Not The Typical Action Hero

After it was decided that the siblings and I would invest in a Blu-ray machine for the parents, I decided to get something to play on it for them.  For some reason, the local Wal-Mart is not well stocked with Blu-ray disks.  I decided on Patriot Games which stars Harrison Ford as former CIA analyst John Patrick Ryan.  I say Ford does not play his typical Indiana Jones type hero this time because this film challenges him by giving him something that Indy never had (well…): a family.  While on vacation in jolly old England, Ryan, his wife, and young daughter inadvertantly stumble upon an assassination attempt on a British royal by a renegade IRA terrorist faction.  Instead of standing on the sidelines, Jack jumps into the fray, saving the Lord, and shooting a few of the terrorists.  One of the dead terrorists was the younger brother of the leader, Sean Miller (Sean Bean), who escaped.  Miller vows revenge on Ryan.

What follows is a nail-biting, action-driven thriller.  Cathy (Anne Archer) and Sally Ryan are placed in mortal danger.  Jack goes to his former associates at the CIA to help him track down the villains.  The thing I enjoyed most about the Jack Ryan character is his vulnerability.  In a scene demanded by Ford himself, Ryan is brutally attacked by a young member of the terrorist group.  There is also a red-headed villainess who causes problems.  Like any good Harrison Ford thriller, there is action aplenty to hold you in suspense.  Although it seems cliche with Air Force One coming a few years later, Patriot Games is worth a look.  The closing scene also left the door wide open for the sequel: Clear and Present Danger.

Irony of ironies, Sean Bean has a scar over his left eye which was given to him by Harrison Ford during filming.  And before anyone asks, the parents were quite pleased with the choice since they both watched with me.  [poll id=”4″]

Jamy Shaffer