Clear and Present Danger is a 1994 thriller movie based on the novel of the same name by Tom Clancy, released in 1989. The film was directed by Phillip Noyce and stars Harrison Ford in the lead role, along with James Earl and William Dafoe. The movie follows the investigation into a secret war that the U.S. government is waging against the biggest drug cartel in Colombia, under the approval of the President.
The movie begins with a patrol team of the United States Coast Guard patrolling the Caribbean sea. While on this mission, they come across a suspicious cruise ship registered as American. When pursued, the officers find a large case inside the ship. Upon opening the case, they discover two Colombian crew members who have killed an entire family consisting of a couple and their two children. The murdered family is identified as Peter Hardin and his family. Peter was an American businessman who laundered money for the Colombian drug cartel headed by Ernesto Escobedo (Miguel Sandoval), the main target of the secret war.
CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) learns from his sources that Peter had cheated and engaged in illegal practices by laundering money for the drug cartel to sell drugs to other cartels in South America. This prompts Escobedo to order Peter’s execution. Unfortunately, Peter was unaware that the person he had killed was a close friend of the President of the United States, Bennett (Donald Moffat). This information is revealed to Ernesto’s intelligence officer, Colonel Félix Cortez (Joaquim de Almeida). Despite being warned, Ernesto remains unafraid.
Upon learning about his friend’s death, President Bennett is shocked and decides to run a secret operation to destroy Ernesto’s drug cartel. He gives National Security Advisor James Cutter (Harris Yulin) the authority to run the operation in Colombia, which should be kept secret from everyone. Meanwhile, Ryan is appointed as Deputy Director of Intelligence, replacing Admiral James Greer (James Earl), who is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. Acting rapidly, Ryan requests Congress to increase funds to support the war against the drug cartel in Colombia. Congress agrees, but only on the condition that there will be no involvement of U.S. military forces, which Ryan approves without knowing that Cutter has a different plan in mind.
Cutter plans to use the funds to recruit a special team of soldiers to carry out his secret mission. The team, headed by CIA agent John Clark (William Dafoe) and helped by Robert Ritter (Henry Czerny), Deputy Director of the CIA Operations, is tasked with stopping Ernesto’s drug cartel. Meanwhile, President Bennett assigns Ryan to go to Colombia to negotiate with the Colombian government so that the US has the authority to seize Ernesto’s assets, including the $650 million hidden in offshore accounts. Learning of Ryan’s trip, Colonel Felix Cortez secretly orders the cartel to attack Ryan’s convoy.
Ryan barely survives the attack, but all his colleagues in the convoy are killed. The incident leads to suspicions that Cortez was involved in the attack, after police discover that the secretary of one of the delegations that became an informant was killed by Cortez. Ernesto is eventually blamed for the attack, but he insists that he was not involved and requests that all other drug cartel members meet at a large party, with many guests and families in attendance. The Reciprocity team launches an airstrike at the venue, killing many people, but the attempt to kill Ernesto and Cortez fails.
Cortez realizes that there is U.S. interference, so he makes a deal with Cutter. He will kill Ernesto, take over the cartel leadership, and reduce drug shipments to the U.S. public to believe that America has triumphed over the drug cartels. Cortez also wants all CIA members and special teams to be eliminated. Cutter accepts the deal, which results in Clark’s team losing. In another place, it is revealed that Ryan has been investigating the illegal operation, which leads to Ritter being implicated.
In conclusion, Clear and Present Danger is a must-watch action-packed film that showcases the best of Harrison Ford’s acting skills. The exciting storyline and excellent performances by the actors make it an excellent option for a thrilling watch. This movie is a perfect example of how a book adaptation should be, and it stands out in the genre of crime thriller movies. With its evergreen content and first-rate storytelling, Clear and Present Danger has remained a favorite among moviegoers even today.
