Without Remorse (2020)

"This adaptation of a ’90s Tom Clancy novel should be trashy action-thriller fun but is mostly a disappointment. The setup is really good, using actual recent conflict and the current geopolitical situation as a great jumping-off point. The Syrian Civil War and frosty Russo/US relationship are brilliant real-world touchstones that give this an edge over action thrillers whose characters and government agencies are entirely make-believe. Unfortunately, that’s all squandered on a rote narrative that’s as predictable as it is silly. I’d be totally fine with predictability and silliness if the action was good enough, but it’s not."

"A lively formulaic action-hero origin story, dunked in combat grunge..."

"A by-the-numbers macho adventure not unlike something from the era of VHS rental..."

"A disastrous amalgamation of modern-day tech-savvy thrills and Clancy's conservative expressions of patriotism."

"Vengeance is wrought without remorse and even less sense."

"Should work just fine for Clancy's legions of readers."

"The seething physicality of [Jordan's] star power can't be faked, but the would-be franchise built around it sure can."

"Sollima isn't able to find much light or urgency in a story that's enervated by the same numb "what would Denis Villeneuve do?" mindset that he brought to the similarly lifeless "Sicario: Day of the Soldado...""

"Michael B. Jordan deserves better, and so do you. This movie stinks."

"The plot of Amazon's Tom Clancy's Without Remorse is so indecipherable that I could just type that symbol Prince once used and it would serve as a valid synopsis."