From what I read in the credits, this is based on the characters created by Clancy, and it seems to have the right idea, and a very talented writer to set the basis for it. Chris Pine has done great work as Kirk in the "Star Trek' newest reincarnation, and I was a bit hesitant to accept him in this new role. Then I thought if Harrison Ford had managed to embody three or four of cinema's most interesting action characters, Pine had at least a good chance. Pine does very well in live interviews and is a decent actor, very charismatic. Ford is great on screen even though he's not the most exciting interviewee. The premise might work.
Then I saw that Brannagh would helm the picture and costar in it, with a little help from another interesting actor, Costner. He started as the double-spy in "No Way Out" and did well. There's a dark side to him, so I figured he would do well as CIA operative. The film seemed to be moving well.
"Shadow Recruit" has Pine working as financial CIA agent who discovers some rather covert manipulations of the market. He knows he has to travel to Moscow in order to set things straight. Somehow it was never explained to him that he might have to face bullets, race cars, and endanger his life. After a brief introduction which lets us know how he is recruited and gives us a bit of moral background, Pine is off and running all over Moscow, facing the film's archenemy, his fiancé, and some really bad traffic in Moscow.
The film has good pacing, and the effects are pretty decent. Yet, there is a bit missing the target. It might be the underdeveloped villain, and the whole complicated situation which combines the financial maneuvering with the possibility of very lethal damage to a big metropolis. It works best when our hero tries to avoid elimination, or he's trying to stop someone from hurting him or his wife.
It's a January film, so there might not have been much expected from it, and if it develops into its own franchise, it has a strong likelihood it will succeed. Pine has very good chemistry with his co-star. I hope they come back.
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