Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Enters His Fifth Incarnation Someone once said, "Never trust a man with two first names," but that wit obviously was not referring to Jack Ryan, the C.I.A. analyst and reluctant action hero of Tom Clancy's series of spy novels. The closest thing pop culture may have to an American James Bond, the character has appeared in four films, which were collectively rereleased in December by Paramount Home Video as "The Jack Ryan Collection." And now he is the focus of a fifth, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit," which arrived in theaters on Friday. It turns out that every era gets a Jack Ryan to fit the times. From left, Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin and Scott Glenn in "The Hunt for Red October." Paramount Pictures, via Getty Images Alec Baldwin in "The Hunt for Red October" (1990) THREAT FOR THE AGE The crew of an experimental nuclear submarine defects from the Soviet Union, but why? To broker a deal for peace or to instigate nuclear war? Only Jack Ryan knows for sure. "CUTTING-EDGE" TECHNOLOGY The fictional crew mentions covert navigation technology that was tied to a real classified project at the time of the film's release. Does win a gunfight with a Russian cook. BALDWIN'S SIGNATURE Wiseacre quips and an impeccable Sean Connery impression. Harrison Ford in "Patriot Games." Paramount Pictures Harrison Ford in "Patriot Games" (1992) THREAT FOR THE AGE A radical splinter group of the Irish Republican Army attacks members of the British royal family, and only Jack Ryan can stop them. "CUTTING-EDGE" TECHNOLOGY Satellites are retasked used to spy on terrorist camps in Africa, and their live feeds help coordinate a ground assault. BRAND OF RELUCTANT ACTION Throws himself wildly into the fray when his family's safety is on the line. FORD'S SIGNATURE, PART 1 Anger, but with a soft side. There's that family. As ever, he points the Finger of Doom. Harrison Ford, right in "Clear and Present Danger." Harrison Ford in "Clear and Present Danger" (1994) THREAT FOR THE AGE The government's "war on drugs" embroils top officials in a scandal involving a Colombian drug kingpin. Only Jack Ryan can set things right. "CUTTING-EDGE" TECHNOLOGY Ryan hacks into a colleague's computer to steal classified information from the hard drive. In the ultimate "90s twist, he has printing problems. BRAND OF RELUCTANT ACTION Through sheer grit, Ryan narrowly escapes when his motorcade is ambushed. FORD'S SIGNATURE, PART 2 Fatherly authority and the Finger of Doom, again. Morgan Freeman and Ben Affleck in "The Sum of All Fears." Mark Fellman/Paramount Pictures Ben Affleck in "The Sum of All Fears" (2002) THREAT FOR THE AGE A rogue nuclear bomb is smuggled into the United States and is set to explode in Baltimore. Only Jack Ryan can figure out who's behind it. "CUTTING-EDGE" TECHNOLOGY Ryan borrows a PalmPilot, complete with stylus, to communicate with a mole in the Russian government. He negotiates with armed soldiers instead of fighting them. AFFLECK'S SIGNATURE A genuine feeling that the character (and possibly the actor) is in over his head. Anatoliy Vorobev/Paramount Pictures Chris Pine in "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" (2014) THREAT FOR THE AGE A Russian businessman (played by Kenneth Branagh, who is also the director) plots to instigate the collapse of the American economy. Only Jack Ryan can ... well ... you know the rest. "CUTTING-EDGE" TECHNOLOGY Government agents track down a suspect in a number of minutes using personal data mined from a social network. BRAND OF RELUCTANT ACTION This Ryan can handle himself in a fight and in car chases. PINE'S SIGNATURE Boyish charm and naïveté, and physicality. Finally a not-so-reluctant action hero.