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Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Liev Schreiber, Alan Bates ... see more see more... , Philip Baker Hall , Ron Rifkin , Bruce McGill , Ciarán Hinds , Bridget Moynahan , Colm Feore , Josef Sommer , Ken Jenkins , Michael Byrne , John Beasley , Jamie Harrold , Sven Ole Thorsen , Marie Matiko

The successful franchise of Paramount motion pictures based on novelist Tom Clancy's techno-thrillers featuring heroic CIA intelligence analyst Jack Ryan stages a much-publicized "do-over" with this a... read more read more...ction-adventure that recasts the character of Ryan as a rookie to the complex game of geopolitical warfare. Ben Affleck takes the reins from Harrison Ford as Ryan, a greenhorn CIA historian and analyst who finds himself thrust front and center into the spy community's spotlight when Nemerov (Ciaran Hinds), a Russian politician on whom Ryan is an expert, suddenly becomes the leader of the former Soviet Union upon the current president's unexpected demise. Attached to the director of the CIA, Cabot (Morgan Freeman), Ryan insists -- contrary to the opinions of many high-ranking White House officials -- that Nemerov is not a warmonger. Meanwhile, a cadre of neo-fascists, led by Dressler (Alan Bates), plots the detonation at the Super Bowl in Baltimore, MD, of a nuclear device recovered from a long-ago Israeli fighter jet crash, a terrorist incident they intend to spark a war between the super powers, leaving them to conquer the world in the conflict's post-apocalyptic vacuum. The Sum of All Fears co-stars James Cromwell, Bridget Moynahan, and Liev Schreiber as covert operative John Clark, a character central to another series of Clancy's best-selling tomes. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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52% liked it

85,950 ratings

Critics

59% liked it

168 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson

Release Date: May 31, 2002

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DVD Release Date: October 29, 2002

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Stats: 2,435 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,435)

  • moonrivers
    March 2, 2012
    moonrivers
    A conspiracy to ignite total war between Russia and America is met by a new screen Jack Ryan played by Ben Affleck in an attempt to invest new life into the popular series. The effect is not bad, not bad at all. The idea underlying the whole film is the real draw though, shot b... read moreefore 9/11, about how do we, the world, respond to the aggressive acts of a radical minority. Worth a look.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 1, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The Sum of All Fears is one of the worst of Tom Clancy's book to screen adaptations. I've read all his works that have been adapted to the screen, and The Sum of All Fears lacks the power of the previous three Jack Ryan films. I think that Ben Afleck is miscast as Jack Ryan, and ... read morethat Harrison Ford should have played him a third time around, because really, he made the character his own. Afleck brings the character of Jack Ryan down a notch, and doesn't have the same intensity that Harrison Ford brought to the role. The Sum of All Fears could have been a great film, but the cast feels lazy. Ben Affleck just isn't the right person to play Jack Ryan, and I think it's one of the films biggest flaws. The film ends up being a mediocre film that won't appeal to Tom Clancy fans. I very much was looking forward in seeing this film, but I was very disappointed in the way the film turned out. Sum of All Fears could have been a good, entertaining film, but the film just ended up being quite boring. Of the entire Tom Clancy book to screen adaptations, Sum of All Fears is one of the worst. The film had so much potential, but all of that is wasted due to a poor script, and frankly poor acting. Fans of the book will most likely be disappointed, I certainly was, and The Sum of All Fears just doesn't cut it in the end. If you're looking for the worst of the Jack Ryan films, The Sum of All Fears is definitely the one. The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger are far superior films than this one.
  • ythelastman89
    January 12, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Just nothing special compared to the very entertaining Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. This felt more like a Michael Bay interpretation of a political thriller, there's lots of explosions and lots of yelling. It was a pitiful way to reboot the franchise.
  • SirPant
    September 24, 2009
    SirPant
    The Sum of All Fears is actually pretty good, it?s probably my favourite of the Jack Ryan films.
  • TomBowler
    July 31, 2009
    TomBowler
    ben affleck has proved once and for all that he should stick to the two things he IS good at, directing and writing. whilst morgan freeman and that guy from alias manage to help the film along, it nowhere near measures up to the hunt for red october or patriot games. the scene in... read more which the bomb blows up, leaving the film eerily silent, however, is nothing short of brilliance
  • skactopus
    May 11, 2009
    skactopus
    Phil Alden Robinson, who only has a few movies on his directing resume at this time, creates a decent adaptation of the Tom Clancy novel, The Sum of All Fears.

    At just about 2 hours, the story takes a while to get good, unfortunately. The first hour is slow and uneventf

    ... read moreul as the film is setting up for the conclusion. This is part drama and part thriller and the first half is definitely more drama than thriller. One of the problems is that the motive for what is happening, lacks the proper explanation. However, the second half pretty much redeems the film as things get more interesting while the suspense factor moves up.

    There isn't a lot of action, with the exception of the nuclear explosion. It is quite spectacular and seemingly realistic. Still, this is not an action adventure, as the plot may make it sound.

    Ben Affleck is somewhat of a disappointment. He just doesn't seem like the guy to lead this picture. Morgan Freeman and James Cromwell, on the other hand, fit in nicely with good performances. Liev Schreiber has one of the more interesting characters and Bridget Moynahan, who is gorgeous, has a character that goes nowhere.

    Fans of Tom Clancy novels and military thrillers will find this movie intriguing, but this isn't a movie to rush home for.
  • DrZeek
    January 11, 2009
    DrZeek
    [en route to Russia]
    Cabot: Jack... Jack, what are you doing?
    Jack: Oh... I had a date tonight, so I had to call and cancel...
    Cabot: Well, don't be stupid! Tell her where you're going. In fact, tell her who you work for. She'll be impressed.
    Jack: [to Cathy, over the phone] OK. ... read moreI work for the CIA, and the Director asked me at the last minute to come with him to Russia with him to do a nuclear arms inspection. Hello?
    Cathy: That is so lame.
    Jack: No, I swear, it's because of the START treaty, we get to inspect to make sure they're really decommissioning their nuclear arsenal...
    [Cathy hangs up]
    Jack: Hello... hello?
    [Cabot starts laughing]
    Jack: Thanks. Thanks a lot.

    A good enough Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan movie. It works well enough to unfold an elaborate Clancy-style plot while being entertaining enough. The third act gets pretty ridiculous, but some of the characters, namely Liev Schreiber as John Clark make this movie worthwhile.

    Jack Ryan: I don't go on the, you know, missions, I just write reports for the CIA.
    John Clark: Then write a report about it.
  • deano
    January 27, 2008
    deano
    This thriller film based on Tom Clancy's novel of the CIA analyst Jack Ryan played by Ben Affleck is good, fast-paced and efficient, with a good cast to lend credibility.
  • fb619846742
    September 16, 2007
    fb619846742
    The last good Ben Affleck movie there ever was.
  • Deano78
    June 19, 2007
    Deano78
    A pretty good action/thriller as the USA and Russian are led to believe they are at a nuclear standoff. A strong cast but a bit more action would have helped.

View All The Sum of All Fears Reviews

Critic Reviews

Michael Wilmington
July 20, 2002
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

An implausible apocalypse without depth or resonance, a cartoon of international politics presented with no James Bond-like playfulness and with all the superficial realism money can buy. Full Review

Bill Muller
June 13, 2002
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

I'm not saying Affleck is in way over his head, but a scuba tank and swim fins might come in handy.

Peter Travers
June 10, 2002
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Affleck merely creates an outline for a role he still needs to grow into, a role that Ford effortlessly filled with authority.

Michael Atkinson
June 4, 2002
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

A trite espionage thriller without the thrills but with a lingering measure of nausea. Full Review

Richard Roeper
June 3, 2002
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

The Sum of All Fears is almost impossible to follow -- and there's something cringe-inducing about seeing an American football stadium nuked as pop entertainment. Full Review

Peter Rainer
June 2, 2002
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

Phil Alden Robinson, who directed from a script by Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne, is an accomplished craftsman, but his movie has been upstaged by the sum of our fears. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
May 31, 2002
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Has something to disappoint nearly every constituency to which it appeals.

Desson Thomson
May 31, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

One that bombs literally and figuratively.

Mick LaSalle
May 31, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It's a movie that, frankly, I could not recommend to a friend, and yet I find no fault in the filmmaking. Full Review

Charles Taylor
May 31, 2002
Charles Taylor, Salon.com

The Sum of All Fears pretends to be a serious exploration of nuclear terrorism, but it's really nothing more than warmed-over Cold War paranoia. Full Review

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The Sum of All Fears Trivia

  • What movie has the tagline "27,000 Nuclear Weapons. One Is Missing."?  Answer »
  • Name the 2002 movie starring Ben Affleck & Morgan Freeman with the tagline: 27,000 Nuclear Weapons. One is missing. & plot outline: CIA analyst Jack Ryan hunts down a group of terrorists who plan to detonate a nuclear device at the Super bowl?  Answer »
  • Which Actor Was: -Ollie Trinke In Jersey Girl -Matt Murdock In Daredevil -Jack Ryan In The Sum Of All Fears -A.J. Frost In Armageddon -Chuckie Sullivan In Good Will Hunting  Answer »
  • Which film was the first American film unit (the second unit) to enter the Kremlin?  Answer »
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