Clear and Present Danger (1994) - Starring Harrison Ford and Anne Archer, a fight against the drug scene

This movie is adapted from the book by Tom Clancy and is a sequel to the hit patriotic Games. Directed by Phillip Noyce it starts Harrison Ford, Ann Archer, and Henry Czerny. It deals with the struggle of Jack Ryan, the US intelligence chief against the Columbian drug cartels.
Jack Ryan is appointed as the Deputy Director (Intelligence) after his boss is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In the mean time, one of the President's close friends are found murdered by the Deli drug cartel of Columbia. The President considers the drug cartels to be of clear and present danger to the United States and asks the security advisor to bring down the cartels. Cutter, the security advisor selects Jack to head the operations and he is presented with the task of getting congressional approval. Jack gets the approval and the funds required for the operation provided no troops and black ops are used in that country.
Cutter to keep jack out of the loop engages the CIA deputy director Ritter for a parallel operations. Ritter and a secret field operative Clark under take the mission and travel to Columbia to disarm the drug cartels.



The king pin of one of the gangs Ernesto Escobedo looses 600 million dollars due to the freezing of his assets. He deputes Felix Cortex his intelligence chief to sort out the problem. Cortex acts as a romantic interest to Moira Wolfson the secretary of FBI director Emil Jacobs and gets the inside information about Ritter's operations. Cortex has an hidden agenda, as to head the drug cartels himself. To fulfill his ambitions he assassinates Emil Jacobs in a car bomb accident in which only Jack Ryan survives. An enraged United States orders the bombing of the Cartels. In this operation many drug lords and innocent men and women are massacred. Cutter is dismayed but keeps Jack off the information.
Jack and Cortex find out that the the US Government had ordered the killings. Cortex inks a deal with Cutter, to cut down the US operation in return for the lesser degree of drug shipments to the US. He also promises that the drug cartels will give an impression of the US wining the drug war to dupe the public. Cutter agrees and ask Ritter to delete the files.
Jack hacks in to Ritter's files and confronts him about the duplicity. Ritter taunts him saying that he has permission to act from the President himself and Jack would be responsible for all his actions, as he had asked for funding from the Congress. In the mean time the foot soldiers lead by John Clark are ambushed and Jack leaves to save them. He convinces Clark and the soldiers about Ritter's cunning and they decide to unmask him.
Jack provided Escobedo with Cortez's activities and the enraged Escobedo orders his execution. Cortex kills Escobedo and is in turn killed by Clark's men. Ryan and co escape from Columbia with the prisoners and reach the States. Jack confronts the President about his culpability and is offered favors. A disgusted Jack declines and leaves the President to depose before a congressional committee. This was a big box office success and was followed by the prequel Sum Of All Fears in 2002. A good movie for all action buff's.

Patriot Games (released in 1992) - starring Harrison Ford and Anne Archer in a story by Tom Clancy about Jack Ryan and terrorists

Patriot games is a movie released in 1992 adapted from a book of the same name by Tom Clancy. It starred Harrison Ford, Ann Archer and Sean Bean in pivotal roles. Jack Ryan (Ford) is a retired CIA agent who is on vacation to London. He witnesses an assassination attempt on Lord William Homes, the British Secretary of State for northern Ireland. Ryan intervenes to foil the assassination attempt and kills one of the terrorists. He is wounded in the process, but is a hero who earns the accolades for his bravery. He also testifies against Sean Miller, the apprehended terrorist part of the Ulster Liberation Army or ULA who is then sent to jail. Ford is awarded the knighthood for his good deeds and returns to USA. He returns to his mundane life and puts all the excitement behind him.
Sean Miller the captured terrorist is the brother of the slain one (Patrick Miller) and want revenge. While transferring him to another prison the ULA ambush the convoy, kill all the police officers and rescue Miller. Miller and his group then escape to North Africa. Seeking revenge the group follows Jack Ryan to America. Ryan is unaware of these intentions and barely survives an attempt on his life outside the United States Naval Academy. Miller attacks then his wife and daughter while driving and they suffer a horrendous crash. Ryan thus incensed re-joins the CIA and attempt to counter Miller.



Ryan concludes that Miller is hiding with a North African Warlord and send a SAS team to eliminate him. He sends in a SAS team to eliminate the terrorists and watches the slaughter through a satellite feed. He thinks that Sean is among the killed. But unknown to Ryan, Miller and his companions have escaped. Miller reaches the United states and locates Ryan's house. Lord Holmes reaches Ryan's house to present him with the KVCO and is ambushed by Miller. Jack Ryan leads his family and Holmes to safety but many troopers are killed.
Miller, consumed with the feelings of revenge try to follow Ryan. His companions disgusted with his actions persuade him to back off. Miller shoots them and pursues Ryan. After a game of cat and mouse Miller and Ryan face off each other. In a hand to hand fight Miller plunges in to a boat and is killed in the subsequent explosion. Ryan returns to his work and his family who await a new tomorrow and a baby.
The plot of the movie was so considerably different from that of the book that the author, Tom Clancy distanced himself from the film. However it was one of the top grosser's of that year and still continues to be a popular action movie choice. The Prequel of the movie, The Hunt For Red October starring Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan was made. Later the role was re-prised by Harrison Ford as Baldwin was unavailable. This was followed by the sequel Clear and Present danger starring Harrison Ford. This is a must for Action movie fans and followers of Harrison Ford.