The Jack Ryan Special Edition Collection
August 2003 Reviewed by: Anthony Di Marco Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Noted writer Joseph Campbell describes a hero as an individual who rises to the challenges of everyday life, and performs not just for him or herself, but for the good of the whole. Heroes traverse obstacles to make sense of their existence. They do it out of necessity, not celebrity. True heroes are by nature reluctant -- people who know the risks of confronting danger but choose to do so for the greater good.

Jack Ryan is a fine example of the reluctant hero. Ryan is not a cowboy or a man looking to make his mark by throwing himself in front of a bullet. He possesses a healthy sense of self-preservation while realizing that he has a responsibility to serve his country and countrymen. If Ryan has a vice, it is that he refuses to lose the good fight. He is a loving father and husband, but a patriot first and foremost. Like many fictional heroes, Ryan’s personal life is too perfect, too free of the personal issues that derail most mortals. He has no money or material problems. Conflict comes from outside Ryan’s family life, and directly results from his willingness to serve his country. If drug lords, terrorists, and corrupt officials were not knocking on his door he would undoubtedly be sitting on his porch drinking lemonade and dying of boredom.

The Hunt for Red October continues to be my favorite among the Ryan films. Unlike the Harrison Ford sequels, the first film conveys an ultra-smooth sophistication that never degrades into formula. The Hunt for Red October has the best cast, best direction, and best production design. It also feels like a well-crafted political thriller rather than an action film with political elements thrown in. Although Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games are good films, the patriotism has a bit too much grandstanding. Alec Baldwin’s version of Jack Ryan is much more realistic -- he plays the reluctant hero, as well as a member of government intelligence, more convincingly than Ford. Ford is a Boy Scout, but Baldwin is a Boy Scout who just happens to speak Russian.

If it seems I am ignoring Ben Affleck -- I am. While Harrison Ford may not have conveyed the intelligence or grace of Alec Baldwin, there is no questioning Ford’s considerable charisma and instinct. Both are fine actors who approach the same character differently. On the other hand, Ben Affleck’s rendering of Ryan is devoid of any charisma or intelligence. There is no subtlety or bravado to his acting. Affleck is like a bull in a china shop -- bulldozing his way through the role without adding any nuance to Ryan’s character. Like Hayden Christensen’s wooden portrayal of a young Darth Vader compared to an elder James Earl Jones, it is impossible to see any similarity to either of the older Ryans in Affleck’s performance. Baldwin and Ford show considerable depth in their portrayals while Affleck is, at best, two-dimensional. At worst he is wooden.

The Sum of All Fears is the only Ryan film that did not receive a new transfer or a DTS soundtrack mix. This does not hurt the film from a technical standpoint -- the picture is crisp and the sound is dynamic and clean. The restoration does, however, breathe new life into the three older films. Colors are rich, depth of field is stunning, and compression artifacts are minimal. I found myself being pulled into the three-dimensional images of each film. The polished steel elements inside the Red October never looked overblown or dull. They sparkled brilliantly against the surrounding military grays and blacks of the submarine interiors. Exterior underwater shots were equally impressive in detail, and there was seamless interaction between models and simple digital effects. The contrast in each video transfer is outstanding. The scene where Ryan’s daughter is staring down a British guard in Patriot Games is beautiful in the way overcast grays and saturated reds punch out of the screen. Each film is a fine example of first-class DVD transfer and serves as wonderful reference material.

The audio is also excellent, and differences between Dolby Digital and DTS are hard to distinguish. DTS does possess an edge regarding transient attack and ambient details within the mix. Vocals are clearer, and I could hear subtle effects like the faint mechanical sounds emanating from the Red October, and the jungle sounds surrounding the Special Operations team in Clear and Present Danger. The low-frequency rumble of the Red October’s Caterpillar Drive is also deep and enveloping. The improvements made to the Clear and Present Danger mix are apparent. The overblown bass in the older DVD version is no longer present, and James Horner’s mediocre score sounds cleaner and more dynamic. The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games are both examples of reference-quality sound mixes which include densely layered audio production that manages to keep track of the smallest sounds. The other two films are good, but have mixes that are more of the "in your face" variety.

If anything feels like an add-on it’s the special features on each film. Only The Hunt for Red October offers an interesting director's commentary, while all four films have documentaries that offer more political back patting than profound retrospective insight. If you want to view a well-done production documentary, watch the ones attached to The Usual Suspects, The Exorcist, or Jaws.

The reluctant hero has been a staple of cinema since days of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton -- but not every actor can play this role convincingly. The characters of Han Solo and Indiana Jones had the effect of typecasting Harrison Ford as Hollywood’s de facto reluctant hero. And Harrison Ford -- the movie star -- does a good job filling the role of a defender of country pride. Still, I wonder what would have happened if Alec Baldwin had continued to carry the torch?

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