Review for Patriot Games (UK)

Introduction

"Get down!"

Based on the novel of the same name by Tom Clancy, Patriot Games is the second in a series of movies about CIA analyst Jack Ryan. So how does it hold up? On to the review, please.

Harrison Ford plays Jack Ryan who is on vacation with his family in London. He's retired from the CIA, and is a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy. They witness an attack on Lord William Holmes. Ryan intervenes and is injured, but he kills one of the assailants, Patrick Miller, while his older brother Sean (Sean Bean) looks on. The remaining attackers flee and leave Miller to be apprehended by the police. While recovering, Ryan is called to testify in court against Miller. Ryan is awarded an honorary knighthood and eventually returns to the United States.

While being transferred to prison, Miller's escort convoy is ambushed by his comrades, including Kevin O'Donnell (Patrick Bergin), who kills the police officers, and plans an escape. Miller and his companions flee to Northern Africa to plan their next attempt to kidnap Lord Holmes. Miller however, cannot shake his anger towards Ryan for killing his brother and persuades several members of the group to accompany him to the U.S. to murder Ryan and his family. Ryan survives an assassination attempt outside the U.S. Naval Academy. Later, Miller and a henchman attack Ryan's wife Cathy (Anne Archer) and daughter Sally (Thora Birch) on a busy highway. Her car crashes into a concrete divider severely injuring them both. Enraged over the attack on his family, Ryan decides to go back to work for the CIA, having previously rejected the appeal of his former superior, Admiral James Greer (James Earl Jones).

Perfectly acted, perfectly scripted, and perfectly directed, with perfect special effects, Patriot Games is, without a doubt, the best Jack Ryan movie. Harrison Ford gives a flawless performance as Ryan who's willing to do anything to save his wife and child. Anne Archer also gives a flawless performance as Cathy. Thora Birch does well as Sally. They act just as if they were a real family. Sean Bean gives Miller an air of evil and menace, making him easy to dislike. Everybody turns in flawless performances. W. Peter Iliff and Donald Stewart give Patriot Games a great script. Phillip Noyce directs flawlessly, and never slacks on the pace. The few special effects that show up are flawless.

The movie earns a 5/5.

Video

Patriot Games is presented in 2.35:1 and anamorphic. Sharpness is good. Shadow detail is good, even during the dark scenes. Grain is present, but never blocks detail. Color is good. Skin tones are natural and there is no evidence of color bleed. MPEG artifacts don't seem to be an issue. Film-to-video artifacts occasionally crop up. Video artifacts don't seem to be much of an issue. Film artifacts occasionally show themselves.

The video earns a 3.5/5.

Audio

Audio comes in the form of English Dolby Digital 5.1. Dialogue is perfect. Audio sync is perfect. James Horner does the music score and it supports the movie well. The surrounds are very active. The subwoofer is also very active.

The audio earns a 4.5/5.

Features

Just the theatrical trailer. It's a good trailer.

The features earn a 1/5.

Conclusion

Patriot Games is the best Jack Ryan movie, presented decently on DVD. It never drags and holds you until the credits roll.
It looks good and sounds great on DVD, while extras are nearly nonexistent

Overall, this release earns a 3.5/5.