The Sum of All Fears
The Sum of All Fears Image
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Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman
  • Summary: Ben Affleck stars as Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan in this thriller about European neo-Nazi terrorists who acquire a nuclear device that they plan to use at the Super Bowl.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 35
  3. Negative: 8 out of 35
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    Director Phil Alden Robinson and his writers, Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne, do a spellbinding job of cranking up the tension, they create a portrait of convincing realism, and then they add the other stuff because, well, if anybody ever makes a movie like this without the obligatory Hollywood softeners, audiences might flee the theater in despair.
  2. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    80
    Smartly directed, grown-up film of ideas -- with a debonair script by Paul Attanasio (Donny Brasco) and Daniel Pyne.
  3. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: David Denby
    60
    As an evocation of danger, the movie seems threatening yet is nowhere near serious or intelligent enough to satisfy our current sense of alarm. [3 June 2002, p. 100]
    All this critic's reviews
  4. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    38
    As a spy film, The Sum of All Fears is flaccid, and as an expose of nuclear threats, there's not enough information.

See all 35 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. MadDad
    10
    Great movie heavily underrated. Very thrilling setup until the very last minute. I loved the movie and think critics are very wrong. The nuclear explosion was very frightening. I can highly recommend this movie!… Expand
  2. JaredB.
    9
    When I heard that a movie was being made based on another of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels, I was thrilled. This one concerns a plot by a group of terrorists to plant a nuclear bomb in Baltimore the day of the Super Bowl. While the terrorists come from all different nations, the main threat is from Russia. Jack, well played by Ben Affleck knows this, he just has a hard time convincing anyone else, including the President, played to perfection by James Cromwell. Also of note here are performances by Morgan Freeman, Bridget Moynahan, and Ciaran Hinds as the Russian President. The direction, by Phil Alden Robinson, was simply incredible. There are two reasons that, as much as I would like to, I can't give this film a 10. First of all, there are times where the story becomes needlessly complicated. Second, Liev Schreiber, one of my favorite actors, was seriously underused. Other than these two complaints, I loved this film.… Expand

See all 25 User Reviews

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