Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit follows the legendary hero's evolution from solider to analyst to full-fledged operative as Ryan (Pine) is caught in a dangerous web of intrigue spun between his unsuspecting financé (Knightley), a shadowy government agent (Costner), and a ruthless Russian criminal (Branagh). Ryan must quickly evolve from analyst to operative to stop a devastating terrorist plot against the United States. (Gary Reber)
Special features include commentary by Kenneth Branagh and Lorenzo di Bonaventura; four featurettes: Jack Ryan: The Smartest Guy In The Room (HD 13:37), Sir Kenneth Branagh: The Tasar Of Shadow Recruit (HD 09:49), Jack Ryan: A Thinking Man Of Action (HD 05:19), and Old Enemies Return (HD 21:13); six deleted and extended scenes (HD 05:03); and an Ultra Violet digital copy.
The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture is terrific, with a warm cinematic presence. Contrast is excellent with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. The color palette is richly hued with strong primaries and vibrant highlights that pop with brightness. Color graduations are perfectly smooth and beautifully textured. Resolution is outstanding, with fine detail evident throughout. Detail is never lost, even in the darkest scenes. Facial features are finely resolved, as well as hair, clothing, and object texture. Fleshtones are perfectly hued, for impressive naturalness. Light grain provides an impressive film appearance. This is a wonderful picture with stunning, reference imagery. (Gary Reber)
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack is effectively impressive, with a fully active holosonic® soundfield that envelops throughout, both in terms of low-level ambiance and energized peaks. Bass extension is deep and well defined with robust .1 LFE energy below 25 Hz. Atmospherics and sound effects are immersive and sonically descriptive, no matter what the locale. Surround is aggressively steered with directionality and is fully immersive, with an almost constant soundfield presence, whether low-level nuanced or fully energized. Action sound effects, such as a helicopter under fire, gunshots, or car crashes, are effectively weighted and dimensional, especially during scenes of mayhem. Nuanced sound effects really heighten the realism and enhance the dimensional soundscapes. The orchestral music score is dynamic sounding, with a strong rhythmic bass presence and a wide and deep soundstage presence that extends aggressively to the surrounds. The added two channels track the theatrical Dolby Surround 7.1 format with positioning to the rear. Dialogue is nicely integrated spatially and is always intelligible. This is a superb sonic experience that is reference quality. (Gary Reber)