Jack Ryan, the sunny-natured boy scout of the CIA, has had so much screen time that he’s been played by five actors. Now, eventually’ultimately , his Tom Clancy counterpart John Clark — the real shadow recruit — acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s his own starring vehicle, after lurking on the fringes of Ryan’s movies and TV reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the past 30 years. There’s a reason why it’s taken the character so long to step up: as the title of this film implies, he’s a moody SOB. Dark, brutal, hard-edged. Not averse to a spot of henchman-immolation if the situation calls in/with regard to’concerning’regarding it. In Clancy’s original novel, he even tortures a pimp to death using a diving-simulation chamber.###2021’s Without Remorse doesn’t acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure that bleak, but to its credit stand up to withstand s the urge to turn Clark into a wisecracking, softer hero. Michael B. Jordan, proving beyond doubt that he can do the whole action-movie thing, turns in a perin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mance fuelled by rage and grief, following a grim home-invasion sequence that leaves his life up-ended. You entirely buy him as a guy who can, in a flash, weaponise his clothes using a sink, should it be necessary. (Jordan is also intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent at doing that cool thing involving holding a flashlight and a gun while crossing your arms.) The story he’s propelled through may be a pretty standard revenge yarn, playing the same keys as movies as old as Schwarzenegger’s Commando and Seagal’s Hard To Kill, but Jordan is a natural at this stuff — it would be a shame if he doesn’t acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure to reprise the character.###Jordan is a natural at this stuff — it would be a shame if he doesn’t acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure to reprise the character.###The film’s next most valuable player is director Stefano Sollima, who adrenalised the otherwise rote Sicario sequel Soldado, and is the in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ce behind current Italian thriller series ZeroZeroZero. He has a knack in/with regard to’concerning’regarding crafting action set-pieces that keep squeezing the characters trapped in them like a vice, chucking in inspired little twists, and there are two standouts here: the scene at Clark’s home, and one set inside a commercial jet that’s sinking into a pitch-black ocean somewhere off the coast of Russia. The latter, in peculiar , is virtuoso — ridiculously suspenseful, seemingly heavy on practical FX, inspired in its use of air pockets. On the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous screen, it would possess’own’nurse been a reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue stopper; even on the small one, it’s barnstormingly entertaining.###Where Without Remorse, which transin/with regard to’concerning’regarding ms its source material entirely (rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent bye, Baltimore sex workers and Vietnam heroin ring), falters is the plot. Long bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the end, you’ll likely possess’own’nurse guessed where it’s all going — machinations involving Jamie Bell’s Gorman-from-Aliens-esque greasy-weasel agency spook and higher-ups at the CIA go exactly where you expect them to. And with Jodie Turner-Smith’s Karen Greer, the most key maintain’sustain ing character, just as glum and taciturn as Clark, a funereal air lingers between action scenes that after a while makes the story embark on sag. While Jordan nails the spirit of Clancy’s character, the film really could possess’own’nurse done with a bit more fun around the edges and a little less remorse. Plus, maybe, one or two fewer chess analogies.