The Sum of All Fears (2002)

CIA analyst Jack Ryan must thwart the plans of a terrorist faction that threatens to induce a catastrophic conflict between the United States and Russia's newly elected president by detonating a nuclear weapon at a football game in Baltimore.

Director:

Phil Alden Robinson

Writers:

Tom Clancy (novel), Paul Attanasio (screenplay),

Stars:

Ian Mongrain, Russell Bobbitt, Morgan Freeman

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian Mongrain	...	Syrian Radar Operator
Russell Bobbitt	...	Israeli Pilot
James Cromwell	...	President Fowler
Ken Jenkins	...	Admiral Pollack
Bruce McGill	...	National Security Advisor Revell
John Beasley	...	General Lasseter
Morgan Freeman	...	DCI William Cabot
Philip Baker Hall	...	Defense Secretary Becker
Al Vandecruys	...	US STRATCOM Colonel
Richard Cohee	...	Mt. Weather General
Philip Pretten	...	President's Military Aide
Alison Darcy	...	Fowler's Aide
Richard Marner	...	President Zorkin
Ostap Soroka	...	Zorkin's Translator
Robert Martin Robinson	...	Zorkin's Interviewer

Storyline

When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a young analyst to supply insight and advice on the situation. Then the unthinkable happens: a nuclear bomb explodes in a U.S. city, and America is quick to blame the Russians.

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Plot Keywords:

cia | russia | nuclear bomb | terrorist | scientist | 

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Taglines:

27,000 Nuclear Weapons. One Is Missing.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, disaster images and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Russian Ukrainian German Arabic

Release Date:

31 May 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

La suma de todos los miedos

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$68,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,156,633 (Australia) (30 August 2002)

Gross:

$621,647 (South Africa) (27 September 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Mace Neufeld Productions, MFP Munich Film Partners GmbH & Company I. Produktions KG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After having bought the 12-type fission bomb for $400 from the Arab digger (a nominal sum, for the digger's dead son rather than the "worthless" device), Olson emails his contact. On the TV in the background an episode of the BBC TV series Antiques Roadshow is playing. This is a TV show that tours the UK (and occasionally other parts of the world) assessing and valuing items that the general public have found, just like the digger did, and often surprising people with their value.

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Goofs

In the dead of winter, during the F-16 attack on the Russian airbases in the Arctic Circle, the sun is shining brightly overhead.

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Quotes

[aboard the command plane]
Owens: Are you advocating we launch a first strike...
Becker: [shouts] It is not a first strike! There's already been a first strike! And a second! Don't you get it?
Owens: No! I don't get it! I don't understand why we have to nuke them, for God's sake!
[shouts]
Owens: It's not reasonable!
President Fowler: Sidney, goddamnit! They practically sank an aircraft carrier! Their missile silos are hot! We're getting nothing but bullshit from Nemerov! And let's not forget how this thing started, OK? They tried to kill *me*,...

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Ben Affleck/Nelly (2004)

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Soundtracks

"If We Could Remember"
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith
Lyrics by Paul Williams
Performed by Yolanda Adams
Produced by Trevor Horn
Yolanda Adams performs courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group

User Reviews

Jack Ryan Saves the World!

"The Sum of All Fears" is the latest film in the Jack Ryan series as written by Tom Clancy. In the previous films, Ryan was presented as a family man and played by Alex Baldwin and Harrison Ford. This time around we are asked to accept a Ryan who is 25 years younger (Ben Affleck), unmarried and a nerdy, wet behind the ears CIA historian. The age difference would have been more believable had the film been set in 1973, when the story begins, rather than the present.

Anyway, the story is about a disgruntled ex-Nazi, Dressler (Alan Bates) who acquires a nuclear device and plans to instigate a war between the USA and Russia and then take over when the super powers destroy each other. The new Russian President, Nemerov (Ciaran Hinds) is set up by Dressler to be blamed for a nuculear attack which wipes out a large part of Baltimore. U.S. President Fowler (James Cromwell) calls in the CIA headed by William Cabot (Morgan Freeman).

Cabot enlists the aide of historian Jack Ryan (Affleck) because Ryan has done a thorough study on Nemerov. Ryan believes the Russian to be innocent even though all around him believe him guilty. As each side prepares to launch their respective missles, Ryan and CIA Operative John Clark (Liev Schrieber) are busily gathering information and Ryan is racing against the clock to convince Fowler of Nemenov's innocence.

Affleck tries his best to make us forget Harrison Ford but to no avail. He simply cannot be taken seriously as the man who holds the world's fate in his hands. Freeman is excellent as always and Cromwell and Hinds stand out as the two world leaders. Bates makes a nasty villain and Schrieber is good as the mysterious man with a past, Clark. Bridget Moynahan appears as Affleck's love interest and future wife.

The real star of the picture are the special effects. The nuclear explosion is realistic and believable and the attack on the aircraft carrier is equally good.

I hope that in the next Jack Ryan movie, he is portrayed by someone who is at least old enough to shave.