Jack Reacher appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. As expected from a recent major motion picture, the image of Reacher satisfied.
Sharpness worked well, as virtually no softness materialized here. At all times, the movie remained tight and concise. I saw no signs of jaggies or moiré effects, and the film lacked edge haloes or printflaws.
If you suspected Reacher would come with the modern standard teal and orange palette, you’ll get what you expected, though not to an extreme. While the flick went with those overtones, they didn’t overwhelm; indeed, the orange bordered on amber. I’d like to see action flicks dispense with those conceits, but given their restraints, they looked fine here.
Blacks came across nicely. Dark tones were deep and rich, without any muddiness or problems. In addition, low-light shots gave us smooth, clear visuals. All in all, this became a pleasing presentation.
I also felt happy with the solid DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack of Reacher. Despite the movie’s billing as an action movie, it didn’t come with a ton of chances for auditory theatrics. The sniper sequence at the start used the speakers to recreate the setting, and a climactic battle also opened up the environment in a dynamic way.
A few other scenes kicked into higher gear, too, but much of the film stayed fairly atmospheric. That was fine, as we got good stereo music and a nice sense of place. The various elements combined in a compelling manner to form a strong soundscape.
Audio quality was also positive. Music sounded lively and full, while effects delivered accurate material. Those elements showed nice clarity and kick, with tight low-end. Speech was always distinctive and concise, too. This mix worked well for the film.
While not packed with extras, the Blu-ray includes a decent selection of materials, and we find two separate audio commentaries. For the first, we hear from screenriter/director Chris McQuarrie and actor Tom Cruise, both of whom sit together for this running, screen-specific piece. They discuss the source novel and its adaptation, other story/character topics, cast and performances, sets and locations, stunts and action, cinematography, music and editing.
Despite occasional “lovefest moments”, the commentary covers the film well. McQuarrie does most of the heavy lifting and gives us a nice overview of various decisions, and Cruise throws in his perspective in a positive manner. Though not quite a great track, this becomes a useful discussion.
For the second track, we get a running, screen-specific piece with composer Joe Kraemer. This mixes Kraemer's commentary with isolated score; though he occasionally speaks over the music, it usually stands on its own.
We still get plenty of discussion, though, as Kraemer talks about his work as well as influences and collaborating with McQuarrie. Kraemer delivers a lot of insights into the scoring process and makes this a valuable piece.
Three featurettes ensue. When the Man Comes Around goes for 26 minutes, 49 seconds and delivers notes from Cruise, McQuarrie, producer Don Granger, author Lee Child, and actors Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog, and Robert Duvall. We get details about the novel’s path to the screen and its adaptation, casting, characters and performances, screenplay/story elements, sets, and a few other topics, “Comes” covers good ground in an engaging way. I’m especially happy to hear the participants address the controversies related to Cruise’s casting.
You Do Not Mess With Jack Reacher: Combat and Weapons fills 10 minutes, 27 seconds with info from Granger, McQuarrie, Cruise, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Paul Jennings and assistant stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo. As expected, this one looks at stunts, action and related elements. Like “Comes”, it goes through its issues in a tight enough manner and gives us some useful details.
Finally, the 11-minute, 10-second The Reacher Phenomenon features Child on his own. The author discusses his lead character, aspects of the novels and connected subjects. Child provides an engaging presence as he delivers a positive overview of his creation.
A second disc provides a DVD copy of Reacher. Beyond some previews, it lacks any extras.
While it may have disappointed fans of the book series, I thought Jack Reacher provided a mostly satisfying action thriller. Despite a few sags, it still entertained and created an involving tale. The Blu-ray boasts excellent picture and audio along with a nice little set of supplements. If you can get past quibbles with the casting, Jack Reacher becomes an enjoyable effort.
