'Without Remorse' sets up Michael B. Jordan in Tom Clancy's revenge thriller

Michael B. Jordan puts his considerable star power to the test in "Tom Clancy's Without Remorse," an action movie that basically feels like the extended coming attraction for a possibly better one down the road. Whatever the intricacies in Clancy's book, they're largely abandoned in a violent revenge tale that a few decades ago might have starred someone like Steven Seagal.

Landing on Amazon -- which synergistically featured Jordan in a memorable Super Bowl ad -- the movie features him as Clancy creation John Kelly (later John Clark), a Navy SEAL who is introduced on a dangerous mission abroad. Back home afterward, he's preparing to ditch the military and settle down with his pregnant wife (Lauren London), when someone begins eliminating members of his team, killing her in the process. Kelly wants answers -- and revenge -- and embarks on a crusade to find out what happened and why. The road leads to Russians, with the Secretary of Defense, Thomas Clay (Guy Pearce, deserving better), seemingly welcoming the idea of turning the soldier loose, never mind the diplomatic implications, saying, "Some situations warrant thinking outside the box."