Tom Clancy movies are, like "Lord of the Ring" movies, entertaining in the fact that it is interesting to see how the director might depict a specific scene here or there.
But neither the works of Clancy, nor Tolkien has ever been, nor ever will be totally and successfully rendered to film. The written volumes are just too complex to do so. Even a production equal to "Game of Thrones" could not accurately capture either of these authors.
Admittedly I last read Clancy in 2002 when Red Rabbit was released. But as I remember with Clancy and especially with Tolkien, the authors spend much time depicting their characters' thought processes and feelings. Emotions are fairly well expressed on the screen, feelings less so, and I have never seen any director/actor combination who could actually tell us what is going through a character's mind.
The Clancy novels depicting the life of "Jack Ryan" are best read in the order they were released, starting with "Red October" in '84 and ending with "Red Rabbit" in 2002.
Yes, the movies are entertaining in their own right. But to know the story, you gotta go read the book!
If you like the technology, science, and SONAR in Red October, look for another volume credited to Tom Clancy titled SSN. It is basically a tutorial to a Fast Attack Submarine Simulator also titled SSN. The book is written in novel form, and as a novel falls on its face. But as a read along while playing the scenarios in the video game it takes on a new life.
