Tom Clancy's novel was an interesting shaggy dog - a John Clark origin story, it was part stock get- revenge-against-drug-dealers-who-killed-his-lady, and then in his spare time he was off doing a Son Tay Raid type mission. Presumably this explains why a sexy concept - John Clark origin! - took to so long to be made because it's two stories not always easily co existing. The strength of the novel was the Vietnam section - Clark took part in a mission which failed but also it didn't - it was unexpected and fresh while the killing drug dealers was more standard. John Milius was going to make it in the 90s - it doesn't sound that exciting, but I'm sure it would've been more Clancy.
This loses so many key things in the book. For instance the book had Clark suffer the doubly whammy of losing his pregnant wife then a new love. This one just has the wife. The double whammy works gangbusters look at John Wick. Also no Vietnam setting robs the point of a man's frustration against the system, the power of the Russians, the decline in the military. And it had nice touches like meeting Jack Ryan's dad.
This one has Clark's team knocked off one by one after a mission - which just didn't seem real. Would they really bother with it? Guy Pearce's oil politician is too obviously a villain. Jamie Bell is very good as a scowly intelligence guy.
The action scenes are same-y - darkly lit, bursts of gun fire. It lacks tension and to be honest it's hard to care. There were stakes in wanting ro rescue Vietnam POWs but not here. This is just revenge.
Some nice flashback moments to Clark's wife. That's about it.
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