The Sum of All Fears

Last night I re-watched The Sum of All Fears, a 2002 movie loosely based on Tom Clancy’s book of the same name. The first time I saw it I liked it much better. That’s probably because I had not read the book either and didn’t know what was going to happen. Of course, given that it was a Tom Clancy story (alternate near history is his specialty), I should have realized that the bomb *was* actually going to explode and America was not going to get off as easy as Hollywood usually lets it.

Not a great movie but good enough for a diverting Saturday evening. It has a few memorable moments: the helicopter getting slammed by the shock wave from the bomb blast, the CIA Director (played by Morgan Freeman) telling Jack what to say to his girlfriend about why he has to cancel their date, Jack’s first conversation with the Russian President (Ciarán Hinds is simply compelling in this role.) But I prefer Harrison Ford to Ben Affleck in the role of Jack Ryan as in The Hunt for Red October. If real-life CIA employees are as clueless as Ben Affleck always appears to be, it’s no wonder they get into such a mess sometimes.

Speaking of The Hunt for Red October, that was a really good movie! And the book was fantastic too! OK, I am a little biased because I happen to be fascinated by submarine movies – all that tense claustrophobia inside a cramped and creaking metal tube, sneaking around underwater while listening real hard for other boats sneaking around… And how can you do better than Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in the same movie as a submarine?

Anyway, after watching The Sum of All Fears again I’ve decided that I’ll read the book soon. I’ve had a copy for several years, just waiting for me to get into a Tom Clancy mood again.

…later…

Aargh! I can’t find it! I must have loaned it to somebody.

But I found this other Tom Clancy book, Without Remorse, that tells the story of John Clark…

So many books, so little time…