THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 12, 1994 TAG: 9408120068
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY BRENT A. BOWLES, TEENOLOGY MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
WHEN A THRILLER is really good, critics often say the suspense is nail-biting. If you're going to see ``Clear and Present Danger,'' this critic has two words for you: wear gloves.
Harrison Ford returns in his second stint as CIA officer Jack Ryan in this adaptation of Tom Clancy's best-selling techno-thriller of the same name. Make no mistake, however, this film bears less and less of a resemblance to Clancy's work as it progresses, but never fails to lose grip of suspense. ``Clear and Present Danger'' will keep viewers riveted, and its juicy story will likely bring up a lively discussion or two about governmental ethics.
The plot revolves around the premise of the Colombian drug cartels' becoming a ``clear and present danger to the national security of the United States.'' It seems that the president, a weenie played by David Moffat, along with his national security adviser, CIA operations director, and a mysterious CIA operative known as Mr. Clark, have decided to wage a covert war against the cartels.
Because such an action requires congressional approval, Jack Ryan is kept in the dark and so tells The Hill no troops are in Colombia. As the plot unfolds, Ryan becomes involved in assassination attempts, covert political intrigue, moral conflicts over personal integrity and edge-of-your-seat action.
Ryan is the perfect hero, the kind of guy who is still nervous around the president and spills his coffee on the way to work; he's the kind of good guy you want to root for. At 52, Harrison Ford still runs, jumps and fights with the best of them, and delivers his dialogue with that irresistible grin of Indiana Jones and Han Solo.
Willem Dafoe, an Oscar-nominee for ``Platoon,'' plays Mr. Clark sufficiently, and not until the last 30 of the film's 141 minutes do we really begin to like him. James Earl Jones reprises his role for the last time as CIA Director James Greer; Anne Archer drops in periodically as Jack's wife, Cathy; and Harris Yulin has a nice turn as James Cutter, the national security adviser. The Colombians are sort of stale, but you hate 'em anyway.
The screenplay does take a sharp left turn from Clancy's novel, and fans may be disappointed. Keeping an open mind, however, the film stands firmly on its own, surpassing Clancy's novel in a few places. The script, by Donald Steward, John Milius and ``Schindler's List'' Oscar-winner Steven Zaillian, is full of great dialogue, wit and nonstop action.
``Clear and Present Danger'' is the best action-thriller of the summer, delivering boffo action and suspense, a whopping good story and Harrison Ford as the perfect hero. Don't let this one get by you. MEMO: ``Clear and Present Danger'' is rated PG-13.``Clear and Present Danger''
is rated PG-13.
Brent Bowles is a 1994 graduate of Princess Anne
by CNB