TO DATE Jack Ryan, the hero of the books of the late Tom Clancy, has been played by 4 actors in the last 24 years.

First there was Alec Baldwin in Hunt for Red October, followed by Harrison Ford in two films: Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Ben Affleck then followed in an attempt to reboot the franchise with The Sum of All Fears.

Finally Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk in the rebooted Star Trek series, is give the chance to once again restart a potential series in a film that is based on Clancy’s characters rather than on a story in particular, under the direction of Kenneth Branagh.

Jack Ryan is injured fighting in Afghanistan, and teaches himself to walk again thanks to a third year medical student, then doctor Cathy (Kiera Knightley).

He is also recruited into the CIA by Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) and seconded to working for a Wall Street company tracking large amounts of money transfers.

He notices some strange goings on in Russia, from the accounts of Victor Cherevin (Branagh), and deduces that there will be a major terrorist attack in the USA, followed by a dumping of US stock which will essentially cripple the United States.

Despite being an anlayst he is drafted into going into the field to break into Cherevin’s office to get the secret files he needs to find out when the attack is happening.

Cathy, now Ryan’s fiancee, ends up being part of the game as she has followed him to Moscow to confront his secretive behaviour.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a tense, easy to watch and exciting thriller. While it is no match for say, the Bourne trilogy, it makes for entertaining viewing and seat of the pants twists and turns.

The performances are all solid, with Branagh having particular fun as the villainous Cherevin, and its great to see Kevin Costner getting more and more screen time these days.

Branagh himself should also be commended for proving himself a versatile director - moving from the superhero fantasy Thor to the action of Jack Ryan with consummate ease. Good fun but not sure it can stretch to a further film or franchise.

7/10