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Sum of All Fears (The)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Pat Pilon (22nd January 2009). |
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The Film
 In 'The Sum of All Fears', terrorists get their hands on a nuclear bomb that was lost a couple of decades earlier when an Israeli jet was shot down. Meanwhile, CIA agent William Cabot (Morgan Freeman) and up-and-comer agent Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck) go on a mission to Russia, ostensibly to check on their nuclear disarmament, though really to investigate three missing Russian scientists. Eventually, as may be surmised, the two paths meet, and it's up to Jack Ryan to try and stop a terrorist attack on American soil. The movie is drastically simpler than the book. I suppose I should say I read the book, and it was my first Tom Clancy book. I found it long, plodding and bogged down by unnecessary plot points. The movie simplifies everything, but still keeps the core of the book, creating a very engaging story. The damage done is lessened by all sides is lessened, no doubt with 9/11 still in mind (though they say otherwise in the first featurette). The movie is still effective, though more as a flowery cautionary tale than something more immediate and powerful. The plot does move intelligently from point to point and seem fairly believable considering its Hollywood movie status. The political dealings throughout the movie are simplified a great deal, but get the point across. The movie is never too slow or to quick, though there's a love subplot with Jack Ryan and Cathy Muller (Bridget Moynahan), who, incidentally, is obviously not in the book, that seem somewhat petty and unnecessary given that that nuclear device blew up on American soil. The most interesting character of the movie no doubt Liev Schreiber's badass John Clark, though he doesn’t have nearly enough screen time (though is pretty prominently featured in his own series of books). (On a side note, if a 'Rainbow Six' movie is made, I definitely want to see him as the main character.) Mr. Schreiber gives a stern and stoic performance, which isn't much of a stretch for any actor. He gets the right point across, however, and does what he can with the slim screen time he's given. Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman have harder roles to play and they show their talents in the movie. This movie is neither a diamond nor a piece of coal in their filmographies, but they ably carry the movie from start to finish. This isn't the best Jack Ryan movie but it's a strong film. It's good entertainment with strong performances and a solid plot. Director Phil Alden Robinson has a very short filmography, but he's had good success. He made a good choice with 'The Sum of All Fears'. Despite its simplifying of certain situations, the movie is great entertainment, and a worthy entry into the Jack Ryan film cannon.
Video
2.35:1 widescreen, using the MPEG4/AVC codec. Overall, I found this picture to be softer than it should be. The picture shows no signs of scratches, specks or other physical damage, but the digital work is a bit strange. Fine detail seems to have been smeared and the whole picture looks slightly out of focus, more than likely due to overuse of DNR. By the same token, contrast could be slightly better. Shadows go to black pretty quickly, and this doesn't seem to be part of the shooting style. In the scene where John Clark explores the base, for example, it's sometimes hard to discern the frame, thanks to the overly-strong black levels. In good light, however, colours are bright and show good accuracy. I believe I also saw a little bit of edge enhancement in some high-contrast scenes, though this shouldn’t be a problem unless you have a very big display. The picture is passable, but it’s strange to see for such a relatively recent movie.
Audio
The main audio track is an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, but French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 dubs are also available. As would be expected with a movie like this, the lossless track offers a very nice aural experience. The dialogue is clear and unmuffled, coming through very clearly. Even during the noisier scenes, like when Ryan calls Cabot, who's in the sports stadium, the sound design is very clear, replicating the desired noise levels very accurately. Even in this scene, what should be heard is heard, even through the crowd noises. Likewise, the bigger scenes, like the iconic nuclear explosion, boom out of your speakers. It's near demo material, with the shockwave traveling across your living room, taking with it cars, helicopters and various other objects. There aren't too many explosions, but the ones that happen test your speaker system. The mixing is very nicely done and should please anybody. English, English (HoH), French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles are provided.
Extras
Unfortunately, like some of the other Paramount releases, there are no 'Special Features' option when using the pop-up menu during the movie. It's not a big thing, but I find it annoying sometimes having to go to the menu when I want to check out a detail in one of the featurettes. On the good side, there are start-up trailers. In any case, Paramount replicated all the extras from the previous DVD release. First up are two audio commentaries. The first one is with director Phil Alden Robinson and cinematographer John Lindley, and it's a very informative one. They spent a lot of time on the technical aspects of the movie, such as shooting (in both Montreal and Ottawa (!)), photography, locations and direction choices. It's a nice track, if a bit dry, but very good for people interesting in filmmaking. The second one is with director Phil Alden Robinson and novelist Tom Clancy, and this one is either funnier or unfunnier, depending on your point of view. Mr. Clancy seems to constantly burst in with commentary, attempting to correct the director, or injecting his own opinions on the scene. The director either answers the criticisms (usually to the effect of making the scene more cinematic), or diplomatically downplaying the writer's opinions. The talk of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal is absolutely hilarious, especially if you know the battered history of the thing. Both tracks are interesting, but unless you're a big fan of Mr. Clancy and his personality, I would assume you would prefer the first track. A couple of featurettes are next. First is The Making of The Sum of All Fears (29:55), divided into casting and production. Unfortunately, a lot of this is somewhat EPK-y, and praise is bandied about without caution. The first part tracks all the main roles, and they do a nice job establishing why these actors were taken. The actors give out slight tidbits of inspiration, as well. The second part talks about getting the project off the ground, then the research to make the whole movie the most authentic possible. Shooting in Montreal and Death Valley is also discussed. A few stories from the set are mentioned, but it's not as detailed or as informative as it could be. It's worth watching only if you love the movie. The second is Creating Reality: The Visual Effects of The Sum of All Fears (27:48 total). I'm always fascinated with effects work, so I greatly enjoyed this featurette. The Rhythm & Hues people talk about what they had to do and how they did it. You see, in good detail, the miniatures, the rehearsals, the compositing and final shot of the scenes they talk about. There are five scenes talking about the major effects moments in the movie, which is enough to entertain people like me. Lastly is the theatrical trailer (2:24), and it's a decent trailer. It actually made me buy the book and read it before the movie came out.
Overall
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