Clear and Present Danger (Blu-ray Review)

• Reviewed by: Bill Hunt
• Review Date: Sep 03, 2008
• Format: Blu-ray Disc
• 

Director

Philip Noyce

Release Date(s)

1994 (July 29, 2008)

Studio(s)

Paramount

• Film/Program Grade: B-
• Video Grade: B-
• Audio Grade: B+
• Extras Grade: D

Review

Harrison Ford returns as ex-CIA analyst Jack Ryan, who gets drawn back into the muddy world of government espionage when his mentor, CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence James Greer (James Earl Jones) becomes gravely ill. Ryan accepts an offer to serve in Greer’s place, and soon finds himself the fall guy in a White House sanctioned – but highly illegal – operation to take down Columbian drug lords.

The 1080p high-definition video presented on this Blu-ray Disc from Paramount is generally very good, though the film elements themselves are occasionally a bit soft looking. Colors are muted but accurate, and contrast is good overall. There’s also noticeably less digital compression artifacting than there is on, say, the Blu-ray version of The Sum of All Fears. Audio is presented in very good Dolby TrueHD surround. The soundstage is big, wide and dynamic with excellent bass. I have no complaints on that score.

As far as extras, you get a short “making of” featurette called Behind the Danger in standard definition as well as the film’s trailer in full HD – basically, everything that was on the previous DVD edition. I should also note that the film-themed, animated menus here (and on all of these Tom Clancy Blu-rays from Paramount) are excellent.

Overall, the disc isn’t worth the full retail price, but on sale it makes a decent (if unremarkable) upgrade of the previous DVD release.

- Bill Hunt