1994’s Clear and Present Danger would once again see Harrison Ford play the role of CIA agent, Jack Ryan. Based on a very popular Tom Clancy book, Clear and Present Danger is seen by many as one of the best Jack Ryan movies. I like this I really do, but I have always preferred Patriot Games over this.
How to Download Clear and Present Danger
Clear and Present Danger was released on August 3, 1994. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you want to see Harrison Ford in other films, check out Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blade Runner, Air Force One, or What Lies Beneath.
The Movie Review
As well as getting Harrison Ford back, we also have James Earl Jones back as James Greer. This movie has a great cast, one thing that is really neat is that we have an amazing performance by Willem Dafoe and he is not even playing a bad or crazy guy! All of the cast do a great job of making this story real and believable.
A Thrilling Plot
The story here is pretty good. James Greer has cancer and he needs to step down from his duties so Jack Ryan is put in as the CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence. To be fair, Jack Ryan is an elite agent so on paper he is the perfect man for this job until his old friend is back on his feet, but a position like this is not an easy one.
Exciting Storyline
I did find the plot to be pretty exciting for the most part. There is a brutal murder of a family that has close ties to the president and it appears that a big Columbian drug cartel is responsible. Jack Ryan needs to investigate this, but things take a real twist when he discovers that the CIA has already got their fingerprints all over this and things are not exactly legal.
Jack is thrust into this big conspiracy that sees him looking to take down this cartel, but also dealing with trouble in the agency he is now in charge of. I think that Clear and Present Danger is a solid action thriller and once again, Harrison Ford absolutely nails it as Jack Ryan, it is honestly a shame that they never made more of these in the 90s!
Pacing Issues
Please note, that I am kind of in the minority here in what I am about to say. I have always felt that Clear and Present Danger is a little on the slow side. This is not a bad or boring movie at all, but at the better part of 2 and a half hours long, I do feel that there were some scenes that could have been trimmed down and some that could have been cut altogether.
Again, it is not bad or boring, but it does feel that the pacing could be a bit quicker. When the moving is running at full speed, it is a real thrill ride. Plus, with Jack Ryan not just having this drug cartel to deal with, but people in the CIA as well, it does make for some pretty exciting twists and turns as the story progresses.
Final Thoughts
I have always liked Clear and Present Danger and I can see why there are some who say this is not just their favorite Jack Ryan movie, but their favorite Tom Clancy adaptation. For me, I enjoy this, but I would never pick watching this over The Hunt for Red October or Patriot Games.
