Clear and Present Danger (1994)

CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into an illegal war fought by the US government against a Colombian drug cartel.

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Tom Clancy (novel), Donald E. Stewart (screenplay) (as Donald Stewart)

Stars:

Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harrison Ford	...	Jack Ryan
Willem Dafoe	...	Clark
Anne Archer	...	Cathy Ryan
Joaquim de Almeida	...	Felix Cortez
Henry Czerny	...	Robert Ritter
Harris Yulin	...	James Cutter
Donald Moffat	...	President Bennett
Miguel Sandoval	...	Ernesto Escobedo
Benjamin Bratt	...	Captain Ramirez
Raymond Cruz	...	Chavez
Dean Jones	...	Judge Moore
Thora Birch	...	Sally Ryan
Ann Magnuson	...	Moira Wolfson
Hope Lange	...	Senator Mayo
Tom Tammi	...	Emile Jacobs

Storyline

Jack Ryan is back and this time the bad guys are in his own government. When Admiral James Greer becomes sick with cancer, Ryan is appointed acting CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence. Almost before he can draw a breath in his new position, one of the president's closest friends and his family are murdered in their sleep by what appears to by drug cartels. Ryan is called in to investigate, but unknown to him the CIA has already sent a secret field operative to lead an illegal paramilitary force in Colombia against cartels. Things get even more complicated when his team is set up and he loses an agent in the field and a friend of his wife's, who was the murdered agent's secretary, is murdered that same day. Ryan must then risk not only his career, but his life to expose the truth behind the mystery.

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Plot Keywords:

jack ryan character | good versus evil | cia | drugs | colombia | 

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Taglines:

The war of drugs would lead him to the war of power.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense action/violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 August 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Peligro inminente

Filming Locations:

Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$62,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,348,017, 7 August 1994, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$122,187,717

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$215,887,717

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mace Neufeld Productions,Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene at the airport, where the President is answering questions about his friend (using Jack Ryan's advice to say that he and his friend were very close), you see a pack of media approaching the President. The lead newswoman, and the one who asks him the question, is actually Barbara Harrison, a prominent news anchor in Washington, D.C. on the local NBC affiliate station.

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Goofs

Felix Cortez was shown to be an exceptional intelligence agent, but then is shown making three serious errors:

1) He allows himself to be recorded speak to the National Security Adviser in a Panama hotel - If anything Cortez would have suggested using another room to discuss sensitive matters as his room or the adviser's may have been bugged. 2) He leaves Nora's body in the open - Had he placed her in the bed or disposed of her remains outside and nearby the cabin, it could have slowed the or halted any investigation into her death. As it was he made the connection between himself and Nora when his actions were meant to prevent such a link being made. 3) He had no operatives within Escobedo's inner circle to contact him if/when something went wrong - When Jack Ryan arrived at the Escobedo estate, Cortez should have been informed instead of being surprised when Ryan was at Lindo Coffee before he arrived.

None of the above were indicators that Cortez was the master spy that everyone believed him to be.

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Quotes

[Chavez was able to close in on the Sergeant Major by using a cheeseburger wrapper as a decoy]
Sergeant Major: Soldier, how did you get so close to me?
Chavez: Sniper approached the instructor by being a sneaky bastard, Sergeant Major!

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Connections

Edited into The Pandora Project (1998)

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Soundtracks

El Pescacor De Baru
by Isaac Villanueva
Performed by Los Warahuaco
Courtesy of Discos Fuentes

User Reviews

A Lot More Good Than Bad

Harrison Ford returns as "Jack Ryan," star of the very well-done "Patriot Games," the film adaption off the best-selling Tom Clancy novels. Also returning are Anne Archer and James Earl Jones.

THE BAD - This isn't as intense, especially in the first half hour, as Patriot Games and the ending was a little disappointing with a action-scene credibility problem. Once again - it's getting to be a tired Hollywood theme - top U.S. government officials, going all the way to the President, are corrupt people, liars not to be trusted.

THE GOOD - It's nice to see Willem Dafoe finally play a good guy. The villains in here are deceptively interesting, actors such as Joaquim De Almeida, Harris Yulin and Henry Czerny and Miguel Sandoval - not big names but recognizable and good actors. The violence is not overdone in here and when the action does occur, the sound is terrific. The best action scene was shootout in the streets with snipers firing at cars below.

The positives are far more than the negatives, making this a solid thriller.