Jack Reacher Bar Fight Scene (Complete)
A pair of recent 4K UHD releases showcase the cinematic adventures of two heroes from popular book franchises in ultra high-definition format.
jack reacher: never go Back (Paramount Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 118 minutes, 2.39:1, $49.99) Director Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai) reunited with Tom Cruise last year in an action-thriller based on author Lee Childs 18th novel about Jack Reacher, a famed ex-military police major turned action hero drifter.
Now available for the 4K UHD connoisseurs, the film finds Reacher (again played by Mr. Cruise) accused of murder and under arrest, while trying to help a military officer, Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), suspected of treason.
Both escape a military prison and team up to clear their names, but as they say, the plot thickens. A drug-dealing conspiracy, pursuit by a relentless assassin and Reacher finding out that he may have a daughter (Danika Yarosh) complicate the pairs attempts for justice.
Even though Mr. Cruise still knows how to deliver punch in some feisty close-quarter combat scenes, the tired, perfunctory plot never sizzles.
Suffice it to report, Reacher never competes with the exploits of Jason Bourne, or Bryan Mills of Taken, or Ethan Hunt of Mission Impossible. More inventive action scenes and an R rating were needed to truly satisfy and deliver visceral thrills.
4K UHD in action: Shot on film and mastered in 2K, owners of the disc will get an upscaled transfer to 4K. The ultra high-definition actually makes Mr. Cruise look old and tired, not quite what I was expecting. I never thought the guy could age.
The digital transfer was a bit too grainy at times and even some banding around the characters outline, not anticipated when moving into the ultra high-definition arenas for an action film.
Yet, a tree practically glowing from rain falling on it and a major scene in New Orleans French Quarter complete with a Halloween parade, a rooftop chase and fireworks wont disappoint viewers, thanks to some stunning color variations and depth.
Best extras: An sufficient selection of six featurettes (around 73 minutes in total) are found on the Blu-ray disc and will keep fans happy through interviews with all major cast and crew including plenty of words with Mr. Cruise and even the author, Mr. Childs.
The longest featurette covers the overall production and shooting locations that turns Louisiana terrain into Oklahoma and the use of a camera mounted on a drone to capture a chase on the National Mall. Interviews with production designer Clay Griffith and producers Herbert W. Gaines and Don Granger will enlighten movie fans.
Most interesting of the extras is an interview with photographer David James, befriended and appreciated by Mr. Cruise. Mr. James stills capture moments that sell the movie.
Inferno (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 122 minutes, 1.85:1, $45.99) Tom Hanks returned as author Dan Browns famed symbology professor last year in a Ron Howard-directed thriller now available in the ultra high-definition format.
Robert Langdon finds himself caught up in a quest to stop doomsday after the billionaire geneticist Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) threatens to unleash a plague to wipe out half of the earths population.
Suffering from a concussive-type head wound and seeing visions of h**l, the professor gets help to find the weapon of mass destruction from a too-willing emergency room doctor Sienna Brookswhile (Felicity Jones). Of course, saving humanity wont be easy, and both are chased around the world by World Health Organization agents and assassins.
Typical of Mr. Langdons previous cinematic treasure-hunt-style adventures, he will need to solve puzzles, this time themed to Dantes Inferno. h**l use a Faraday Pointer, a slew of anagrams and a riddle on the back of the death mask of the 14th century Italian poet to succeed.
The frantic pace of the film makes it more jarring than thrilling, often under utilizing both stars acting talent, with Mr. Howard delivering a bull-in-a-china shop approach to the plot twists and action.
Suffice it to report, home theater viewers do not need to find a permanent place to their 4K UHD library for Inferno but the film certainly provides an evening of entertainment for fans of Mr. Hanks.
4K UHD in action: The 2160p, high-dynamic-range enhanced, screen-filling presentation offers some striking, travelogue style, views of Florence, Venice and Istanbul.
More specific moments of stunning image clarity include examining Giorgio Vasaris painting of the Battle of Marciano in the Palazzo Vecchio museum and admiring the Baptistery of St. Johns dome.
The slightly distracting elements, noticed due to ultra high-definition, are numerous actors suffering from flyaway hair issues, vein-popping, bloodshot eyeballs and Mr. Hanks sweat.
A Dolby Atmos soundtrack does a great job of mimicking the disorienting aural assault one might find when dealing with a concussion during the early part of the film, especially a head-throbbing moment with a motorcycle roaring or Dr. Brookswhile ripping a bandage package open.
Best extras: Contained on the included Blu-ray disc, viewers will actually appreciate the 27 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, especially a longer opening and alternate ending (that I preferred).
Also, a collection of six featurettes (totaling 35 minutes) offers profiles of three key characters Robert Langdon, Sienna Brookswhile and Bertrand Zobrist and a break down of the international cast with plenty of interviews.
Best of the bunch is a 10-minute look at Mr. Howards obsession with chronicling his productions through social media specifically, the visual power of Twitter and Instagram to spread images from the set of his works in progress.
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