Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit: there is nothing particularly distinctive about this film; the action scenes are, at best, confusing, and the plot is generic (so most of the blame falls into the writers’ lap, even though Kenneth Branagh’s direction is unimaginative). Furthermore, the story develops poorly and senselessly. The mostly fine cast can’t do much with such a gallery of underwritten characters; Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley are OK, Branagh is somewhat hammy and Chris Pine is bland (pretty much like the whole film).