I had high hopes going into “Without Remorse,” the latest entry in the “filmed Clancyverse” (filmed properties based on the novels of Tom Clancy).
Looking at the trailers and pre-release materials for the film, fans of the Clancy novel could tell right off that it veered away from the 1993 novel (which took place in 1970).
But having Michael B. Jordan in the lead role (one of today’s talented young actors) and a script by Taylor Sheridan (who created the series “Yellowstone” and has penned movies like “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water”) made me confident this would be a top-notch actioner.
The movie was originally slated for a theatrical release by Paramount in 2020, but — due to the pandemic — was eventually sold to Amazon for a digital debut on Prime Video.
The movie’s basic setup goes something like this...
Navy SEAL Senior Chief John Kelly (Jordan) and his team are tasked with rescuing a CIA operative in Aleppo, Syria. As the operation progresses, Kelly learns that the operative’s captors weren’t Syrian, but rather Russian. He wants to know why.
(By the way, this isn’t Jordan's first role with ties to the Navy SEALs. He played former SEAL Erik Stevens in Disney’s “Black Panther” — read my review).
Three months later, members of Kelly’s team are targeted by Russian FSB agents.
Kelly’s home is invaded in the series of hits. He is seriously wounded in a firefight, and his pregnant wife Pam (Lauren London) is killed during the home invasion.
Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay (Guy Pearce) and CIA officer Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell) decide not to launch an investigation into the murders.
This prompts Kelly — with info from Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith) — to launch his own “investigation” into the Russians operating on U.S. soil. Kelly’s actions ultimately result in him getting tossed in prison.
On the surface, the setup sounds pretty much de rigueur for a geopolitical espionage thriller.
The issue is that the early sequences feel like they zip by too fast — as if the filmmakers were hurrying things along to move the narrative ahead.
The setup eventually results in Kelly and a team of operators heading on a clandestine mission to Murmansk to find Victor Rykov (Brett Gelman), the man who Kelly saw in his home when his wife was murdered.
What could have been an interesting hunt for a Russian operative proves to be largely anticlimactic. I didn’t feel the story ever really reached its destination.
Maybe it’s because we’ve seen a number of revenge movies in recent years. I can’t say for sure.
While revenge stories often feature simple plots, the events in “Without Remorse” seemed like they unfolded in a manner that was far too simplistic.
All I know is that the whole doesn’t transcend the sum of its parts in “Without Remorse.”
By contrast, Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” series (read my review of Season 1 and my review of Season 2) has proven itself to be a pretty capable espionage thriller. That could be because it is given more room to breathe.
I have a feeling “Without Remorse” might have worked better as a multi-episode series.
That said, a number of the OG Clancy-based movies were terrific. “The Hunt For Red October,” “Patriot Games,” and “Clear and Present Danger” epitomized geopolitical thrillers in the 1990s — and rank among my favorite films of the era.
“Without Remorse” was arguably the most “human” of Clancy’s thriller novels. Many fans rank it as their favorite in the late author’s bibliography.
The decision to move away from the novel’s narrative is a curious choice. While no one expected this movie to take place in 1970, many of the story elements could have been adapted to the 21st century. A more faithful adaptation could have been really terrific — there was so much fertile material in the novel.
Be that as it may, I fully accepted the idea of a movie with a different plot.
I’d followed the development of “Without Remorse” over the years. I recall reading about various stars and directors attached to the project. Ultimately, those productions never got off the ground.
The performers do the best they can with the material they are given in “Without Remorse,” but it just isn’t enough.
Michael B. Jordan is solid (as usual). He has been excellent in various popcorn movies recently, including the solid “Creed” series (read my review of “Creed II”).
Jordan’s talents would have benefitted from a better script.
It’s an odd thing to say, considering the fact that Taylor Sheridan is one of the hottest scribes in the business today. Despite Sheridan’s narrative talents, the screenplay struggled to find its bearing (it might have to do with the fact that the project had gone through several iterations the past two decades).
What could have been a fascinating origin story felt rushed and uninspired — more like a quick setup for a potential sequel down the road.
(Speaking of a “potential sequel,” stay tuned for a mid-credit scene at the end of “Without Remorse.”)
Overall, I was pretty disappointed with the execution of “Without Remorse.” The movie veered of course and lost its bearings. It could have (and should have) been much, much better.
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