Michael B. Jordan is on a path to superstardom, but even his reputation couldn’t save the disastrous movie that invaded our homes. At the risk of sounding sexist and misogynist, when the movie introduced Karen Greer as a Navy SEAL team leader, I knew I couldn’t take this movie seriously.

 I understand that you have to suspend your belief, but this approach over-corrected in trying to cater to the “woke” crowd. The character in the book is white, so I thought it was enough casting Michael B. Jordan. I don’t see casting a black actor as a problem since John Clark/John Kelly’s race isn’t pertinent to the story. Plus, Michael B. Jordan is a fantastic actor.

But a female Navy SEAL team leader? The last I read, a woman started the process of SEAL training via the SEAL Officer Assessment and Selection process, but they did not select her to continue. Officers in BUD/S training have to go above and beyond compared to their enlisted counterparts, which makes the Officer billets highly selective. I’m assuming because even though she finished SOAS, she only made the minimum requirements, which won’t cut it at BUD/S.

So seeing a character like Karen Greer on the screen, I immediately was looking out for other inaccuracies.  

I enjoyed the book. There were several differences, such as the book taking place in 1970. One difference I disliked was that John’s wife died in a car accident in the book, with no malicious intent. While in the movie, her death set the stage for John’s revenge.

Instead, in the book, John goes into a depression, like all humans do, until he meets a prostitute named Pam. She was being trafficked and eventually gets killed by her pimps. I thoroughly enjoyed this plotline because John suffers multiple tragedies, and there was no telling what he was capable of.

In the movie, it was unfortunate that his wife died. But the way the story unfolded, I simply didn’t care. Each scene was generic and didn’t stand out from other action movies. It felt like they followed an “action movie” guide step by step, leaving no room for originality. I was disappointed as I expected more from screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, who wrote absolute masterpieces in Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River.

In the book, I also enjoyed the nuanced military mentions, such as John running with Force Recons and specifically requesting a rack to work out. The movie mentions John as a Navy SEAL and we’re just supposed to believe he’s a badass. The reliance on a SEAL’s reputation didn’t sit right with me, as besides the formulaic action scenes, we’re just supposed to believe John is this unstoppable force.

I fell asleep in the last quarter of the movie, and I had to re-watch it the next day. It was entirely forgettable. What I didn’t forget, though not positively, was John’s introduction of Rainbow. In the book series, he does this later in his career. But the movie speeds up that process and assumes John has all the experience to put together a top tier unit. I just threw up my hands as the movie started and ended with unbelievable and absurd scenarios. Just read the book and be glad this movie was free if you are a Prime member.

Sources:

https://screenrant.com/tom-clancy-without-remorse-book-movie-differences/