His Ryan portrayal in THFRO is the most humane, intelligent, interesting ever made.
Hollywood and Tom Clancy want to make Ryan a super agent. Boooring!
I prefer the very good, dedicated, enthusiastic agent by Baldwin than any newer version.
They should have tried him at least for 1 Jack Ryan movie, Ford was total crap anyway, yet they never gave Baldwin a shot.
You didn't like Harrison Ford's take on the character? I did.
shareNo, I didn't like it at all. It's not Jack Ryan, it's Ford playing a CIA agent. He was abysmal and boring. It didn't do anything for his career, he didn't do anything for Jack Ryan nor the movies.
Everybody after Ford has been even worse, even less charismatic and even less fitting Ryan.
Baldwin was a perfect match and he did a great work at impersonating Ryan, shedding off all the mannerism he usually uses as Baldwin in other performances.
Well I admit I have never read the books so I like Ford's take on the character. But I can understand. After reading the novel First Blood I do not like the movie as much.
shareI thought Ford made a better Jack Ryan, seemed more likable and charismatic than Baldwin. Baldwin has the voice, appearance, and demeanor of a villain imo
shareHe often does look like a villain, but in THFRO he pulls off a likeable and a gritty underdog that was more original and interesting than the usual "Ford plays a good daddy".
Baldwin looked like an agent with a family, Ford looks like a family man in the wrong job.
Just watched it for the first time. JR is the least interesting character in the movie.
shareI have never seen the other Jack Ryan films but I will say Baldwin's performance in Red October is my favorite in the film. And there are plenty of good performances by a very strong cast.
shareHe is the motor of this movie.
Like you said, there are many other great performances here.
Connery was good, Neill great, my other favorite is Glenn.
But Baldwin is the one putting everything together, it's Ryan's movie and Baldwin gives him all the right traits, and whenever he meets these other characters you feel how Ryan affects them and changes the story with his personality.
This is probably my favorite Baldwin role and he's definitely the best Jack Ryan. I never once felt I was watching Alec Baldwin the movie star, which is how I feel watching Ford do the role. Felt like watching Jack Ryan.
shareExactly how I feel.
And the concentration of many characters on the same successful actor is one of Hollywood biggest downfalls. Ford is Indiana Jones and Han Solo, they could have let Baldwin, after such a great interpretation, be Jack Ryan, and let us have some diversity.
Assholes.
Well there’s no one to blame except Baldwin, he practically negotiated himself out of the role by being an egotistical, pompous ass.
shareReally? How so?
shareBaldwin drew out the sequel negotiations for over a year, he wasn’t happy with the pay and didn’t want it to conflict with his stage performances. Eventually Paramount entered a contract with Ford because they owed him money, and edged Baldwin out. Also it’s rumoured Baldwin and Mctiernan didn’t return for the sequel because of their Irish background and they didn’t approve of the script.
shareI didn't know about that. Thanks for the info.
I remember reading when he still had a shot at it that he was pleading with Paramount not to go for the more popular Ford, and he was trying to gather some consensus making a fuss on the media, pointing out how they were just picking the more popular choice, not the best one.
I didn't know he created some tension in pre production, but I have some doubts about Paramount position: how could Baldwin ever cost more than Ford? Even if they owed money to Ford, it's still money they are paying him. So Baldwin would have been a cheaper option anyway. I mean, it doesn't sound like it's a matter of money, more about a matter of not trusting Baldwin to carry the franchise on his own, while Ford was a safer bet.
I think it was a matter of simple economics. Ford had a movie deal with Paramount that never entered production but they still had to pay him for it. They could either keep Baldwin on at the cost of a lower box office yield, or simply can Baldwin, bring in Ford and eliminate their debts. The character of Jack Ryan also felt like a secondary/supporting role in Red October. I don’t think the studio really knew what to do with the character so they brought Ford in for a more recognizable face. Also Baldwin had been in some real stinkers and flops at the time, not to mention his rumoured bad and volatile behaviour on set. In fact I think Ford was Mctiernan’s initial choice for the role. Baldwin was third choice after Ford and Kevin Costner. Frankly, Baldwin was lucky to get the part at all and made it very easy for the studio to give him the slip once the sequels came around.
shareI guess he should have played a lower profile deal and secure the gig. Being a primadonna didn't help. It never helps.
Too bad, he still is the best Ryan, I would have appreciated those movies with him, as a nice sequel trilogy of THFRO, all helmed by McTiernan (who instead went on to direct that total turd Medicine Man).
Nothing would please me more than seeing Baldwin in the sequels instead, he was the perfect mixture of suave 007 looks combined with the bookworm-ish and anxious CIA analyst side thrust into extraordinary situations who uses his brains rather than brawn. Instead they turned him into action star, booh.
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