The Sum of All Fears
Blu-Ray
Directed by Phil Alden
Starring Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell
Paramount Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 29, 2008

Perhaps the most telling line in The Sum of All Fears is spoken by Morgan Freeman as CIA Director Bill Cabot. The POTUS says they run nuclear fire drills against the Russians because who else has over 2,000 to worry about, to which Cabot says, “It’s the guy with one I’m worried about.”

It’s been years since I originally saw this film, and I have to say it was not as bad as I remember it being the first time.

The series took a bizarre turn on this one. Bonus feature commentary revealed that Harrison Ford was originally supposed to reprise the role of Jack Ryan for the third time, but ultimately decided against it before filming began. The role was recast with Ben Affleck, 30 years Ford’s junior, and the script was rewritten to have Ryan as a new recruit to the CIA instead holding a high office like in the novel. The story was altered significantly from the novel, effectively rebooting a series that did not need rebooting. However, it all went down with the approval of author Tom Clancy, who served as the film’s executive producer.