I hadn’t seen this movie since it was first released on home video in the early 1990’s. I remember that I watched it for the first time on laser disc (remember those?) and being a big fan of the Tom Clancy books in high school (still think Red Storm Rising is his all time best), I remember enjoying this. But it’s been so long since I saw Patriot Games that watching it again was like seeing it new. I’d nearly forgot every part and I’m please to report this film holds up well all these years later. It’s a nice little thriller.
Harrison Ford has been doing his grumpy old man routine for so long that I nearly forgot about the classic, earnest, committed, engaged Ford that we knew in the 80’s and 90’s. He’s so good here, owning every scene, completely believable as Jack Ryan and easily settles into the role that Alec Baldwin had started (and did a great job in his own right) with The Hunt for Red October. It’s funny to see a young Sean Bean here doing what he does best, dying on screen. If you haven’t seen Patriot Games in a while, it’s worth revisiting.