Patriot Games (1992)
Grade: 44
"Patriot Games" has a lot of action and high-powered stars, but the usual problems of unlikely plot and character development turn this would-be thriller into a disappointment.
The film stars Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, a tourist in England who interferes with a IRA terrorist act. The terrorist escapes imprisonment and keeps coming after Ford and his family. Meanwhile, Ford returns to work for the CIA to fight the IRA renegades.
Ford's wife is played by Anne Archer. They have a preteen daughter Sally. Ford is the perfect father and husband, Archer the perfect wife and mother, and Sally is the perfect daughter. Even their professions stretch belief, as Ford is both a former Marine Lieutenant and CIA operative, and Archer is a surgeon who wears heavy eye makeup while performing operations.
While touring England, Ford happens upon terrorists attacking a car with Royal family members. Unarmed Ford tackles and kills one of them, while the other is taken prisoner. The prisoner is notorious IRA terrorist Sean Miller. Ford testifies against Miller in a trial that apparently takes place very shortly and soon thereafter. Ford returns to the states, but Miller escapes. Forgetting his cause, he becomes obsessed with getting revenge on Ford and his family.
This obsession increasing loses credibility almost as much as Ford's heroic actions protecting himself and family. The finale has Ford chased by Miller in speedboats (fortunate to the plot that wife and daughter has been already rescued, and that there are two speedboats waiting at the shore to be taken). Miller is a trained terrorist who has a machine gun, while Ford only has his wits. All I can say is that IRA hitmen need plenty more target practice.
This adaptation of a Tom Clancy novel has something in common with another adaptation, "The Hunt for Red October". James Earl Jones plays a top U.S. agent in both films, essentially the same character, and even delivers a similar line in both films to the hero: "Have you slept any lately?"
"Patriot Games" tries to create tension with the constant placing of Ford and his family in jeopardy, but the certainty of a happy ending and the shallowness of the villian characters causes only mild annoyance.
http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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