The film doesn’t make a big deal out of that, but it does make very clunky commentary about having two Black leads in a military movie. Making Kelly report to a tough female superior is an intriguing concept for such an otherwise by-the-numbers actioner. Jordan preparing to fight a slew of baddies while posing shirtless is the only joy you’ll receive from “Without Remorse.” Instead, he’s sent to prison where he’s surrounded by vindictive Russians and compelled to show us an upper body that would shame Adonis. The ensuing violence is so over-the-top ridiculous (gasoline fires, t-boned vehicles, torture by bullet) that you’re astonished Kelly doesn’t blow the hell up along with his quarry. Is the constantly sneering Ritter part of this cover up/conspiracy? And where did that fourth assassin disappear to without a trace? Based on a tip from Greer, Kelly tracks a lead to Dulles Airport. Of course, Clay’s decision infuriates Kelly, sending him on his mission of vengeance and arming him with several questions and severe paranoia. She was collateral damage, retaliation for the earlier SEALs mission that resulted in the deaths of several Russian agents. He awakens to Greer informing him that CIA Secretary Clay ( Guy Pearce) has no intention of pursuing justice for Pam. Kelly shoots three of the four assassins, but passes out from his own bullet wounds before he can finish off the fourth. Making it personal, the bad guys take out Kelly’s family as well. Soon after, several of Kelly’s team are murdered in gang-style executions or intentional hit-and-runs. Kelly glares at sinister bigshot Robert Ritter ( Jamie Bell), and not for the last time. “Without Remorse” opens with Navy SEALs led by Kelly’s superior officer, Karen Greer ( Jodie Turner-Smith) attempting a rescue mission that goes in a direction Kelly was not briefed about beforehand. A near-death fantasy sequence she appears in reduces her to a cliché trapped in an egregious fake-out that robs the film of any emotional power. London is so appealing that the cynical way she is used is borderline offensive.
She gets less than five minutes of screen time before she’s crudely dispatched. No amount of acting by Jordan can make Pam anything but the overused plot device of the doomed woman whose death or violation lights a fire under the man she loved. It’s a raw moment that makes one lament that we don’t get to know her at all. However, Kelly is a one-dimensional killing machine who is given few opportunities to flesh out his rage and interrogate his fate.Īt one point, Jordan breaks into his house after his wife Pam’s ( Lauren London) murder, sinks to the floor and howls in agony. He gets a lot of the latter, which may explain why he wanted to play this part. Jordan, a fine actor who can adeptly play drama and action with equal intensity.
Here, Clark is rechristened Jack Kelly and is played by Michael B.
Remouse meaning series#
According to Wikipedia, this is a spin-off of the popular Jack Ryan series and some of the choices for protagonist John Clark included Keanu Reeves, Gary Sinise, and Tom Hardy.
The screenplay by Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples fashions a completely different story out of whole cloth. Don’t look to the name in the title for help-this film only lifts his character’s family tragedy and the title.