The Film
Ironically, Clear and Present Danger--based on Tom Clancy's bestselling book--was the sequel to The Hunt for Red October that drifted into murky waters. Whereas politics had been a backdrop for that submarine movie and subsequent Patriot Games, here the behind-doors dealings of Washington, D.C. took center stage, as a president (the always wonderful Donald Moffat) oversteps his authority and questions of Constitutional law are raised. Now Deputy Director of the CIA, hero Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) is at first a dupe in the proceedings, temporarily blinded by the glamour of power before risking his own life to pick up the pieces, intervening in a private war on drugs spun out of control.
The Picture
The 2.35:1 photography here was excellent and the level of detail in almost every scene is outstanding. Faces too are razor-sharp, and even tricky split-focus shots look great. When the story moves to Colombia, there's a range of greens in the jungle and elsewhere, all vibrant, each distinct. Grasses, leaves are all clearly delineated. Compression artifacting does linger in the nether-regions of some shots, and blacks are not strong, although I've certainly seen worse.
The Sound
Like Red October, Clear and Present Danger was nominated for Sound and Sound Effects Editing Oscars. In Dolby TrueHD on Blu-ray we can appreciate why, as it combines an attention to seemingly minor points like a helicopter taking off in the background, even if it's not essential to the scene, for a feeling of realism throughout, along with "showoff" chapters like the motorcade/assassination sequence. Cars move in different directions within the frame and we cut between different angles, so we're given left-to-right, front-to-rear panning and more, with some amazing rear-channel action. A variety of weapons are being fired here as well, and the final mix provides a palpable sense of the confines of this shooting gallery. Later on there's also a jet, a bomb, a Huey helicopter: plenty to keep us awake! Bass is powerful yet precisely utilized. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this disc.
The Extras
The bonus materials are rather meager here, primarily the 26-and-a-half-minute "Behind the Danger," a collection of interviews with cast and crew, presented in occasionally painful standard definition as on the 2002 DVD of this title. This is the third one of these mini-documentaries I've looked at in the series of four, and the minor variations of directors and thespians extolling "he's a very capable actor" have become something of a cliché by this point. The bit about the early days of animatics (animated storyboards) is far more interesting. A trailer is presented in HD, although the quality shifts drastically over its brief running time.
Final Thoughts
Nothing really new has been added to this edition of Clear and Present Danger, but the sound is truly impressive and the pristine picture quality was a pleasant surprise. Fans of Ford and Clancy will not be disappointed.
Where to Buy:
Product Details:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
