The release order of the Jack Ryan films is as follows:
- “The Hunt for Red October” by John McTiernan (1990)
- “Power Games” by Phillip Noyce (1992)
- “Present and Present Danger” by Phillip Noyce (1994)
- “The Sum of All Fears” by Phil Alden Robinson (2002)
- “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” by Kenneth Branagh (2014)
- “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” (TV series, 2018 – 2023)
As mentioned, Alec Baldwin played Jack Ryan in “October,” while Harrison Ford took on the role in “Patriot” and “Danger.” They’re handsome, lithe actors, but it’s notable that they’re not 21-year-old, overly muscular action stars. The point of Jack Ryan, at least in the first three movies, is that he’s a pusher, one of the best nerds in the army. He could handle himself in a fight, but he wasn’t in the positions he needed to be in very often.
“The Sum of All Fears” rejuvenated Jack Ryan by turning him into Ben Affleck, who was equally capable of playing a CIA nerd. “Fears” was not a box office success like its predecessors, however, largely because of bad timing. “Fears” is a thriller about terrorists blowing up American cities, and American audiences were not in the mood for that kind of thriller in the wake of 9/11. “Fears,” however, is polished and excellent and certainly worth rediscovering.
“Shadow Recruit” was a mediocre movie. Branagh cast himself as the film’s Russian villain, battling Chris Pine’s Jack Ryan, and made the villain more interesting than the hero. “Recruit” grossed even less than “Fears.”
The TV series “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” cast John Krasinski as the nerdy hero, only this time he was more of a typical action star. The series aired for four seasons on Prime, concluding in July 2023.
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