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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
Without Remorse released on April 30, 2021 on Prime Video. The film is directed by Stefano Sollima (Sicario: Day of the Soldado) and stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, and Guy Pearce. Its story follows John Kelly (exceptionally played by Jordan) as he hunts down those responsible for the death of his wife and unborn daughter.
Minor spoilers to follow.
Discussion
Without Remorse has a great opening act and was refreshing to watch, even though the third act drags a bit. Jordan gives another fantastic performance. In addition, the chemistry between the leads characters was great, even with a dull story. The film’s opening is your standard action movie opening, with a secret mission and unexpected enemies. Kelly is thrown into a grand conspiracy involving those he works for and some senator in Washington, D.C. The minor complaints with this film are few and far between but still. It would have been nice for a different type of story.
Performances
Jordan gives this role his all and executes to the letter. He gives John Kelly a rage I haven’t ever seen with a Tom Clancy character; it’s energizing. Pearce plays your standard political villain role well, albeit that this character is in every single action movie. It’s worn out, but I digress. Robert Ritter (Bell), is a surprising supporting character and becomes one of Kelly’s unexpected allies throughout the film.
Lauren London plays Pam Kelly, John’s wife. She gives a pleasant performance, even though it’s cut short. This also wouldn’t be a Tom Clancy story without Kelly’s commander helping him out, despite the repercussions it could have on her career. Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith), bounces off Kelly nicely, and hopefully, she’s set to return in the sequel to this film.
Other Cinematic Elements
The cinematography is pretty standard as far as action movies go. However, there’s a sequence where the camera is looking up at Kelly and the angle is really satisfying for an action film. The script is average at best. There are a few cheesy lines, but the writing isn’t much to complain about. The story was just standard. The only refreshing parts of the film were the action sequences, fight scenes, and chemistry. In retrospect, you should think of Without Remorse like the recent Mortal Kombat film: just a setup for what’s to come.
Final Statement
Overall, the film is another standard action movie in terms of story and plot. Although, the corresponding pieces of the film make it one of the year’s best action flicks. The plan was to set up the upcoming Rainbow Six movie that Michael B. Jordan will lead with his return as John Kelly, now John Clark by the end of Without Remorse.
There is also a small possibility that we could see Jordan’s John Clark team up with John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan from the Amazon original series, Jack Ryan. Both are Tom Clancy’s characters and have banded together in the books. It is also worth noting that, while it could mean nothing, Thomas Clay, Pearce’s character, mentions Jim Greer during a conversation with Karen, Jim’s niece and supporting character in the Jack Ryan series.
Be sure to continue watching after the credits roll. There is a mid-credits scene set one year later between Clark and Ritter.
4/5 stars.
Without Remorse is streaming on Prime Video. Have you seen this film yet? What are your thoughts? Are you excited about this Rainbow Six movie? For more film and TV reviews, stay right here with The Cinema Spot!
Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
