My Ranking of the JACK RYAN Movies

Below is my ranking of the five movies featuring C.I.A. character Jack Ryan, created by Tom Clancy.  Four of these movies were adaptations of Clancy’s novels:

MY RANKING OF THE JACK RYAN MOVIES

1.  “Clear and Present Danger” (1994) - In this adaptation of Clancy’s 1989 novel, C.I.A. analyst-turned-Acting Deputy Director Jack Ryan finds himself drawn into an illegal and secret war by the U.S. government against a Colombian drug cartel.  Directed by Philip Noyce, Harrison Ford starred for the second time as Ryan.

2.  “The Hunt For Red October” (1990) - John McTiernan directed this adaptation of Clancy’s 1984 novel, Ryan figures out that a rogue Soviet Navy submarine commander is planning to defect and scrambles to find a way to help the defection to happen without the Soviet Union’s knowledge.  The movie starred Sean  Connery and Alec Baldwin as Ryan.

3.  “The Sum of All Fears” (2002) - In this loose adaptation of Clancy’s 1990 novel, Ryan stumbles across a neo-Nazi plan to use a catastrophic event to start a conflict between the United States and Russia.  Directed by Phil Alden Robinson, the movie starred Ben Affleck as Ryan.

4.  “Patriot Games” (1992) - This adaptation of Clancy’s 1987 novel featured Ryan facing the consequences of his decision to interfere with the assassination of a minor member of the British Royal Family by an extremist faction of the I.R.A.  Directed by Philip Noyce, this movie featured Harrison Ford’s first turn as Ryan.

5.  “Jack Ryan:  Shadow Recruit” (2014) - This original story featured Ryan uncovering a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack, during his early years as a C.I.A. analyst.  Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the movie starred Chris Pine as Ryan.

My Ranking of the Movies in the "DIE HARD" Franchise

Below is my ranking of the five movies in the "DIE HARD" movie franchise that starred Bruce Willis as John McClane: 


MY RANKING OF THE "DIE HARD" MOVIES



1. "Die Hard" (1988) - The first movie is not always the best. But in the case of this particular movie franchise, it is for me. While visiting his estranged wife, New York City detective John McClane is trapped inside a Los Angeles skyscraper during a Christmas Eve heist led by former German terrorist Hans Gruber. Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson and Bonnie Bedalia co-starred.





2. "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007) - John McClane is ordered to escort a suspected hacker targeted by cyber terrorists led by former Federal tech employee Thomas Gabriel trying to steal from the U.S. government in this surprisingly well-made film. Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant and Mary Elizabeth Winstead co-starred.





3. "Die Hard With a Vengeance" (1995) - McClane and a Harlem storekeeper named Zeus Carver are forced to play mind games by terrorist Simon Gruber (brother of Hans), while he plots the robbery of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City. Samuel L. Jackson and Jeremy Irons co-starred in this first-rate action film, marred only by an anti-climatic ending.





4. "A Good Day to Die Hard" (2013) - McClane finds himself helping his son Jack, a C.I.A. operative, protect a Russian ex-millionaire from terrorists who want to use him to access a source of valuable weapons-grade uranium. Jai Courtney, Yuliya Snigir and Sebastian Koch co-starred in this movie with a first-rate and original narrative that is marred by a running time shorter than it should have been.





5. "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990) - McClane ends up clashing with former Special Forces mercenaries at Dulles Airport on Christmas Eve, while waiting for his wife’s plane to land. William Sadler, John Amos, Dennis Franz and Bonnie Bedalia co-starred in what I believe is an entertaining film. But . . . I thought it tried too hard to copy the success of the 1988 movie.

Ten Favorite Movies Set During the CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

Below is a list of my favorite movies set during the Christmas holidays: 


TEN FAVORITE MOVIES SET DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS



1. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969) - George Lazenby starred in this adaptation of Ian Fleming's 1963 James Bond novel in which the British agent's search for the infamous terrorist Ernst Stravos Blofeld leads him to a clinic in the Swiss Alps. Directed by Peter Hunt, the movie co-starred Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas.





2. "Die Hard" (1988) - Bruce Willis starred in this adaptation of Roderick Thorp's 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever", in which a New York City police detective is trapped inside a Los Angeles office building, when his estranged wife and her co-workers are held hostage on Christmas Eve. Directed by John McTiernan, the movie co-starred Bonnie Bedalia and Alan Rickman.





3. "The Thin Man" (1934) - William Powell and Myrna Loy starred in this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's 1933 serialized novel about a retired private detective and his socialite wife who are drawn into a murder case that involves a missing businessman. W.S. Van Dyke directed.





4. "Trading Places" (1994) - Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy starred in this comedy an upper-class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler whose lives cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet by the broker's bosses - a pair of wealthy brothers. John Landis directed.





5. "Lethal Weapon" (1987) - Richard Donner directed this buddy cop tale about two mismatched LAPD detectives whose investigation into the death of a young prostitute leads to a well organized drug ring led by a former military intelligence officer. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover starred.





6. "Iron Man 3" (2013) - Tony Stark aka Iron Man deals with a ghost from the past, who has found a new and dangerous method to create super soldiers. Directed by Shane Black, the movie starred Robert Downey Jr. as the armored super hero.





7. "The Santa Clause" (1994) - Tim Allen starred in this holiday classic about an ordinary man who is slated to become the next Santa Clause after he accidentally causes his predecessor to fall from a roof on Christmas Eve. John Pasquin directed.





8. "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990) - Bruce Willis starred in this second "DIE HARD" film, an adaptation of Walter Wager's 1958 novel, "58 Minutes", in which terrorists take control of the Dulles Airport control tower. Renny Harlin directed.





9. "Home Alone" (1990) - Macaulay Calkin starred in this holiday hit about a Chicago boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation, is forced to contend with a pair of would-be burglars. Directed by John Hughes, the movie co-starred Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.





10. "The Ice Harvest" (2005) - Harold Ramis directed this adaptation of Scott Phillips' 2000 novel about a shady Midwestern attorney and his partner, who plot to swindle the local mob on Christmas Eve. John Cusak, Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Nielsen starred.