bear and the Dragon, which is a Jack Ryan Novel, with Jack in his second term as POTUS.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "The Sum of all Fears". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.
All HTF member film reviews of "The Sum of all Fears" should be posted to this thread.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy

 

[Mark E J]

Why bow to political correctness? The story is the story, and it shouldn't be changed so dramatically just to fit (or not offend) some group's sensibilities. If they couldn't be faithful to the story, then don't make the friggin movie.

:rolleyes

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

The NY Times just gave the film a severe beating. Here'a a link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/31/mo...1FEAR.html?8mu
Some highlights (or lowlights):

The inadequacies of "The Sum of All Fears," in the light of Sept. 11, suggest that if the political thriller is to remain a vital genre, a new, toughened-up realism is necessary. Neo-Nazis no longer suffice as villainous sitting ducks, and Hollywood may finally have to come to grips with the real issues that can't be reduced to black-and-white caricatures.

 

[Ralph Summa]

Lance I think you mixed up another Harrison Ford movie "Executive Decision" with Clancy's book "Executive Orders". The Jack Ryan saga continues with "The Bear and the Dragon". Great book!

 

[Timothy Alexander]

Executive Decision is a Kurt Russell/Steven Seagal movie actually.

 

[Lance Nichols]

Yes, I did get the title wrong, thanks for catching that. Edited for accuracy, and I can't believe I forgot the Bear and Dragon, as I just finished re-reading it about 3 weeks ago.
Silly Me

 

[Steve_Tk]

What they have done is taken SOAF and made Jack Ryan a young analyst again. So basically he is not the DDI. This does not change things too much. It does not follow the order of the books, but that's ok. It can still be a good story if he is younger.

By removing the subplot, you remove Ghosn and Qati. No biggie, just replace these characters with some German characters that are friends with Gunther.


I think I will enjoy the movie. I have read all the books and seen the previous 3 movies. I take the movies as movies, and the books as books. Even when the movies are totally different than the books, they still turnout to be good movies.

 

[RobertR]

Why bow to political correctness? The story is the story, and it shouldn't be changed so dramatically just to fit (or not offend) some group's sensibilities. If they couldn't be faithful to the story, then don't make the friggin movie.

Both things sound like they were motivated by chicken hearted "let's not really bother anyone" thinking. Based on these criticisms, I'll pass on the thing.

 

[DennisP]

In defense of political correctness...we all know that any nuclear weapon detonated in the U.S. will in all likelihood NOT be the work of Mid-Eastern Arab terrorist..but rather Norwegian Grandmothers. Heaven forbid we should single out a group that may actually have plans to do something like this. It may make them angry
Just my opinion and I could be wrong

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Hi guys. I liked this one more than I expected to.

My review is up in the appropriate thread.

Everyone have a nice weekend.

 

[Tino]

In short, a :star: :star: disappointment. A cliched, dull, lazy unoriginal film with little suspense and virtually no action.
Ben Affleck is miscast as a young Jack Ryan. I didn't believe in his character for one minute. The same goes for the rest of the cast with the exception of Liev Schreiber who gave the film's best performance and also its smallest.
The story was a derivative mishmash of countles other better similarly themed films like Dr. Strangelove, The Day After and By Dawn's Early Light, to name a few.
By far, the WORST of the Jack Ryan films
and immediately forgettable.