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Parents' Guide to

The Sum of All Fears

By Carly Kocurek, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Generic action film not good for kids, or anyone.

Movie PG-13 2002 123 minutes
The Sum of All Fears Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Imdbtruth
Imdbtruth Adult
October 9, 2020
age 14+

Sexual Content is Present

It's okay for some teens, but the website said there's no sexual content, and there's actually plenty of sexual content. In the first 15 minutes of the movie there's a scene where several characters talk about who this Russian girl is "banging", they say "banging" in reference to this girl 4 different times within a minute... Shortly after that we come upon a scene where the main character is in bed kissing and snuggling with his girlfriend... He's topless and she's not, but they begin to fool around more until they're interrupted by his phone ringing... Immediately following this there's great emphasis put on the fact that they're not married, which is not really the kind of thing I want my 12-13 year old watching. Most of the cursing and violence is pretty mild, but there is one rather emphatic F-bomb dropped by the character who is portraying the POTUS. Other than that, most of the cursing is in the form of GD.
GOOD MOTHER
GOOD MOTHER Parent of 8, 12 and 13-year-old
November 23, 2010
age 15+

Good movie!

I thought the over all movie was pretty good. Lot's of action and suspense. Good acting. Glad I watched it.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS centers on Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck), a CIA pencil pusher called in to help provide insight to Russian-American relations after the assassination of the Russian president. When a low-yield nuclear bomb is detonated at the Superbowl, the CIA assumes that the Russians may well be to blame. Jack convinced otherwise, risks his career and his life to find the real explanation. The audience learns early in the film that the terrorist act is the work of a Middle Eastern terrorist cell that bought a stray nuclear weapon, and then watches Jack struggle to discover the same information.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (5 ):

Filled with explosions and espionage, The Sum of All Fears is a typical big budget action film in most regards. It attempts to be thought-provoking, but manages only to be alarmist. The acting is nothing to write home about. As Jack Ryan, Ben Affleck does his best, which isn't saying much. Bridget Moynahan in the role of Dr. Cathy Muller, Morgan Freeman is consistent as Ryan's supervisor, DCI William Cabot. Similarly bland, the special effects in the film consist, unsurprisingly, of a series of explosions and shootings.

This isn't a terrible movie, but it's just middle-of-the-road action. The film's treatment of global politics is over-simplified. While the scenario outlined in the movie might be conceivable, it's highly unlikely. The film is too violent to make sense as family entertainment, and the political agenda means that the time it takes to watch the film might be better spent reading the newspaper.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about issues of arms races and nuclear weapons control. How likely is a scenario like the one depicted in this movie? What measures should be taken to keep nuclear weapons from becoming a threat? The film also addresses social responsibility. Jack Ryan risks his career and his life to ensure the safety of the American public. While this is clearly the "right" thing to do, how does Jack manage to make this risky decision?

Movie Details

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