Clear and Present Danger (1994)
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A CIA analyst must navigate a dangerous conspiracy involving a drug cartel and clandestine government operations.
The story
CIA analyst Jack Ryan is appointed Acting Deputy Director of Intelligence and discovers that his colleagues are conducting a covert war against a drug cartel in Colombia with the President's approval. While Ryan attempts to negotiate with the Colombian government to seize the cartel's assets, he becomes entangled in a web of deception involving a secret special forces team and a treacherous plot by a high-ranking intelligence officer. Ryan must navigate the dangers of the Colombian jungle and the complexities of political maneuvering to uncover the truth behind the clandestine operations and the true motives of those around him.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a yacht carrying American businessmen is intercepted in the Caribbean, CIA analyst Jack Ryan is appointed Acting Deputy Director of Intelligence. He discovers a covert war against the Colombian drug cartel, led by Ernesto Escobedo, is being conducted with the President's approval. While Ryan negotiates with the Colombian government to seize Escobed's assets, he is ambushed by the cartel's forces. He learns that a special forces team, RECIPROCITY, was formed to destroy the cartel but has been betrayed by a double agent, Colonel Félix Cortez. Cortez strikes a deal with the National Security Advisor to take over the cartel in exchange for information. Ryan eventually discovers the betrayal and teams up with operative John Clark to rescue the captured members of RECIPROCITY. After a series of confrontations, Ryan informs Escobed of Cortez's deception, and the two men ultimately defeat Cortez. Back in the United States, Ryan refuses to cover up the conspiracy and testifies before the House Oversight Committee.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 141
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Phillip Noyce
- Writers
- John Milius · screenplay; Donald E. Stewart · screenplay; Steven Zaillian · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Harrison Ford · Jack Ryan; Willem Dafoe; Anne Archer; James Earl Jones · James Greer
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- war on drugs; government conspiracy; betrayal
- Tone and mood
- tense; action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- spy; military; political
- Source material / true-story basis
- Tom Clancy's 1989 novel of the same name
- Franchise connections
- Ryanverse
- Reception
- The film was a critical and financial success, receiving positive reviews from critics and a high audience score.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 81% · review count: 47; Metacritic · score: 74 · scale: 100 · review count: 14; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in Mexico because filming in Colombia was deemed too dangerous.; The script was rewritten multiple times to satisfy the Pentagon and the author.; The film was a sequel to The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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