By Barbara Ellington, Staff Reporter
Morgan Freeman and Ben Affleck in the action thriller, 'The Sum of All Fears'. - Contributed
Movie: The Sum of All Fears
Genre: Action-Thriller
Main Cast: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Alan Bates, Ron Rifkin, Bruce McGill, Ciaran Hinds and Bridget Moynahan
Director: Philip Baker Hall
Plot: When producer Mace Neufeld set out on his quest to bring Tom Clancy's best-selling novels to the big screen, his first choice was The Hunt For Red October. Since then, the franchise has included Patriot Games, Clear And Present Danger and now The Sum of All Fears. The irony is that this last film shows how the career and rise to power of the films' central character, Jack Ryan, began.
The Sum Of All Fears begins with the premise that terrorists could detonate a weapon of mass destruction on United States' soil. A nuclear bomb is found buried in the desert, sold to a group of wealthy, ruthless, neo-Nazis and ends up in an American city. The immediate assumption of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) boss William Cabot (Morgan Freeman) and US President Robert Fowler (James Cromwell), is that it was done by the Russians.
However, according to the CIA at least 20 countries nearly half of them Middle Eastern and South Asian already have or are developing weapons of mass destruction. Although the threat of their use was more heightened during the Cold War, there are scores of transportable war heads still unaccounted for and many ruthless purchasers waiting to claim them.
Enter CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck), whose gut feeling tells him that the real culprit is more ruthless than Russia and his motive is to have both super powers destroy each other so that his group can take over.
To find out more about how this chilling saga unfolds, you must see it when it opens at Palace Amusement theatres islandwide today. See what the US President really does when he is forced to take the country into war.
Another ironic thing about this movie is that Clancy wrote the novel close to two decades before the September 11 tragedy. The stuff revealed in the film is not reassuring to watch, particularly at a time when so many nations around the world are in turmoil.
Setting: The action in The Sum Of All Fears moves across the globe from Langley in Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland, the Ukraine, Croatia, the Golan Heights, Vienna, Damascus and Washington D.C. To bring authenticity to the action, filmmakers chose locations in the California Desert, Montreal, British Columbia, Vancouver and Russia. They will help you to experience the tensions of meetings at the Kremlin, the Pentagon and the much talked about White House Situation Room.
Outstanding performances: Once again Morgan Freeman delights the audience with the depth of feeling and honesty that he brings to the role of William Cabot. His performance is flawless as he portrays a man of confidence and authority who has gained the trust, respect and confidence of the President. On the other hand, his comedic timing and multi-faceted on-screen personality serve him well as he mentors the young CIA analyst. He continues to be credible and authoritative in his roles and I continue to be impressed.
Ben Affleck's fans know by now that he is no lightweight and with talent like his around, the future of the film industry is safe. Good Will Hunting earned him Academy and Golden Globe Awards in 1998, showing tangible proof of his writing skills. In the role of Jack Ryan, Affleck stretches himself to reveal a man who is inexperienced yet intelligent, while at the same time sensitive and believable.
I did not get the awesome sense of power that I have seen in other actors who have portrayed US Presidents and for that reason I found James Cromwell as President Fowler disappointing. However, I like Alan Bates as the evil Richard Dressler, who managed to evoke fear in each of his scenes.
The make-up artists deserves credit for their excellent work with the victims of a nuclear attack.
One of the best elements of The Sum Of All Fears is composer Jeffrey Goldsmith's magnificent soundtrack, from the opening chorus over instruments to Yolanda Adams' closing solo - this one is a collector's item.
My verdict, go see this film twice.
