THERE’S something endearingly old-fashioned about this thriller fashioned from characters in Tom Clancy’s novels.

From the enigmatic Russian-accented villain to daredevil car chases through crowded city streets, we’ve seen it all before. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As he demonstrated on the first Thor film, Kenneth Branagh’s a decent enough director and here adds emotional layers to flesh out the cardboard characters.

This is an “origins” story showing how Jack Ryan became the CIA operative we know from the movies The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, Clear And Present Danger and The Sum Of All Fears.

The 9/11 attacks motivate young Jack to abandon studying and join the military, only to be badly injured in the Afghanistan conflict. Medical student Cathy (Keira Knightley) encourages him to walk again while CIA agent William Harper (Kevin Costner) sends him on an undercover mission as a financial expert.

Fast forward a decade and Jack’s still with Cathy and sent to Moscow to investigate a plot to cripple the US economy cooked up by businessman Viktor Cherevin (Branagh).

Much that you expect to happen does happen – Cathy is kidnapped by Cherevin, Ryan rides to her rescue on a motorbike, there are car chases and that old chestnut, a race against time to defuse a ticking bomb.

The thrills and spills are delivered with brisk efficiency, Chris Pine (Kirk from the Star Trek cinema reboot) makes an understandably confused Ryan, Costner gives us his wise old-timer routine and Branagh’s coolly conniving as the bad guy.

Presumably the makers hope this will revive the franchise with a younger audience but I doubt this is eye-catching enough to merit further Jack Ryan adventures.