Pursuing his own agenda

The knock against Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, new on Amazon Prime, is that it’s “generic” and “flat.” I disagree. Except for the language—bad but not pervasively so—the R-rated thriller adds a solid installment and a fresh leading man to the franchise of movies based on Tom Clancy’s novels.

Instead of office-chair hero Jack Ryan, it’s off-the-grid Navy SEAL John Kelly (a supermuscular Michael B. Jordan) who’s caught up in geopolitical intrigue. When Russians kill his pregnant wife and unborn child, vengeance-minded Kelly joins a mission to find the surviving gunman. The Central Intelligence Agency and the secretary of state (Guy Pearce) get involved, each seeming to have competing agendas.

Jordan delivers a sharp performance as a grieving, patriotic family man with nothing to lose. Several harrowing sequences—an escape from sinking plane wreckage, an interrogation (grilling?) inside a burning limo, a shootout in a Russian apartment building—keep the action high-rev. Interesting twists, familiar Clancy character names (Greer, Ritter) in different bodies, a respectable finale, and no sensuality make for a satisfying film with—beware—a high body count. Don’t miss the midcredits sequel setup.

If you liked Patriot Games, you’ll enjoy this film with little remorse.