Quick Hits

Here are two things to think over.  Firstly, have you ever noticed in the Sonic commercial with the two guys talking about what is on the outside being more important and the dimwitted one says he only reads the cover of books, they are both wearing seatbelts?  Noticing this tidbit on about the 75th viewing of that particular ad (thanks a lot Texas Rangers and Fox Sports Southwest broadcast people), I couldn’t say whether they do this in every single one of their Sonic commercials or if it is just this one.

 

This is weird, right?  They are stopped in a Sonic parking space and not going anywhere.  Why wear the seatbelt?  Is this some sort of cross-advertising with the state of Texas in regard to the “Click it or ticket” campaign?  A quick Google image search shows in nearly every commercial that these two are in together, they are wearing seatbelts.  I just find this odd.

 

Here is the second thing.  Were you to rank where the Jack Ryan film series falls in the pantheon of Hollywood heroes it likely would fall pretty far down the list, especially since it hasn’t been very relative since Harrison Ford last portrayed the Tom Clancy character in 1994’s Clear and Present Danger.  Ben Affleck attempted a reboot of the series in 2002 that led nowhere and now Chris Pine has taken a stab at the part in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

 

I watched the movie for the first time last night and, while the movie overall wasn’t fantastic, what it did do that stood out over most of the other Jack Ryan films was an emphasis on his analytical skills.  Not since The Hunt for Red October have we seen the character actually do analytical work.  We are always told that Ryan is a great analyst and not a CIA field agent, but somehow he constantly is pitted against the villain in a battle of fists, not wits.  Patriot Games did the best job of justifying why Ryan was exchanging physical blows with the baddies, but the Harrison Ford films and Affleck’s outing both were light on the analysis when it came to Ryan’s character.  That is not to say Chris Pine doesn’t get himself in the fight, but the screenwriters and director at least balanced the brawling with actual paper-pushing skills.

 

That is all for now.  Go back to your regularly scheduled programming.