Chris Pine takes over the role of the iconic Jack Ryan character created by Tom Clancy. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is the prequel, so to speak, to the other Ryan films. It tells the story of how Ryan was recruited by the CIA and his first “mission” to save the world.

Keira Knightley co-stars with Pine as Cathy Muller, Jack Ryan’s girlfriend who accidentally stumbles on his secret job and ends up becoming an asset in his undercover activities. Also starring in this film is Kevin Costner who plays Thomas Harper, the man who recruited Ryan into the CIA and who is his handler in his first mission. Costner’s somewhat laid back character adds a great deal of humor to the intense story.

Jack Ryan uncovers a plot that will destabilize the American economy and bring down the country. He also discovers a simultaneous plan to bomb somewhere in the U.S.

Over the years Jack Ryan has been played by Harrison Ford (Clear and Present Danger in 1994 and Patriot Games in 1992), Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October in 1990, and Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears in 2002).

Bonus features on this DVD + Blu-Ray + Digital HD combo pack include several featurettes. In “Jack Ryan: The Smartest Guy in the Room,” the character is described as “not your grandfather’s Jack Ryan.” Viewers get an in-depth insight into this film that was originally going to star Harrison Ford when the idea of a new Jack Ryan movie was being floated around. This movie is the only one, so far, not based on a Tom Clancy book. It is a “reinvented” and “reimagined” story of the famous CIA operative.

Another featurette looks at Sir Kenneth Branagh, who not only plays the villain in the film, but also directed the movie. Branagh’s directing style is discussed. He “takes pleasure in his job” and “guides” the actors.

The history between the USA and Russia is also examined, as well as Jack Ryan himself. Ryan is more intellectual than other super-spies of film. He doesn’t have the gizmos and gadgets of James Bond. He uses his brain more than his brawn. Besides the featurettes, there are deleted and extended scenes.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith, and John Huston star in this 1975 movie filled with drama and action. The Wind and the Lion is loosely based on an actual incident. The characters were changed for this film, and Hollywood took a great deal of liberties with the story. However there was an American citizen and his stepson who were taken and held captive.

The film altered the storyline. The year is 1904. An American widow is living in Morocco with her two young children. They are kidnapped by a Berber tribe in a brutal attack that leaves their friends and household staff dead. This incident forces President Theodore Roosevelt to act to protect American citizens wherever they live.

Candice Bergen plays Eden Pedecaris, the mother of the two children. Sean Connery is Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli, the head of the Berber tribe and the man keeping Eden and her family captive. Raisuli demands a high ransom for the family. His intention is to create an international incident and bring attention to the corruption in the region. Brian Keith is Teddy Roosevelt, and plays the president with gusto and delight.

The music by Jerry Goldsmith is the best part of the movie. Goldsmith was nominated for an Academy Award for “Best Original Dramatic Score.” The music in The Wind and the Lion rivals those in Lawrence of Arabia and Gone with the Wind. Goldsmith was also nominated for a BAFTA and Grammy for this score.

The bonus feature on the Blu-ray takes viewers behind the scenes as they filmed a great battle scene. “The stuntmen work hand in hand with the special effects men.” This is the only way to keep everyone safe while at the same time creating an intense scene that audiences enjoy watching.

The beautiful soundtrack aside, viewers might not be comfortable with the story considering what is currently happening in Africa – and Nigeria specifically. Kidnapping and violence is a way of life in this region and this movie brings up the fact that not a lot has changed in the region over the past century.

The Wind and the Lion Blu-ray is part of the Warner Archive Collection and is available from their website at www.wbshop.com. The movie is rated PG.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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Geoffrey Rush stars in this emotional, romantic, and intriguing movie. The Best Offer is quirky yet offers viewers characters that create a mesmerizing tale.

Virgil Oldman (Rush) is a famous art appraiser and auctioneer. His knowledge of art is almost incomparable and he is sought out by people around the world to appraise their items. So, when he is asked to evaluate the contents of a villa, he hesitates because the owner only contacts him on the phone. They don’t meet face to face. His curiosity gets the better of him and he agrees to take the job. Then he discovers Claire (Sylvia Hoeks) suffers from an illness and hasn’t been out of her house in years. She avoids personal contact with others, and only allows the caretaker inside the house. That is until she hires Oldman.

Oldman is not void of quirkiness either. He refuses to touch anything and wears gloves to avoid personal contact with others. And, he does not have the highest moral character people believe him to possess. He is in cahoots with Billy (Donald Sutherland) who connives with him to bid on certain pieces of art that Oldman has under appraised in order to acquire them at a low price.

Now, add one more character into the storyline. Robert (Jim Sturgess) is a man who is good with machines and can fix anything mechanical, and ends up advising Oldman about his fixation with Claire.

Oldman is captivated by Claire. Their budding love story is one that threads its way through everything he does. She gets under his skin, so to speak and he is completely mesmerized by her.

Every character is an enigma in this movie, and no one is who he appears to be to the outside world. This is a story that is intriguing and captivating. There are twists and turns throughout the entire film. It is something that will definitely capture the imaginations of viewers. There is something enchanting yet bewildering about the film. In the end, it is a movie that is definitely thought provoking.

The Best Offer is rated R for some sexuality and graphic nudity. It is not for young viewers, however I found it to be an intriguing and very interesting and I do not hesitate to recommend it to viewers who enjoy smart, sophisticated, romantic and touching films.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook