BLU-RAY REVIEW

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Featured In Issue 187, June 2014

Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score4.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Paramount Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
791406
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13
(Rating Reason):
Sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language
(Retail Price):
$39.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
105
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
2014
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
06/10/14
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Kenneth Branagh
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 7.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

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)