When I was first introduced to the character of Jack Ryan, twenty-seven years ago, I liked the fact that he wasn't the usual sort of Hollywood hero. The emphasis on analysis rather than action in The Hunt for the Red October (1990) was very engaging. The fact that Jack Ryan is a retired Marine who was desk bound made him far more credible and interesting. However, even back then the movie industry struggled in bringing Tom Clancy's work to the big screen in an effective manner. Alec Baldwin was replaced by the more likable Harrison Ford, yet the two sequels Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger struggled to find the right tone. The last entry with Ben Afleck, The Sum of All Fears (2002), fell awkwardly between two stools trying to be both an action movie and a complex thriller.