Patriot Games

This week as a schismatic sect is caught tunnelling underground in New York, we're dealing with a schismatic sect of the Irish variety, intent on burying themselves in pursuit killing of Jack Ryan. Yes, the hunt for the American James Bond continues with 1992's Patriot Games, directed by Phillip Noyce, and starring Harrison Ford, Sean Bean, Anne Archer, Thora Birch, Patrick Bergin, Samuel L. Jackson, Polly Walker, James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. Yes Alec Baldwin has been turfed from the franchise, replaced by the man Paramount always wanted in the role from the start, and Ford does a great job of lending Jack gravity that Baldwin simply can't offer. Unfortunately, the movie around him only gets worse as it goes along, ending with a final reel that feels cut on from a different movie altogether. Meanwhile, Hayley's hyperfocused on the Golden Globes and the start of Awards Season, while Justin's getting deep into Percy Jackson & The Olympians. Other works discussed in this episode include Akeelah and the Bee, No Clue, Bottle Rocket, Foe, The Thing, Cape Fear, Spotlight, Prisoners and Zodiac among others. If you'd like to watch the film before listening to us talk about it, and this week we don't really recommend it, you can find it streaming on Paramount+ at the time of publication. We'll be back next week to wrap up our foray into the Tom Clancy-verse with 1994's Clear and Present Danger, as Harrison Ford becomes the only actor in the history of the franchise who got to play Jack Ryan twice on the big screen. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!