While the James Bond movies are still pretty much the game to beat in pop culture, other operatives have made their own brutally memorable mark as well. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and 24’s Jack Bauer are two such combatants who have given the British end a run for its money in the past couple of decades, with fantastic results. So to see the trailer for The Contractor pit Chris Pine against Kiefer Sutherland is such a thrill because, in my mind, it’s the Jack Ryan/Jack Bauer showdown I’ve always wanted.
As you watch the trailer, recently released by Paramount, we’re introduced to Pine’s character, Special Forces Sergeant James Harper. A man who’s fallen on hard times after being discharged from the military, Sergeant Harper is looking to take a one-time gig for a windfall of cash. Cue Sutherland’s shadowy superior, who offers just that sort of opportunity at the right time.
However, as the mission progresses, Sergeant Harper starts to question who he can really trust. This is exactly when you’d expect a hail of gunfire to ruin a perfectly peaceful operation; and it does. Our characters may go by different names in The Contractor, but after seeing the star of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and the man who saved the world over several seasons on the Fox network having a head to head phone call, the Jack-lympics seem to have arrived.
As if pitting Chris Pine against Kiefer Sutherland wasn’t enough of a thrill, this new movie also marks a very special reunion for the Hell or High Water actor. Reteamed with Ben Foster, the opening act of the trailer highlighting how their characters are “like brothers” only brings back memories of their previous work in that surprise smash hit from 2016. Though one could hope the ending is a little happier for Mr. Foster this time around.
It’s all going to come down to the title match of Pine vs. Sutherland, Ryan vs. Bauer. The Contractor doesn’t show much of that eventuality in its trailer, nor should it. When you’ve got a fight this exciting in your corner, you don’t give away the main event for free. If anyone really needs to be sold on the road to that showdown, there’s plenty of action showing Chris Pine fighting, exploding, and shooting his way to the truth.
Placing a bet on Chris Pine's victory is the smart money, however this could be the warm-up Kiefer Sutherland needs to potentially bring Jack Bauer back again. So does anyone really lose in this scenario? The only way things cold look better is with the promise of a special in-character commentary track with Daniel Craig and Tom Cruise as James Bond and Ethan Hunt, providing a play by play of who's the better operative. Anyone who knows how to make that happen will be the true hero.
The Contractor debuts in theaters and VOD on April 1st. To see what other upcoming movies are heading our way, you don’t need top secret clearance. All you need is to start asking the right questions. Also, if you're an adrenaline junkie looking for some content you can watch now, check out CinemaBlend's list of the best action movies and how to stream them.
