2. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
RottenTomatoes Score - 53% Compared To - The Hunt For Red October (1990) - 89% There have been many attempts at an American series of spy thrillers in the vein of the James Bond series. Until Matt Damon's Jason Bourne came along in the early noughties, ultimately the only set of films that could hold a torch to Britain's most iconic hero was the Jack Ryan series, which saw Alec Baldwin and later Harrison Ford take up the mantle of late novelist Tom Clancy's most well-known character. The Hunt For Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992) and A Clear And Present Danger (1995) were all excellent films (Sean Connery using a Scottish accent to play a Russian submarine captain aside) and its difficult to see why more weren't made before the decision was taken to release an ill-advised reboot of the series for the first time in 2002. This saw Ben Affleck, in the middle of a phase of his career he'd rather forget, take up the Ryan role and though the film wasn't terrible, it didn't kickstart a new and successful franchise. 2014 saw Hollywood try again, as Star Trek actor Chris Pine starred alongside Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner in a fresh take on the character's origin story not based on a Clancy novel. This ultimately proved to be a rather dull affair, however, and struggled to attract younger audiences during its theatrical run despite an interesting villainous turn from director Kenneth Branagh. Pine has already announced that there will not be a follow-up, condemning the iconic Ryan character once again.