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Patriot Games - Special Collector's Edition

With "Patriot Games," Tom Clancy's CIA analyst Jack Ryan is expanded into a fuller, richer character with emotion and heart. Too bad that the plot elements and filmmaking can't measure up to the better parts of this otherwise turgid, boring thriller that grips about as tight as an 80-year-old woman with arthritis. Now retired from the agency, Ryan (Harrison Ford, replacing Alec Baldwin) happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he sours an IRA-attempted assassination on a member of the British Royal Family. In the fatal scuffle, group leader Sean Miller (Sean Bean) watches his teenage brother meet his maker at Ryan's hand; vowing vengeance, he eventually escapes from police custody and begins a reign of terror over the lives of Ryan, his wife (Anne Archer), and their precocious young daughter (Thora Birch). ***

With his rugged yet kempt appearance and all manner of facial expressions, Harrison Ford makes for a well-rounded protagonist, and fills the role of Ryan quite nicely. Now, as opposed to being a mere player in the "game of chess" that sub commander Marko Ramius spoke of previously, he is more involved in the process of seeking out and hunting down those responsible for tearing his life asunder, all the while grappling with the stress of trying to protect his family. Too bad that the clues lead to unsatisfying results: there's never really any charge to Phillip Noyce's moribund film, no energy, no tension to keep us involved with the events of the plot. Right through to the time things roll around to the generic, so-bad-it's-just-bad climax, we've been ahead of the characters for so long that it's simply a matter of them catching up with what we already know will happen. Tiresome.

Another very good transfer from Paramount. The 2.35:1 image is a vast improvement over the non-anamorphic transfer from the previous 1998 release, with less apparent artifacts and a superior quality that is striking at times. Colors are rich and fully saturated with no blemishes, while contrast and shadow detail are especially impressive. Edges are sharp and clarity well-defined with very little enhancement halos visible, and there is an overall lack of film grain or noise to mar the presentation. ***

With this being the second DVD from Paramount to boast the DTS label, it should come as no surprise that this track is every bit as powerful as that for "The Hunt for Red October." Both the Dolby and DTS tracks make full use of the rear and front ends in equal measure, though the surrounds aren't quite as engaging as they could be, and at times the front speakers are left to themselves. Explosions and gunfire, however, are extremely powerful with some added boost from the .1 LFE, while dialogue remains natural throughout. The DTS option is clearly the way to go, but for those without the proper equipment, the Dolby is still recommended.