What we flagged
View all categories
Our take
Clear and Present Danger is a political thriller about cartel trafficking and covert violence. Murders on a yacht, car bombs, and jungle firefights build a substantial body count, while cocaine shipments drive the plot. Swearing is moderate, with at least one f-word. We put it at around 13 and up, with a parent nearby for the violence and political deception.
Uplifting themes
Telling the truth when powerful people want silence is the moral spine. Ryan keeps digging even when it costs him. Families can talk about accountability in public life Ryan is the stubborn straight shooter who will not rubber-stamp a dirty war. He is flawed and angry, not perfect. That still beats the covert operators who treat lives as chess pieces Older teens may ask how intelligence oversight and drug-war policy really work. The film is Hollywood, so keep the salt handy. Useful as a springboard, not a textbook
Story (may spoil tone)
Agent Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral Greer is diagnosed with cancer. When an American businessman, and friend of the president, is murdered on his yacht, Ryan starts discovering links between the man and drug dealers. As former CIA agent John Clark is sent to Colombia to kill drug cartel kingpins in retaliation, Ryan must fight through multiple cover-ups to figure out what happened and who's responsible.
Details
Violence Yacht murders, assassinations, car bombs, and jungle operations stack u…
Yacht murders, assassinations, car bombs, and jungle operations stack up across two hours. Kill orders and ambushes are part of the job for several characters. It is sustained crime-and-war violence
Language Damn, hell, b-word, and the s-word run through ops and arguments, with…
Damn, hell, b-word, and the s-word run through ops and arguments, with the f-word in at least one heated moment. Swearing is moderate for a military thriller. Not a constant barrage
Drugs / alcohol Cocaine shipments and cartel money drive the violence and cover-up. Tra…
Cocaine shipments and cartel money drive the violence and cover-up. Trafficking is central to the plot; recreational drug use is not
Frightening Ambush dread and the sense that Washington is lying keep the mood tight…
Ambush dread and the sense that Washington is lying keep the mood tight. Bomb aftermath talk, including women and children killed, hits hard. Sensitive viewers may feel the body count accumulate
Gore / death / weapons Blood on decks and sheets, guns, and bomb damage are described and show…
Blood on decks and sheets, guns, and bomb damage are described and shown as evidence. Corpses and casualties matter to the plot. Detail is clear without torture close-ups
Grief / bereavement A mentor faces chemotherapy while colleagues die in the field. Friends…
A mentor faces chemotherapy while colleagues die in the field. Friends get the news that someone they love was killed. Loss sits under the politics without becoming the whole movie
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
What other parents think.
Be the first family to leave a watch note.
Talk after watching
- Ryan keeps asking who authorised the killings. When should loyalty to a boss stop?
- The film mixes drug war tactics with election-season cover-ups. What does it suggest about ends justifying means?
Ask ClearAge
Clear and Present Danger
Ask about this guide, or name another film to open its ClearAge page.
