Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent political thriller hits marks but lacks nuance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 27 parent reviews
Parents say the show offers a thrilling adrenaline rush with a complex espionage narrative and strong acting performances, particularly by the lead. However, many reviews express disappointment with the excessive violence, profanity, and graphic sexual content that render it unsuitable for family viewing, overshadowing its engaging storyline.
- excessive violence
- strong performances
- inappropriate content
- disappointing family viewing
- engaging storyline
- unsuitable for children
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 18 kid reviews
Kids say it's a show that combines thrilling action with heavy mature content, including frequent swearing, graphic sexual scenes, and intense violence, making it more suitable for older teens (14 and up) with adult supervision. While some viewers appreciate the storyline and character development, many also express disappointment over the excessive adult themes that overshadow the narrative.
- mature content
- excessive swearing
- graphic sexual scenes
- violence
- viewer discretion
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
CIA analyst JACK RYAN (John Krasinski) discovers a series of bank deposits that lead him to believe that a terrorist named Suleiman (Ali Suliman) is planning an attack on the United States. After convincing his superior, James Greer (Wendell Pierce), of Suleiman's existence, Ryan is taken out from behind his desk and put into action in the field. He and Greer track Suleiman through the Middle East and Europe, attempting to catch him before he can launch his multimillion-dollar terrorist attack.
Is It Any Good?
John Krasinski is egregiously miscast as Jack Ryan, a relatively well-known character who's been played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck -- actors who are believable in both the analyst and action hero sides of the character. Krasinski is, of course, best known for playing Jim Halpert on the American version of The Office, famous for mugging to the camera when his boss or co-workers say and do outlandish things. He brings an almost identical emotional palate to the character of Jack Ryan -- so much so that, after, say, wrestling an assault rifle away from a terrorist and threatening to blow him up with a grenade, it feels as if he's going to look directly out from the TV and crumple his face like a sad puppy. The show itself plays out as a relatively safe political thriller -- no jaw-dropping twists or unique insight into counterterrorism -- so without a believable and compelling hero at the center of the story, the whole thing is pretty dry. However, for fans of this genre who can deal with the weird casting, it's a tolerable entry into the Jack Ryan world.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the differences between the job that Ryan is trained to do and where he ultimately finds himself over the course of the show. Ryan starts as an analyst, an office worker, but is quickly called into the field and sees a lot of violent action. What would a realistic depiction of a CIA analyst look like? How does Jack Ryan differ? Are there ways that we see Ryan cope with the dangers that he has unexpectedly faced?
How does Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan depict Muslims and Middle Easterners? Do you think they're represented realistically? Does anything surprise you about these characters?
What do you think is the result of all the violence shown on the show? How does violence affect the lives of the characters? How do the "good guys" cope with performing violent acts? Do they any have regrets?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 31, 2018
- Cast : John Krasinski , Wendell Pierce , Abbie Cornish
- Network : Prime Video
- Genre : Action
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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