It’s been nearly three years since the conclusion of the Jack Ryan series on Amazon’s Prime Video, and now John Krasinski is back in fighting shape to reprise his role as the U.S. Marine-turned-CIA operative in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War. Instead of a new season, however, this time we only get him for one feature-length outing on the streamer, and reviews are in as it hits the 2026 movie schedule.
After retiring from the CIA, Jack Ryan is pulled back into the mix after the re-emergence of a black-ops network. Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly are back, too, and while the critics generally welcome the reunion, their overall impressions are a bit mixed. Tania Hussain of Collider, for instance, rates the movie 5 out of 10 in her review of Prime Video’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War, saying it’s still slick and fast-paced, but that it’s too safe. The critic says:
Krasinski is still charming and commanding as Jack, while Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly as Greer and Mike, respectively, remain essential to this world. But even with the right pieces in place, Ghost War doesn’t evolve into a sharp continuation. While the pace is slick and fast, the story feels weirdly hollow in places where it should hit harder. For a franchise built around moral compasses and buried secrets, this return to the small screen after three years feels less like a high-stakes event and more like a mediocre TV movie with a few good car chase scenes and stunts.
Alex Maidy of Jo Blo gives it a “Good” 7 out of 10, saying viewers don’t have to have streamed any of John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan series with their Prime Video subscription to enjoy the movie, but that it does build on subplots and characters introduced on the show. Maidy likes how that heightens the stakes, and overall says:
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is the best cinematic take on the character since Harrison Ford’s debut in the role back in 1992. Bringing back Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly, along with director Andrew Bernstein, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is a globetrotting action flick that streamlines the geopolitical narrative into a fast-paced thrill ride poised to set up an ongoing movie franchise.
Zaki Hasan of The Wrap says John Krasinski is a great Jack Ryan, but what fans loved so much about the series has been lost in translation when configuring the story for one feature-length product. The stakes are bigger, the canvas broader and danger more immediate, but it feels somewhat hollow — despite great performances — compared to the series. Hasan writes:
At 105 minutes, Ghost War is sliced so thin that it rarely leaves room for the smaller moments that once gave the series its texture. Conversations, doubts and political maneuvering are hurried along in service of the next plot beat, while conspiracies and betrayals pile up too quickly to fully land. Yet the character never fully gets lost beneath all of it. Krasinski’s Ryan thinks first, even when the film pushes him otherwise.
Monica Castillo of AV Club grades it a D+, calling Ghost War a straightforward spy movie “without excitement or intrigue.” The Prime Video movie feels more like a training exercise than a high-stakes mission. Castillo’s review reads:
Ghost War lacks any distinguishing features. Director Andrew Bernstein is dutiful, but the longtime TV helmer produces work that, fittingly, wouldn’t look out of place in the middle of a Saturday afternoon binge of the TV series. It’s drab and pedestrian, with no excess polish or grit to give the film its own visual identity. This isn’t helped by Krasinski—who not only serves as the movie’s star but also its producer and co-writer—who plays Ryan with reserve, safely unemotional. This time, Ryan is the reluctant hero back for one more job, and there’s a sense that Krasinski is doing the same, clocking in at the acting factory for another paycheck.
Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture rates it 4 out of 10, calling Jack Ryan: Ghost War a “by-the-books spy thriller that even Tom Clancy would’ve yawned at.” There are some high points, including solid action and the reunion between John Krasinski and Wendell Pierce, but they're overshadowed by an asinine plot that feels more cartoonish than grounded in realism. Lago continues:
This, paired with Bernstein’s inability to stage and capture a memorable action set piece, makes Ghost War work far better as a travel advertisement for Dubai than as an effective espionage thriller. It all makes one wonder why any of the original team returned for a sequel that not only undoes some of the far more impactful emotional beats of the final season but also leaves audiences in limbo about whether they even want to see Jack Ryan suit up for another disaster to solve.
The reviews of Jack Ryan: Ghost War are certainly more tepid than fans were hoping for, but that shouldn’t stop anyone who loves this franchise or who’s been looking forward to seeing John Krasinski back in this role from hitting Play on Amazon’s Prime Video. The movie is available to stream as of Wednesday, May 20.
