I have never read a Tom Clancy book, but I’ve seen most of the movies based on his novels. From what I can remember, my favorites are the Cold War submarine thriller The Hunt for Red October with Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin and the IRA- terrorism intrigue of Patriot Games with Harrison Ford. I also really enjoyed the first two seasons of Jack Ryan with John Krasinski. So, how about the adaptation of Without Remorse recently premiering on Amazon Prime Video?
Without Remorse is based on a 1993 novel and written and updated for the screen by Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water). The movie strays quite a bit from the original material (if you read my Firefly Lane review, you’ll know I have problems with this sometimes), but since I haven’t read the book, I’ll stay quiet on that. The movie has been in the works since the publication of the book and was finally made and planned for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures. In 2020, COVID-19 delayed the picture again and Amazon Studios acquired it for digital release.
The film is directed by Stephano Solima (Sicario) and stars Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther) as Navy Seal John Kelly. John Kelly is a featured character in the Jack Ryan books and has been played by Wilem Dafoe in Clear and Present Danger and Liev Shreiber in The Sum of All Fears. Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, Turn) plays a shifty CIA officer, Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen and Slim) a Lt. Commander, and Guy Pearce (Mare of Easttown, The King’s Speech) the Defense Secretary.
The movie begins with a CIA rescue operation in Aleppo, Syria. The Navy Seal team is surprised that the the target captors are Russian military. After returning home, members of the rescue team, and John Kelly’s pregnant wife, are killed by Russian operatives. These events establish the overriding revenge motive of the movie. Michael B. Jordan is a strong action character capable of doing battle with anyone (no matter how many) and conveying the emotion of his heartbreaking losses. His performance is the main reason to watch Without Remorse. The other is action. There’s lots of that. You’ve got a plane crash, an underwater scene, an ambush at the airport, and an escape from jail. These scenes are well- executed while pushing the ever-expanding believable boundary of action films; one in particular is preposterous. The music – by Jonsi of the Icelandic dreamsters, Sigur Ros – further fuels the action. With a running time of 1:50 the film is relatively tight and avoids the bloat of some action flicks.
Unfortunately, the plot and character development are disappointing. Intriguing, multi-layered, and questionable allegiances are expected in a spy thriller, but this is familiar, yet confusing and convoluted. You figure it out at the end, but then have to ask yourself, “ok, so why was his pregnant wife killed?” And what about CIA Officer Ritter? The old “whose side is this guy on” is common in Intelligence movies, but you wonder if his actions were just meant to throw us off. Which brings us to the lives of these characters. John Kelly’s wife, Pam (Lauren London) is really given the short shrift. Same goes for the Secretary of Defense. The film could have developed some characters a little more at the expense of an action scene.
If you like fiery action movies with a kick-ass lead, this film could be worth it if you’re already paying for Amazon Prime and have a nice bottle of wine ready for Friday night after a long workweek. If you really like it, you’ll see in the closing credits that a sequel is being planned. No release date has been set for Rainbow Six. I’m looking forward to season 3 of Jack Ryan.
D² Rating ◼◼◩☐☐
Trivia ? – After appearing in a number of television shows, in what movie did Michael B. Jordan make his film debut in 2013?
Answer: Fruitvale Station