Without Remorse – Movie Reviews by Ry!
Without Remorse – Revenge so Familiar: I am … A Tom Clancy Hero
When it comes to action, there is a certain expectation of fun and excitement. Through scenes of unexplainable mayhem, you maneuver paths with relentless adrenaline. From over-the-top sequences to one-on-one combat scenes, fans of this genre always want a certain bravado, even if it is a rehashing of things before. In this review, I look at a film that tries to brand that feeling within the familiar. This journey spins commonality with hopes of sparking a new franchise. Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse tries to be that unique adrenaline pump but becomes a bland concept of every other action film.
After a series of tragic events, Navy SEAL John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) goes on a path of revenge. What seems like another mission becomes a complex web of lies in the shadows. The outline (of this film) uses the common action/espionage thriller concept as its foundation. In the beginning, you are introduced to John Kelly. He is a Navy SEAL that is sent on a rescue mission in Syria. What should have been a routine ‘In and Out’ becomes something unexpected. This mission (inciting incident) leads to a series of events that leave a devastating effect on Kelly and his team. Through some convenient conversations, Kelly turns this into a prospect of revelations (key incident). This triggers another series of events, leading to another ‘squad on a mission’ scenario. From this point, the film becomes a rehashing of military tropes, government conspiracy themes and typical hero archetype. The bulk of the journey becomes a revolving door of terrible dialogue that strings together sequences of gun fights, action set pieces and heroic moments. From the onset, the directive never attempts to bring personality to the characters or mission. Everything is throttled through the basic outline, rebranded under the Tom Clancy banner. No situation is given time to develop. This makes every new revelation, character or set piece nothing more than a plot device to move from point A to B. This generic directive is a missed opportunity to generate a connection (for the audience).
As the story behind the attacks is revealed, the revolving door of conversational exposition leads to the basic ‘what comes next’ trope. Through a predictable setup, Kelly aims to bring down who is responsible for everything. At this point, the journey turns even further into its basic concepts, leveling out any attempt to bridge that connection (for the audience) to Kelly’s purpose. This leads to a final confrontation between Kelly and the culprit, creating that obvious climax of the redeeming hero. Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse should have been another fun action film. What turns out is bland recreation of the genre just to create a new franchise. If you are a fan of Tom Clancy or action, you might find some fun here. It is available on Prime Video, worth a Friday night at home.
Full Score – 2.5 out of 5 (Friday Night Rental)