John Krasinski is Jack Ryan.
Not literally, of course. (Although I guess I don’t know what he does in his spare time.) But, when the man best known as ‘Jim’ from The Office was cast as the iconic character, I don’t know if anyone truly believed that he’d be up for the challenge.
After all, at the role of Ryan had been historically been played by men who were famous for their roles as an action hero. Chris Pine, Ben Affleck, Alec Baldwin and (arguably) most famously, Harrison Ford had all fought to bring the fictional hero to life, with varying degrees of success. But Krasinski wasn’t known for much more than his charm and comedic timing.
But, stepping into the role of Ryan for Amazon, Krasinski truly found his form. Part of the magic of the character of Jack Ryan has always been his almost ‘every man’ status. Although he’s brought into intense action scenes, his primary role is behind a desk as an analyst. For that reason, while Ford’s interpretations of him in the 90’s had been the best received, it was also the least true to the character. Whereas Ford played him as a man ready to dive into the line of fire, Krasinski manages to bring out the more human side to his personality. In Krasinski, Ryan seems like the neighbour that you chat with as you’re taking the recycling to the curb. But, at the same time, there’s a seriousness to his character that can’t be denied.
Now, with the release of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: The Complete Series on Blu-Ray, fans outside the realm of Prime Video finally have the chance to enjoy the ride as well.
For those who are unaware, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan follows Jack Ryan as an up-and-coming CIA Analyst who spends his days doing paperwork. However, after discovering a series of dubious bank transfers, Ryan is dragged into the field in the Middle East. Over the course of the series, Ryan’s influence at the CIA continues to grow as he tries to balance his world as a globe-trotting spy and his dream of a ‘normal life’.
There’s a simplicity to Jack’s moral code that makes his character compelling. While he’s willing to get into the fight, he’s also a man who wants to do the right thing at every turn. As a result, he doesn’t seem suited for the moral ambiguity of the world of espionage. But Jack changes as the series goes on. Trained under the mentorship of James Greer (Wendell Pierce), Jack gradually begins to step out of his world of moral black and white and learn how to navigate the shades of gray. (Though, Jack never fully betrays his inner boy scout.)
From start to finish, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: the Complete Series remains intense and deeply compelling television. With all four seasons released over 8 discs, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan looks particularly great on Blu-Ray. Featuring a strong soundtrack and intense battle scenes, one cannot help but get wrapped up in the action. Admittedly, if there’s a flaw to the transfer, it simply lies in the fact that there are so few additional features. With only deleted scenes added, the lack of director’s commentaries or featurettes may not tempt those who can access the show on Amazon Prime.
Even so, the series is so much fun that it’s still worth the cost.
Jack Ryan: The Complete Series is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.
I love this show, really miss it now. I’ll have to check out the set