Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
When CIA Analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a renegade faction targets Jack and his family as revenge.
Patriot Games is a competent, workmanlike thriller that delivers solid tension and a credible geopolitical backdrop. Harrison Ford's Jack Ryan is grounded and believable, and the supporting cast including Sean Bean as the cold antagonist adds menace. The plot follows a fairly conventional revenge-thriller structure with IRA terrorism as its backdrop, hitting expected beats without much surprise. Cinematography is professional but unremarkable for the era. The ending boat chase provides genuine excitement but doesn't transcend the genre. As a sequel to The Hunt for Red October with a recast lead, it occupies familiar thriller territory without distinguishing itself stylistically or thematically, earning a low Novelty score.